With age, a woman's breasts may not be as full or perky as they once were. As a result, many women seek to undergo breast enhancement to restore a more youthful fullness and shape to breasts that sag after getting older, weight loss, or having children.
Breast enhancement can involve breast implants alone, a breast lift alone, or a combination of these two procedures. A patient's tissues should be the deciding factor in which procedure or combination of procedures is best.
But how do you know which option is right for you?
Breast Implants vs. Breast Lift
During in-depth, private consultations with women who are looking into improving the appearance of sagging breasts, we often encounter these frequently asked questions:
Do I need breast implants?
Do I need a breast lift?
Or will I need both implants and a lift?
Breast implants add volume and restore fullness to deflated breasts. Breast implants alone can be a good option is you have small or deflated breasts with minimal drooping. Breast implants alone, however, aren't a good choice if you have noticeable drooping because breast implants alone do not lift sagging breasts and the result will be even droopier breasts or an unattractive rock-in-a-sock look.
A breast lift, by contrast, lifts drooping (sagging) breasts. During a breast lift, sagging breast tissue and droopy nipples are lifted to a more youthful position. A breast lift alone can be good option if you wish correct sagging breasts and are generally happy with your overall breast size. It's not a good option if you have sagging breasts but also desire larger breasts or increased fullness of the upper pole of the breast, as breast implants are the only way to add fullness to the upper pole.
Combining A Breast Lift with Breast Implants
For many patients, combining a breast lift with breast implants can help you achieve the best of both worlds. You sagging breasts can be lifted, and volume and fullness of the upper pole can be added using implants.
The Most Common Reasons For Getting a Breast Lift
- To undo the unwanted changes of pregnancy and childbirth including sagging breasts and overly stretched skin around the area
- To improve the appearance of breasts by making them more proportional and youthful-looking following weight loss
- To help women attain the breast profile and projection they've always wanted; most of these women were born with droopy breasts due to genetics
- To correct the appearance of nipples that sag below the crease of the breasts
Self-Assessment: Questions to Determine if You're a Good Candidate for a Breast Lift
Next to a personal consultation with an expert breast lift surgeon, a thorough self-assessment is an excellent way to decide between breast implants and a breast lift.
Apart from the reasons above, asking yourself the following questions is a good start.
1. Are your nipples almost always pointing downward?
With sagging breasts, it's not just the breast itself that droops. Gravity almost always pulls the nipples downward too.
2. Are you happy with your current breast size and shape, even if you're wearing a bra?
If you're still not happy with the overall projection of your breasts after getting a new push-up bra to help your breasts appear fuller and rounder, a breast lift consultation may be in order.
3. Are your nipples sitting below the natural crease underneath your breast?
Are you an ideal candidate for a breast lift?
The ideal candidate of a breast lift procedure is a non-smoker (smoking can significantly delay healing), who is in good health and has realistic expectations post-surgery.
Sound A Little Complicated? How to Learn More
Whether you're thinking of a stand-alone breast lift surgery or want to combine it with implants, it all begins with careful planning and a through physical assessment with a surgeon who has the technical finesse and artistic eye for naturally beautiful outcomes.
Get in touch with Dr. Fan and the rest of the team to schedule a complimentary, one-on-one consultation today.
