Thinking about having a breast lift? Here are 10 facts about the procedure that will help you to make up your mind…
If your breasts have started to sag you might have tried various things to fix them, like exercises, creams, and skin tightening devices. Unfortunately, these will only ever achieve a minor improvement (if any). Breasts are made of fatty tissue and although you can work on the pectoral muscles beneath, this will have no effect on the breast tissue itself. On the other hand, a breast lift (also called a mastopexy) is a safe and effective way to restore breasts to their youthful state.
A breast lift won’t increase the size of your breasts
While a breast uplift will give you better-shaped breasts and get rid of upper-pole flatness, it won’t actually make them bigger. If you think you might also want to change the size of your breasts, an uplift can be combined with breast implants or fat transfer. A good way to understand what you want is to look at your breasts in a bra - are you happy with the size? If the answer is yes, then only an uplift is needed. If the answer is no, your plastic surgeon will need to add extra volume with either implants or fat transfer.
A breast lift won’t decrease the size of your breasts
Just as an uplift won’t make your breasts bigger, it also won’t make them smaller! A mastopexy is carried out purely to reshape and reposition the breast tissue and remove any excess skin - it doesn’t include the removal of breast tissue. If you desire smaller breasts, you can combine an uplift with a breast reduction. For women with large breasts, a reduction can make their breasts less likely to sag again in the future, and prolong the results of an uplift.
A breast lift will leave some scarring
There are three established techniques for performing a breast uplift and the method that your surgeon uses will depend on the extent of your sagging, the size of your breasts, and position of your nipple. For light sagging, the scars will be placed around the areola and, if necessary, vertically down the breast (in the shape of a lollipop). Moderately sagging breasts require a small extension of the lollipop incision into the fold beneath the breasts. When a more severe degree of sagging is present, the incision beneath the breasts will be longer, forming an anchor shape. Ultimately, though, all scars are hidden as much as possible and will eventually fade away to become barely noticeable.
You’ll need to take a little downtime
If you have only an uplift (not implants), recovery is surprisingly quick. That’s because the surgery only involves fatty tissue and skin rather than muscle so it’s less invasive and less painful. You can be up and walking about within a few hours after surgery. Soreness, nerve pain, and inflammation are well controlled with pain meds, however, you will need to avoid exercise and any heavy lifting for four weeks after surgery. If you have a young child who requires lifting you’ll need to make sure you have some help at home.
You’ll need to quit smoking before a breast uplift
If you’re a smoker (or vaper), you’ll need to ask yourself if you’re prepared to stop smoking for at least six weeks (preferably longer). Your surgeon will ask you to avoid nicotine for three weeks prior to surgery and three weeks post-surgery. It’s especially important for breast uplift surgery because skin is detached in order to be lifted and tightened. During this process, normal blood flow is restricted so it’s vital the remaining blood flow is sufficiently oxygenated, otherwise there’s a greater risk of skin, fat and nipple necrosis.
A breast lift won’t affect your ability to breastfeed in future
A breast uplift will rarely interfere with a woman’s ability to breastfeed. An experienced surgeon will be able to minimise the amount of nerve damage sustained. This is important because nerves trigger the release of prolactin and oxytocin, two hormones that affect milk production and letdown. It is advisable to wait for at least 18-months after having a breast lift before becoming pregnant, giving your nerves time to recover and for full sensation to return.
Your overall silhouette can be improved with a breast lift
Returning the breasts to their ideal position on the chest can completely transform your figure, making you appear slimmer and better proportioned. However, sometimes, you may have accumulated fat below or above your bra that detracts from your newly shaped breasts. We often perform simultaneous liposuction in the surrounding areas for a better aesthetic result.
We’ll ask you to return to the clinic for postoperative care
If you’re visiting Spain for plastic surgery, you can be discharged and return home after a week. But, ideally, we like all our breast lift patients to visit the clinic on a weekly basis for four weeks to receive postoperative lymphatic drainage massage, which is included in the price. This treatment helps to reduce swelling and speed up healing, leading to a better final result.
Sometimes it makes sense to wait before having a breast lift
Breast lift is a procedure with very high satisfaction rates, but it’s important to note that the results can be undone by weight loss, weight gain and pregnancy. Therefore, you need to ask yourself if it’s the right time in your life to undergo the surgery. If you’re planning to become pregnant, it’s better to wait until you’ve completed your family because pregnancy can significantly alter the size and shape of your breasts. Likewise, if you plan to lose weight or your weight routinely fluctuates, it’s advisable to wait until you’ve reached a stable size. This will avoid the need for revision surgery in the future.
Think breast lift surgery could be right for you? Book a free consultation with one of our surgeons and find out more.
