As you age, you may begin to notice some changes to the appearance of your breasts. The full, perky breast appearance you once enjoyed may be impacted by issues associated with sagging and lost volume. This is quite natural and may occur for a number of reasons. Fortunately, a breast lift can potentially improve these issues and restore a more youthful, perky breast appearance.
You can find out whether a breast lift may be right for you by speaking with board certified plastic surgeon Dr. Jay Orringer in person. Please contact our Beverly Hills office to schedule a consultation today.
Am I a Breast Lift Candidate?
You may potentially be a candidate for a breast lift if you experience significant sagging issues, often caused by:
- Large natural breast size
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding
- The aging process
- Weight gain and loss
In addition, breast lift candidates should have realistic expectations regarding the outcome of their procedure and be in good general health. If you smoke cigarettes, you'll need to quit prior to your procedure and throughout the recovery period since smoking may negatively impact healing and results.
If you are looking to restore lost breast volume in addition to improving sagging issues, Dr. Orringer may recommend breast augmentation in conjunction with a breast lift to potentially achieve enhanced results.
Your Breast Lift Procedure
Dr. Orringer will customize your breast lift procedure based on your unique individual needs and goals. During your procedure, the breast tissue is reshaped and the nipple is repositioned in order to potentially restore a perkier, more youthful breast appearance.
There are four different breast lift incision options to choose from. Dr. Orringer will recommend the option that he feels will most effectively address your unique goals. Potential incision options include:
- Crescent – short incision along the upper half of the areola
- Peri-areolar – the incision forms a circle around the areola
- Lollipop – incision around the areola and an additional vertical incision extending towards the breast crease
- Anchor – circular incision around the areola, vertical incision down the breast crease, and an additional horizontal incision along the breast crease (this options provides the potentially greatest amount of skin removal and tightening)
Dr. Orringer typically recommends either the lollipop or anchor incision for most of his breast lift patients. He may use the crescent and peri-areolar incisions when there is only limited droop and breast implants are being placed as well.
Breast Lift Benefits
Natural aging and gravity alter the breast tissues, and breasts of all sizes tend to droop and sag with time. The fibrous and flexible connective tissues in the breasts (called Cooper’s ligaments) contain collagen and elastin, and these proteins break down and decrease with age, causing breast ptosis (drooping). Breastfeeding affects the internal tissues and often leaves breasts smaller, flatter, and lower after weaning. Breast lift typically provides a more youthful appearance and a more pleasing shape to the breasts.
Natural aging or pregnancy-related changes may alter the tissues differently, causing asymmetric breast sagging and differing breast size and shape. Breast lift can improve breast symmetry, remove excess, stretched breast skin, and decrease the size of enlarged areolae. Downward-facing nipples are given a more youthful direction and position with breast lift. Skin reduction with tightening often lessens the sense of breast sagging and heaviness on the chest.
Your Breast Lift and Consultation
Dr. Orringer is an internationally-known double-board-certified plastic surgeon with more than 30 years of experience performing a variety of cosmetic plastic surgery procedures, including those to enhance the appearance of the breasts and trunk.
During your detailed consultation with Dr. Orringer, he will personally discuss various breast lift options and other complementary procedures, such as breast augmentation or fat transfer, that might be appropriate. His recommendations and treatment plan will be based upon your unique concerns, anatomy, and considerations.
Complementary Procedures
Breast lift creates a more youthful appearance by lifting nipple position and reducing excess hanging skin and underlying tissue. Breast augmentation with silicone gel or saline-filled implants may provide replacement of lost volume or provide additional desired volume. Newer-generation gummy bear implants might provide improved results, particularly in thinner individuals. In addition, fat transfer, done with fat liposuctioned from other areas, might provide some limited additional volume and improved contour.
Breast and body procedures are commonly combined to address several areas at once. This combination approach is termed a “mommy makeover” and often involves liposuction and abdominoplasty (tummy tuck). A liposuction procedure can remove excess fat from the abdomen, thighs, hips, and other stubborn areas where fat may accumulate during and after pregnancy. Tummy tuck often addresses separated muscles and loose skin on the upper and lower abdomen. Combined with cosmetic breast procedures, this can reverse many of the post-pregnancy changes that many women find displeasing.
Breast Lift Results
Cosmetic improvement from breast lift is typically seen early after surgery. The breast shape and position will usually take at least a few months to settle and reveal the final outcome. Though natural aging and gravity will again impact the tissues, women often experience improvement in breast appearance for many years, particularly if they maintain some breast support, a stable weight, and a healthy lifestyle.
View before and after photos of Dr. Orringer’s patients to see how patients have achieved their aesthetic goals.
Breast Lift FAQs
What types of cosmetic improvements can Dr. Orringer make to my nipples?
The main change that Dr. Orringer performs makes during breast lift is elevation of the nipple-areolar position. Larger areolae can also be made smaller. In addition, nipple size can be reduced.repositioning the areolas. On drooping breasts, the nipple-areola s and areolas tends to sink descend to the lower portion of the breast mass. With several a tiny keyhole-shaped incisional options, above the areola, Dr. Orringer can lift the nipple-areola so that it is more centrally located positioned on the breast, creating a more youthful, “perkier” appearance. He also alters the projection of the nipple so that it pokes outward rather than downward to achieve a youthful, “perky” appearance.
