It is completely natural for the appearance of the breasts to change over time. Your breasts can lose their shape and fullness for a variety of reasons: the aging process can create sagging breasts; weight fluctuations can deflate the breasts; breastfeeding and pregnancy can lead to similar changes.
If you’re concerned about the size of your breasts as well as their firmness and position on your body, you may consider the improved shape that comes from [link pid=”450″]combining a breast augmentation and a breast lift[/link]. While a breast lift can be performed alone, it is most often performed in conjunction with a breast augmentation. This combination of surgeries provides a dramatic improvement, because it raises the breasts and tightens the tissue, creating a new breast contour. The two procedures complement each other nicely when both a change in size and position is desired.
- Restoring lost volume. A breast augmentation increases the size the breasts. An expertly done augmentation can also improve the breast shape. However, if you’re unhappy with the position of your nipples or your breasts—if your nipples sag below the fold under the breast, for instance—it’s unlikely that an augmentation alone will create the improved breast shape you’re looking for. In fact, the added weight of implants without addressing the sagging tissues can worsen the appearance of a drooping breast.
- Restoring lost shape. A breast lift eliminates drooping or sagging breasts. Also called a mastopexy, this procedure removes excess skin and lifts the breasts to a higher position on the chest wall. Combined with adding size during a breast augmentation, a lift provides the final refinement needed to [link pid=”448″]recreate a youthful profile[/link].
If you’re not sure whether you need this combination of procedures to provide the results you want, you aren’t alone! Women are often confused about the appropriate approach, and it generally takes a skilled plastic surgeon to help you sort through the variables. An examination is usually telling, because the anatomical characteristics of your breasts will determine whether you need both procedures. Adding size alone may not provide the contour you want, and a lift by itself will not address lost fullness. The recovery period is not significantly altered by adding a second procedure, so the downtime you’ll experience for the combined procedure is only a bit longer than breast augmentation alone.
Our surgeons can help you assess your goals and suggest the right approach to rejuvenate your breasts and improve their size and contour. Please contact us for a consultation to learn more about breast shaping.