When it comes to breast enhancement at our plastic surgery practice in San Diego, breast augmentation usually takes the spotlight. Implants are known and loved for improving breast size and shape. If someone tells us they got a “boob job,” we automatically assume they’re talking about augmentation. But there’s a slept-on breast procedure that creates just as much improvement and may even be more beneficial for many women: the breast lift.
Read on to learn more about why the breast lift may be the most underrated procedure in the world of plastic surgery.
It helps lift sagging breasts for a perkier look.
Drooping or deflated breasts are common after pregnancy, weight loss, and aging. Many women who think they need implants to achieve a more youthful, lifted look may actually benefit from a lift, which helps reshape and rejuvenate the breast.
During the procedure, your surgeon lifts and tightens your skin and breast tissue using one of 3 incision types:
- Circumferential: Around the areola
- Lollipop: Around the areola plus a vertical scar down to the bottom of the breast
- Anchor: Around the areola plus a vertical scar down to the bottom of the breast and a horizontal scar along the breast crease
The right incision type for you depends on how much stretched skin you have and how dramatic you want your improvement to be.
You can combine a breast lift with implants to customize your size.
If you’ve lost volume over time or just want to amp up your size, your breast lift can be combined with a breast augmentation within the same surgery. Also called a breast lift with implants, this procedure is especially popular because it allows for both a fuller look and a more lifted appearance—a total breast transformation.
See examples of what these results look like in our before-and-after photo gallery.
If you have especially stretched or thin skin, enhancements can add internal support.
For those who feel like they need a “built-in bra” or extra support, we offer GalaFLEX Soft Tissue Support. And for people who have had a capsular contracture with their first breast augmentation surgery, we use the Strattice™ Reconstructive Tissue Matrix to help prevent the capsular contracture from recurring. These options strengthen and reinforce your breast skin and tissue to keep your breasts looking perkier for longer. We’ll talk about whether these are right for you during your consultation.
Recovery time is about the same as breast augmentation.
Most women return to work within 2 weeks and resume more intense exercise around 4 weeks after surgery. Breast lifts do tend to leave larger scars than breast augmentation, so it’s important to think about whether that’s worth it to achieve the results you’re looking for. All scars are easily hidden under even tiny bikini tops, and they fade and flatten over time. Using topical scar gels and closely following your aftercare instructions will help your incisions heal beautifully in the long run.
You’ll enjoy long-lasting results.
While nothing stops the aging process altogether, breast lifts create long-lasting improvements to the breast’s shape and structure. Learn more about the do’s and don’ts of keeping breasts perkier for longer in this related blog post.
To see examples of the results you can expect after a breast lift, please visit our before-and-after photo gallery.
Interested in learning more about breast lifts? We’d love to chat! Please contact us online or give us a call at (858) 452-1981. We look forward to hearing from you and helping you feel amazing about the way you look.
