Breast Lift
The youthful breast proudly sits on the upper chest and projects beauty with firmness and fullness. Breast shape itself is indefinable and any attempt to define breast shape in terms of a specific geometric shape (like a cone) fails to capture its elusive beauty. But there are qualities and parts of the shape that we can understand, discuss and use as goals when time has cause the breast to sag and lose its youthful shape.
Breast lifts not only raise the breast to a higher position on the chest but also increase the firmness of the breast because the skin about the breast is tightened. Other goals for the lift include removal of stretch marks and making the areola smaller to match the breast size and the rest of the chest. Drooping of the breasts may have occured to differing degrees on each side and a breast lift can significantly improve symmetry (sameness of the sides). Breast lifts also can shorten the distance from the nipple to the fold under the breast as this becomes stretched as the breast falls. But most of all, breast lifts are powerful breast shapers and return the breast to its youthful appearance.
Fullness of the Upper Pole of the Breast
When there is adequate breast size, breast lifts can not only raise the level of the breast but the lift can push up the upper part of the breast to create what plastic surgeons call “upper pole fullness.” This is the exposed part of the breast that stick out from a bra or bathing suit. Because others can see the upper pole directly, patients and plastic surgeons alike have been focusing on improving upper pole fullness to improve overall breast shape.
Most patients nowadays want good fullness to the upper pole and so for women with drooping who have a relatively smaller breast size in the A or B cup range, an implant is necessary to achieve fullness of the upper pole. When patients opt for a breast lift with an implant, the two procedures are almost always performed together as one procedure. The breast implant can be placed and then excess skin can be tailored to match to new breast shape afforded by the implant. This surgery is very safe when combined, can save time and money and is more convenient for patients. A thorough consultation with a Plastic Surgeon can help patients understand the alternatives and which plan may be best for their goals and their shape. It’s very important to understand that we are all different in terms of our wants and our shape, that there is no “cookie cutter “answer for everyone and so we must explore alternatives together to get to our unique goal.