Do all breast implants sag?
Yes. Just like all breasts eventually sag, all breasts with implants sag too. And the larger the implants are, the quicker they will sag, just as larger natural breasts sag faster than smaller ones. Breast implants don’t stop the natural aging process… they just reset it by a few years.
Is a breast lift the only way to treat sagging?
No. There are two alternatives to provide a little lift without a “lift”:
- BREAST IMPLANTS. A breast augmentation, or having your existing implants replaced with a slightly larger size, can certainly provide some additional lift. This is a great option for women who would like to be perkier and larger.
- INTERNAL BREAST LIFT. Some women are candidates for an internal breast lift in which your surgeon reinforces and lifts the breasts from the inside. This procedure usually necessitates the placement of breast implants at the same time, and does not require any scars beyond the small, well-hidden scars associated with breast augmentation surgery. Make sure to ask your plastic surgeon whether or not you are a candidate for this procedure.
What types of breast lifts are available?
- CIRCLE LIFT. The circle lift, also called the circumareolar lift, the periareolar lift, or the donut lift, is a great procedure for breasts that have just barely begun to sag. The main advantage of the circle lift is that it only involves a scar around the outer border of the areola, which is quite inconspicuous once it’s fully healed. The main disadvantage of this technique is that it must be used conservatively. When the circle lift is used to lift the breast more than an inch or so, the scar can become widened over time.
- LOLLI-POP LIFT. The lolli-pop lift, also called the vertical-scar or short-scar lift, is one step above the circle lift. It is meant for moderate amounts of sagging in moderate sized breasts. This technique involves a scar around the areolar border, but also adds an additional vertical scar from the areola down to the fold under the breast.
- ANCHOR LIFT. The anchor lift, also called the Wise-pattern mastopexy, is the best technique for large breasts with a severe amount of sagging. This technique involves the greatest number of scars, but it’s the only technique that will allow for a round, shapely, perky breast when a great deal of lift is needed.
- LASER BRA LIFT. The LaserBra Lift is a highly specialized technique that only a few surgeons across the country are qualified to perform. The scar pattern is the same as the anchor lift, but a laser is used to create an internal bra out your own tissue. This internal bra is sculpted to give you an exceptional shape that may last much longer than the other techniques because of the additional internal support.
Is there any way to do a breast lift without scars?
Absolutely not, and you should be very suspicious of any breast lift operation that is advertised as “scarless”. Breast sagging results from extra stretched out skin and loose connective tissue on the inside of the breast. In order to lift a saggy breast, the extra skin must be removed and tightened, and the loose connective tissue must also be tightened. There is no way to accomplish these goals without making incisions, and all incisions leave scars. That being said, the vast majority of women who have breast lift surgery are very happy with the results and don’t mind seeing the scars!
