According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the popularity of breast lifts is surging. Over the last two decades, the number of patients requesting breast lifts has increased by 89 percent!
If you are considering a breast lift procedure, this places you in very good company. One of the key considerations when contemplating a breast lift is your choice of plastic surgeon. Since cosmetic surgery is a highly individualized procedure and no two bodies are alike, the surgeon you choose can have a direct, lifelong impact on the quality of your results and your satisfaction with your post-procedure appearance.
What Is a Breast Lift?
A breast lift, or mastopexy, is a surgical procedure designed to re-contour the breasts naturally without use of implants. Often, excess skin is removed and tissue is tightened to improve the appearance of the breasts naturally.
A breast lift can be done on its own or combined with a breast reduction or breast augmentation to achieve your personal image goals.
How Will Weight Gain Affect a Breast Lift Procedure?
The timing of your breast lift procedure is important for sustaining results. For example, if you wish to have more children or you are still breastfeeding, it is best to wait until your family is complete to have a breast lift procedure done.
In the same way, weight loss or weight gain can change the configuration and appearance of your breasts even after a breast lift procedure. Weight loss may lead to a recurrence of the breast issues that led you to seek a breast lift procedure.
Weight gain, on the other hand, may cause your breasts to increase in size beyond what you feel comfortable with. For these and other reasons, it is best to reach your desired stable weight before seeking a breast lift.
Will a Breast Lift Leave Any Scars?
Like all surgical procedures, a breast lift procedure requires incisions. Here, the skill of the surgeon you choose can have a great degree of influence over where your incisions are placed, their overall size and shape and how well they heal.
Skilled surgeons with extensive expertise in performing breast lift procedures are adept at minimizing visible incisions and facilitating the most complete healing. However, it is important to know that there is no way to fully guarantee the absence of visible scarring after a breast lift procedure.
Do the Breasts Have to Be a Certain Size for a Breast Lift?
The good news here is that patients with breasts of any size, from small to large, are potential candidates for a breast lift. The breast lift procedure focuses not on reduction or augmentation of the breast but of achieving an overall lift.
A rudimentary example can be seen just by standing in front of the mirror and lifting up your arms so they are held straight out to your sides and parallel to your shoulders. Watch what happens to your breasts when you do this – they lift! A breast lift can rejuvenate the overall placement and appearance of your breasts in a similar way using the latest cutting-edge surgical procedures.
Interestingly, many patients actually decrease by as much as a cup size following a breast lift procedure, but their breasts actually appear bigger. This is also a result of a reversal of time and gravity by tightening skin and tissue and giving breasts a youthful, firm but natural appearance.
Why Have a Breast Lift Procedure?
Women choose to seek a breast lift procedure for many different reasons. Some of the most common reasons are to restore breast contour and position following pregnancy and breastfeeding, to reverse the natural process of sagging skin and tissue that comes with age and to revitalize the appearance of the breasts following weight loss.
Since it is possible to combine a breast lift procedure with breast implants, some women also opt to have this combination procedure to both lift the breasts and increase their cup size.
In the same way, for women who have experienced dramatic weight loss, it is possible to combine a breast reduction procedure that removes more excess tissue and skin while at the same time lifting and tightening the remaining skin and tissue for a breast lift.
Both approaches can yield desirable long-term cosmetic results.
Are There Any Associated Risks To Be Aware Of?
As with any invasive (surgical) procedure, there are always certain risks, including risk of bleeding, infection, scarring, poor wound healing, uneven results, numbness and risks associated with the use of anesthesia.
For these and other reasons, it is important to talk with Dr. Steinbrech about any questions or concerns you may have before scheduling your breast lift procedure.
What is Breast Lift Recovery Like?
Most breast lift patients report feeling somewhat swollen, tender and bruised around the incision sites right after their breast lift surgery. You will be provided with detailed post-operative care instructions as well as pain medications as needed to manage any discomfort.
It is important to refrain from any strenuous activities or heavy lifting for at least two weeks so your incisions can fully heal. In nearly all cases, it is possible to return to work within a week or two, so long as your job duties are complementary with your body’s recovery needs.
About Steinbrech Plastic Surgery
Dr. Douglas S. Steinbrech is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgeons. He can enhance the look and feel of the breasts, and improve asymmetry. His extensive education, training, and expertise has made him an in-demand surgeon for patients across the globe. Learn more and schedule your consultation with Dr. Steinbrech by visiting website at www.drsteinbrech.com.
