Breast lift
Turn back the breast clock
Breast lift surgery combines the essential techniques of both aesthetic and reconstructive surgery. I have mentioned this for breast reduction as well. The key difference, however, is that during a breast lift, I do not remove any tissue. I mainly remodel the tissues to restore the harmony of the breasts, give you again a nicely filled cleavage, and correct the distorted breast proportions. It is the most elegant solution if you like the volume of the breasts you have, but want to improve their shape and projection. With the techniques that I use, your breasts will keep their natural feel as I don’t need an implant to achieve the aesthetic goals of younger looking breasts.
The essentials
A breast lift is a procedure to remodel sagged or droopy breasts and recreate youthful, perkier breasts with improved shape and projection.
A breast lift does not reduce the breast volume, but redistributes it to fill up the cleavage, reposition the nipple and create a gentle breast curve.
My favourite technique is the volume-redistribution mastopexy during which the sagged tissue is mobilised and placed higher to fill up the cleavage.
A breast lift may be combined with an implant to increase the breast volume. For a more moderate volume increase, lipofilling may be done.
Breast lift surgery tackles both the droopy breast volume and stretched skin. The necessary incisions are either in a peri-areolar, circumvertical, or an inverted T pattern.
Consider a downtime of 1-2 weeks with easy wound care. Avoid physical activity for 6 weeks.
Respect the recovery time well and you will profit from the transformation for the rest of your life.
What is a breast lift ?
The ideal breast shape has four distinct characteristics:
A slightly bigger lower pole (volume below the nipple) than upper pole (volume above the nipple)
A straight or slight concave upper pole slope
A convex lower pole with a well defined inframammary fold
The nipple that is pointed slightly upwards
A breast that has gone through life changes, such as pregnancy, breast feeding, weight loss, or the normal evolution over the years, will often lose these characteristics one by one. You may still keep your initial breast volume, but you lost a nicely filled cleavage, or your nipples hang lower than they used to, the breast have a saggy or droopy appearance, or the upper part of the breast is empty. And despite that you are still able to wear the same bra size, you don’t like how your breasts look and miss their younger, fuller aspect. These are common changes that I often hear from women. The changes the breast undergoes are usually due to a combination of:
General breast ptosis with part of the breast that falls below the inframammary fold
Distention of the skin with loss of skin elasticity. The breasts become longer and the nipples sag downwards.
The breast tissues and supporting ligaments become weaker. The breast tissue starts to sag down, which makes the lower pole heavier and the upper pole gets empty. This gives an overall flatter looking, longer breast with distorted proportions and loss of projection.
A part of the gland changed into fatty tissue. Fatty tissue is not capable to give a firm looking breast, which contributes as well to the loss of projection.
The areola distends as a result of gravity, loss of skin tone, and the sagging weight of the breast. A bigger areola is one of the most frequent complaints I hear of women.
Some patients also experience a significant increase in breast volume. In that case, a breast reduction is the perfect solution to restore breast shape, volume and projection. However, if you are satisfied with your current breast volume, but unsatisfied with the way your breasts look, then a breast lift is the way to go. During surgery, I treat every single problem that I mentioned before in order to bring back a younger looking breast with a fuller cleavage, a natural filled upper pole, a curved lower pole and beautiful projection. It is like a time machine for your breasts. The loss of skin tone and elasticity is treated by removing the excess skin and reducing the areola size. Based on my experience in reconstructive breast surgery, I then create a tissue flap from the sagged tissues and lift that up, placing it in a higher position to restore the volume of the upper pole and fill up your cleavage. I basically recycle your own tissues to simulate the effect of an implant, without using an implant. It is called the “volume-redistribution mastopexy” and truly gives an amazing result. I remodel the gland to restore the breast projection and bring back the correct breast proportions. I then redrape the skin to place the nipple-areolar complex in its correct position and to recreate a convex lower pole with a well-defined inframammary fold. I ensure a meticulous and seemless skin closure to give the least visible scars possible. Often I finish off with some fat injections (lipofilling) to give an extra wow-effect in the upper pole and cleavage. This also helps for skin rejuvenation and ensures a long-lasting result. If you wish for a bigger increase in volume, than we may also combine this with a breast implant. You can read all about breast implants and breast augmentation here.
