The most common questions that cosmetic plastic surgery patients ask involve cost, recovery, and how long they can expect the results to last. For breast lift patients at my Gilbert, AZ, practice, I explain that the answer isn’t straightforward, but they can expect to have more youthful-looking breasts for years.
Breast lift surgery is designed to elevate and reshape breasts that are sagging due to previous pregnancies, aging, or weight loss. When women lose volume in addition to the shape of the breasts, a lift may be combined with breast implants or fat transfer to restore size.
When Can You Benefit From a Breast Lift?
Another question plastic surgeons hear often from women considering cosmetic breast surgery is whether they need a breast lift or if breast augmentation alone can achieve their goals. The answer depends on the elasticity of the breast skin and the position of the nipples when a woman is standing. Although breast implants create fuller-looking breasts, they actually make sagging appear worse because they add weight to the breasts.
One way to determine if you need a breast lift is by standing in front of a mirror without a top on and evaluate the position of the nipples. Nipples that point slightly or significantly toward the floor indicate the need for a lift.
How To Help Your Breast Lift Results Last Longer
Returning to the question of how long a breast lift lasts, factors such as genetics, age at the time of the procedure, future pregnancies, and if you combine breast implants with a lift can all affect how long the results last. One thing is clear—even though a lift restores the breasts’ perkiness, the aging process continues and your breasts will again sag.
The good news is there are steps you can take—and things to avoid—that will help extend the duration of your breast lift results.
Sun exposure, smoking, genetic factors, skin type, medical conditions, and having larger breasts all accelerate aging.
What can you do?
Take care of your skin: Maintain and improve your skin’s elasticity by avoiding extensive sun exposure, which causes changes to the skin’s texture. You can also apply natural supplements such as vitamins C and E, which help promote and boost the skin’s elasticity.
Maintain a stable weight: Fluctuating weight takes a toll on the skin and undermines your breast lift results. Controlling your weight is good for your overall health and will help extend the benefits of your breast lift. I recommend that patients who want to lose weight postpone their breast lift surgery until after they’ve reached their target weight and maintained it for at least a few months.
Get a professional bra fitting so you have proper support: Wearing a bra is one way to help preserve your breast lift results. Many women find bras to be uncomfortable and remove them whenever possible. Being professionally fitted for a bra size helps reduce the discomfort associated with wearing a bra. It’s also important to wear support bras when exercising because the increased impact and movement increase the effects of gravity on your breast tissue.
Breast lift patients are some of the most satisfied cosmetic surgery patients because of the dramatic changes the procedure produces, as you can see in our gallery of before-and-after photos. If you’re looking for a plastic surgeon in the Gilbert, Chandler, or Scottsdale areas, contact us using the online form to request a consultation or call our office at (480) 466-7355 to schedule an appointment.
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