Breast Lift Surgery: What is True & What is False?

Drooping, sagging breasts are one of the most common visible signs of aging for many women. In addition to hanging down lower than the ideal breast position that many women prefer, sagging breasts often lose their shape and firmness. This breast sagging results from several factors including gravity, weight fluctuation, pregnancy, and breastfeeding. And although diet and exercise cannot do anything to treat this aesthetic concern, breast lift surgery (also known as mastopexy) can provide tremendous relief. To help prospective breast lift patients gain a better understanding of what this procedure is capable of, our experienced plastic surgeons wanted to provide some facts about the procedure and the results it can help women achieve.

I Can Undergo a Breast Lift Even If I Plan to Become Pregnant in the Future

This is true. Undergoing a breast lift will have no effect on a woman’s ability to become pregnant in the future. However, it’s important to know going in that pregnancy and breastfeeding can negatively impact the results of a breast lift by stretching the skin and leading to additional breast sagging. In many cases, women who undergo their breast lift and then become pregnant may require an additional procedure down the road to help them recapture the aesthetic results achieved from their initial breast lift. This is why we tell our patients that it is best to wait until they are finished having children before undergoing a body contouring procedure like a breast lift.

A Breast Lift Can Help Me Reduce the Size of My Breasts

Although this belief is one that we hear frequently from patients, this is false. It’s true that excess skin is removed from the breasts during a breast lift, but the resulting decrease in breast size or volume is typically marginal. For breast lift patients who wish to also reduce the size of their breasts, it may make sense to combine a breast lift with breast reduction surgery.

I Will Have Considerable Visible Scarring After a Breast Lift

Thankfully, this too is false. It’s a fact that any kind of surgery procedure will leave some degree of scarring, however visible scarring is rarely significant following a breast lift. Our plastic surgeons are skilled at making incisions in areas where scars may be concealed as much as possible. It’s important to remember that any scarring associated with a breast lift will fade and improve over time with the right post-surgery care. We recommend asking your prospective plastic surgeon to see before and after photos from past breast lift patients to get a better idea of what you can expect.

Here at Atlanta Plastic Surgery, our plastic surgeons and entire medical team pride themselves on providing our patients with world-class plastic surgical care, as well as the knowledge they need to feel confident and informed before their respective cosmetic procedure. For more information on breast lift surgery or if you would like to schedule an appointment at one of our locations, contact Atlanta Plastic Surgery as (404) 256-1311. And follow us on Facebook and Twitter for additional tips and news and much more.