Breast Lift, Reduction or Enlargement to Correct Sagging?
January 17th, 2018
How do you know if you need a breast lift, a breast reduction or breast enlargement to correct sagging to make your breasts more youthful looking? Let’s start with the “pencil test” because it is a simple and an effective way to tell if breast lift surgery might be helpful to correct sagging or droopy breasts. The pencil test helps to identify true sagging. Place a pencil under your breast where it attaches to your chest and if your nipple hangs below the pencil when you sit or stand, then you might consider a breast lift.
True sagging or drooping of a woman’s nipples can occur following pregnancy or as a result of any dramatic weight gain/loss. True sagging refers to the location of the nipple position below the crease beneath your breast. I do not recommend breast lift surgery if nipples are above the crease or at the level of the crease. Breast enlargement is usually sufficient to correct the saggy breast shape in most cases. However, breast lift surgery is designed specifically to reposition the nipple and areola (pigmented skin around the nipple) upwards toward a more natural position. The natural position is about one half to three-quarters of an inch above the crease. Positioning them any higher than this can result in an odd breast appearance. The size of the areola can also be reduced during the procedure if desired by the patient.
Breast enlargement or breast reduction may be considered to change the size, shape and contour of the breasts, when a breast lift would not be indicated to achieve the desired improvement. As with all breast surgery, size is a personal choice and all options should be discussed during your consultation with your surgeon. Breast surgery is often part of the Mommy Makeover. See more specific information on Breast Procedures here.
Watch this video as our patient kindly shares her journey of restoring her breasts to a more youthful look following pregnancy. Thank you Lisa.
Too Big or Too Small?
October 30th, 2017
During my 30 + years as a cosmetic plastic surgeon, one particular observation has proven to be true: Never guess why a patient has chosen to see you for a consultation. So whether it is the size or shape of someone’s nose or their breasts, desirable appearance is a personal choice and as they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I believe that informed consent includes offering a patient their options and information about choices, allowing you to make the best decision for yourself. A strong physician/patient partnership is important in providing healthy expectations with a safe and speedy recovery. Are your breasts too big or too small, read on.
Breast surgery is one of the most common elective plastic surgery procedures, with almost 600,000 women choosing breast reduction, breast enlargement, or breast lift surgeries last year. Our readers find our patient guest blogs especially helpful to understand cosmetic surgery from a rather personal perspective. Michelle has been kind enough to write about her breast reduction surgery. Her candid diary includes reasons why she considered a breast reduction, and she writes about her experience from the 1st surgery consultation, concluding with recovery and reflections. We appreciate Michelle’s willingness to share her experience with us and we are pleased that she is happy with her decision. In case you missed Michelle’s series, here are all the links to her complete story.
Diary of Breast Reduction #1: Intro to My Story, #2: Why I am Considering Surgery, #3: My Pre-op Instructions, #4: Day Before Surgery, #5: My Surgery Day, #6: My Recovery, #7: My Reflections
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