If you are unhappy with the size of your areolas, Dr. Orringer can also remove a small amount of tissue to reduce the circumference of your areolas so that they are in proportion to the size of your breasts. A similar procedure can help reduce the width or length of the nipple.
How does breast lift affect the shape and size of my breasts?
Sagging breasts develop a more pendulous, less youthful, shape., with most of the volume resting in the lower portion of the breasts. With breast lift, Dr. Orringer elevates the nipple position and reduces the amount of hanging, excess tissue. can create a fuller, rounder breast profile so that your breasts re-attain an appealing shape. However, breast lift does not typically increase upper volume without the addition of an implant. change the volume of your chest, so your breasts will not look bigger after surgery. If you would like your chest breasts to look largerfuller and with more upper volume, you may be a good candidate for combining breast augmentation with breast lift.
How much does breast lift cost?
Every breast lift that Dr. Orringer performs is unique to the needs and preferences of the patient. The price is determined by a variety of factors, including the extent of breast sagging, the techniques utilized to elevate the breasts, and whether implants are used to augment the breasts. After devising a custom surgical plan during a consultation, Dr. Orringer can provide a quote.
Can I breastfeed if I have had breast lift surgery?
Breast lift should usually does not affect your ability to produce milk and nurse your baby. However, Dr. Orringer does not recommend breast lift to women who plan to have children in the future since a pregnancy can exacerbate breast sagging and undo many of the positive cosmetic improvements achieved with the proceduresurgery.
Why do breasts sag after pregnancy?
Throughout your pregnancy, your breasts will gradually expand to prepare for lactation. Hence, the skin that surrounds your breasts must stretch to correspond accommodate with the new size of the breasts. While your breasts are likely to shrink back to their previous size, once you have finished nursing, your breast skin may not have sufficient elasticity to retract fully. Consequently, this loose skin causes the breasts to hang at a lower position.
Are there any non-cosmetic advantages to having breast lift?
Women who have breast ptosis are more likely to have skin-on-skin friction and sweat trapped beneath their breasts. Unfortunately, this can cause uncomfortable rashes and chafing. Elevating the breasts can often relieve some of these problems. After breast lift, women are also less restricted in the types of bras they can wear. and can sometimes get away without wearing a bra altogether.
Are there non-surgical alternatives to a breast lift?
While there are topical products, exercises, and non-invasive treatments marketed to improve breast position, none have been shown to replicate the structural changes achieved with surgery. There is little clinical evidence supporting the effectiveness of creams, supplements, or targeted exercises to lift the breast significantly. While strength training may improve chest wall tone, it does not change the skin or underlying breast tissue position.
Breast ptosis (droop) involves the descent of both skin and glandular tissue, and surgical intervention is typically required to reposition and reshape the breast with lasting results. Dr. Orringer evaluates each patient’s goals and provides clear guidance on what is and is not feasible with surgery.
How does skin elasticity affect breast lift results?
Skin elasticity plays an important role in how the breast responds to surgical reshaping. Patients with diminished elasticity (due to age, weight fluctuations, or genetics) may require more skin removal to achieve a more desired result. Dr. Orringer evaluates tissue quality during the consultation to better assure that the surgical plan is well-matched to the patient’s anatomy.
What’s the ideal age to consider a breast lift?
There is no fixed age requirement. Breast lift surgery may be considered once breast development is complete and the patient is experiencing changes in shape or position they wish to address. Patients often seek this procedure in their 30s, 40s, or later, particularly after pregnancy or weight changes. Dr. Orringer’s assessment focuses more on anatomy and tissue condition than on age alone.
How do I know if I need a lift, implants, or both?
This decision is based on the position of the nipple, degree of volume loss, and the patient’s desired outcome. A lift is often appropriate when there is significant drooping, while implants may be recommended for those seeking additional volume or upper pole fullness. In some cases, combining both procedures may support a more balanced result. Dr. Orringer offers detailed consultation to help patients determine which option aligns best with their goals. While breast lift will elevate nipple position and decrease the amount of drooping tissue, it will not typically provide a significant long-term increase in upper pole volume without the addition of an implant or fat transfer.
Can weight loss affect the results of a breast lift?
Yes. Significant weight loss after surgery may impact the appearance of the breasts, including volume loss and accelerated recurrent drooping. For this reason, patients are often encouraged to reach a stable, maintainable weight before undergoing a breast lift. Dr. Orringer includes this in pre-surgical planning to better assure results are proportional and perhaps longer lasting.
What should I ask during my consultation about breast lift surgery?
It is helpful to ask about surgical techniques, incision placement, recovery timeline, and how the procedure may align with long-term goals. Patients may also wish to discuss how aging or future life events could affect their results. Dr. Orringer encourages communication during consultation, and before and after surgery.
Can a breast lift be performed more than once?
In some cases, patients may return years later for a secondary breast lift due to ongoing gravitational and aging effects, weight fluctuations, or changes related to pregnancy. While the goal is a lasting result, the procedure does not halt future tissue changes. Dr. Orringer approaches revision surgery carefully, considering skin quality, previous techniques used, and prior scarring.
Please contact Dr. Jay Orringer at The Renaissance Medical Center for Aesthetic Surgery, Inc. to schedule your breast lift consultation online or by phone 310-273-1663 . We serve patients in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and Hollywood, California, nationally, and internationally.