The pre-operative design is very specific to each breast. I apply a very patient-tailored approach for this type of surgery. During the consultation, I will explain to you the procedure in more detail, with pictures and photographs, as well as which scars to expect and the post-operative care that will be needed. You can expect a down time of 1-2 weeks, with light dressings.
The perfect breast, as defined by Dr. Patrick Mallucci
As the breast ages, the tissues and supporting ligaments stretch and sag down
During a breast lift, the tissue is remodelled, the skin is redraped and the nipple is repositioned to recreate a youthful breast.
Which incisions are needed for an optimal breast lift ?
I am aware that a lot of patients are concerned about the scars that they will have after a breast lift surgery. As both gland and skin need to be tackled, I am obliged to perform the necessary incisions in order to give you the beautiful breast shape that you desire. There is no way around it. But my experience has taught me that patients truly appreciate the amazing and positive effect of a breast lift on their daily life. The scars are then a very small price to pay to get the changes you wish to have. In addition, I am very strict on a meticulous, seemless skin closure to ensure the least visible scars as possible. Most patients even forget about the scars after a while, as they are so happy with their new breasts and the scars themselves become practically invisible.
During the consultation, I will draw for you the pre-operative design and the incisions that I plan for your particular body. The design depends on a couple of factors: the degree of breast ptosis, the current breast shape, the amount of skin elasticity and skin tone, and the overall breast volume. The number one goal is to get the most beautiful breast shape and projection, with the least amount of incisions possible. It is clear that a small lifting of the breasts with good skin elasticity does not require the same amount of incisions as very ptotic breasts with overstretched skin. In general, most designs will result in one of these 3 scar patterns:
A peri-areolar scar: 1 fine line around the outer border of the areola.
A circumvertical scar: 1 fine line around the areola and a fine line down to the breast fold
An inverted T scar: 1 fine line around the areaola, a fine line down to the breast fold,
and a fine line that falls right inside the breast fold
Peri-areolar scar
Circumvertical scar
Inverted T scar
Whenever I can, I will try to give you the first option or second option. My mentor, Prof. Hamdi, is a world-expert in this surgical technique and has taught me all the tricks to get the least amount of scars as possible. Whenever I can work without a horizontal incision, I definitely will. However, if I need that extra incision in the breast fold to give you that perfect breast shape, I am not afraid to do so. My goal at the end of the consultation, is that you really understand what I will do, why I do it, and which results you can expect.
What are the benefits of a breast lift ?
The elegant aspect of a breast lift is that it enables me to give you beautiful, younger looking breasts without reducing the volume or size. Your breasts remain supple and maintain a natural aspect, but we turn back the clock a number of years. With a breast lift, I strive to give you the following benefits:
Enhanced shape and projection of the breasts
Overall improved breast aesthetics
No more restrictions in your daily life activities or during sports
Easy clothes fitting
Improved breast symmetry
Reduced size of the nipple-areolar complex
Improved inner breast volume (cleavage)
Restored proportions with a correct position of the nipple-areolar complex
Improved balance between breast volume and chest wall
Natural and long-lasting result
Boost in self-confidence
Are you a good candidate for a breast lift ?
If you recognise one or more symptoms or concerns that I mentioned before, you probably will benefit from a breast lift. There is no specific age requirement, as women of every age can suffer from ptotic breasts. It may be after puberty, pregnancy, breast feeding, weight loss or in a later stage of your life. The only decision we need to make, is whether you are the best candidate for a breast reduction or a breast lift. You can read all about a breast reduction here. The key difference is this: in a breast reduction, I reduce both the amount of gland and skin to give you lighter, more balanced breasts. In a breast lift, I only remove skin, and remodel your gland to restore the shape and proportions of the breast. The decision between both surgeries is based on your wishes, your expectations, your current concerns, and the clinical investigation. At the end of the consultation, I assure you that we both will have a clear idea of what the best option is for you.
In general, you are a good candidate for a breast lift if:
You have ptotic breasts and an empty cleavage, but are still happy with the breast volume you have
You miss the projection and roundness of the breasts you used to have and want that back
Most of the breast volume has sagged below the level of the inframammary fold
You feel insecure about the way your breasts look
You still wear the same bra size, but feel that your bras does not fit as they used to
You have an overstretched areola and your nipples are pointing downwards
You experience skin redness and irritation under your breasts
If you recognise some of these signs, I recommend you to plan a consultation in order to see how we can improve your breast aesthetics and bring a positive impact to your life.
