Are you unhappy with the size, shape, or fullness of your breasts? If so, you’re not alone. Breast lifts and breast implants are among the most popular plastic surgery procedures and among the most highly rated by women who have them. Each operation (or a combination of the two) can give a woman more pride in her body, make her feel younger and more attractive, and boost her self-esteem.
What does each of these procedures do? And which might be right for you?
What a Breast Lift Does
The main purpose of a breast lift is to correct sagging breasts. Some women have drooping breasts from puberty. For others, the sagging and flattening come with age, childbearing, or significant weight loss. A breast lift improves shape and projection, re-sculpting breasts to create a perkier, younger-looking form. While a breast lift does not increase breast volume (that’s what implants do), it does make them look fuller by removing excess skin and repositioning the inner tissue to make your breasts rounder and firmer. A breast lift can correct breasts that are pendulous, flattened, or elongated. It can also reduce the size of the areolas if they have expanded.
One way to tell if you might benefit from a breast lift is to look at your chest in a mirror. Are your nipples positioned below the lower crease of your breast? (You can place a sheet of paper in the crease to make this easier to see.) Do your nipples point downward? Are your breasts asymmetrical, with the nipples at different heights? These are all signs that a breast lift could enhance your appearance.
What Implants Do
Implants increase the volume, shape, and projection of your breasts. This can have a lifting effect if the skin on your breasts has stretched a little, but that’s not the main change implants make. They simply make your breasts bigger, fuller, and firmer. This might be attractive to you if you are bothered by small breasts or if your breasts have lost volume (but not sagged significantly) with age and other body changes. You might choose to make a subtle enhancement using smaller implants or a more dramatic change with larger implants. It’s up to you. But you should make those decisions — and decisions about the implants’ type and placement — in consultation with a skilled and experienced plastic surgeon who can guide you through the decisions to achieve a look that makes your body appear naturally balanced and beautifully proportioned.
If small breast size is your main concern, and you don’t have significant sagging, implants alone may be a great solution. Implants can also correct asymmetry when one breast is larger than the other.
Why You Might Consider a Breast Lift with Implants
A breast lift raises and reshapes the breasts to correct sagging, flattening, and elongation. Implants add natural-looking volume to your breasts. If your breasts are sagging and you would also like them to be fuller and larger, a combination of the two procedures may be the answer. It eliminates the need for two separate procedures and recovery periods and gets you the breasts you want in a single surgery.
Choose a Vancouver Plastic Surgeon You Can Trust
Dr. Eric Pugash has many years’ experience with cosmetic breast surgery, including implants and breast lifts. His patients and their before-and-after pictures can attest to his superior results. Contact our practice today at (604) 522-5199 or send an online request to schedule a consultation.