A Breast Lift Restores Volume To Fallen Breasts

The breast lift procedure is indicated when the breasts have lost their youthful volume and have become stretched and saggy. At this point, the nipples have dropped as well and in severe cases, the nipples may point straight to the ground. In youth, the perky breast is supported by strong internal ligaments and other connective tissue structures which give it a firm feel. After childbirth, severe weight loss, gravity and hormonal changes cause these ligaments to stretch and weaken the breast tissue which looses its firmness (atrophies) and becomes quite soft. The severity of sagginess will usually dictate which breast lift technique is used in an attempt to rejuvenate the fallen breast.

A saggy breast is usually, but not always, associated with excess skin and very soft (atrophied) glandular tissue that has lost its perkiness. Successful breast lift operations must produce a relative reduction of excess skin in order to tighten the breast and to lift it to a more youthful position. When skin is removed from the breast, incisions are made, which most often heal nicely, but occasionally can become troublesome.

Using careful technique can increase the chance of having favorable incisions. Women should consider that when skin is removed from the breast, as in a breast lift operation, the overall size of the breast is reduced by about 15 to 25 percent, depending on which type of breast lift procedure is performed. If a woman wishes to have a breast lift and keep her current size, she will likely need placement of an implant, to add volume, at the time of her breast lift.

We mentioned above that saggy breasts are soft and atrophied and have lost their perkiness. One way to restore perkiness is to add an implant to the saggy breast alone or when a lift is being performed. Implants are relatively firm, do not change with weight or hormonal fluctuations and have other positive characteristics which can make the saggy breast look much younger. In some cases, when very little sagging is found and the breast skin is not excessive, placement of a breast implant alone, using a very sophisticated, state-of-the-art technique called internal breast lift can tighten, lift the breast and restore perkiness without external incisions.

You may be a good candidate for breast lift surgery if you have one or more of the following conditions: breasts that are saggy, excessively long, wide and/or pendulous; breasts that are soft, lack substance or have lost firmness; breasts that are positioned below the breast crease; nipples that point downward, especially if they are positioned below the breast crease.