Breast Lift
A woman's breasts often change over time, losing their youthful shape and firmness. These changes, including loss of skin elasticity, can result from pregnancy, breast-feeding, weight fluctuations, aging, and gravity. Heredity may also be a factor, and awoman in her teens may experience loose, sagging breast tissue. Breasts that have lost their firm, uplifted contours can affect a woman's self-image and confidence.
A breast lift (or mastopexy) raises and firms the breasts by removing excess skin and tightening the surrounding tissue to reshape and support the new breast contour. Sometimes the areola (the pigmented skin surrounding the nipple) has become enlarged over time, and a breast lift will reduce this as well.
While a breast lift does not generally affect breast function, women who are planning future pregnancies should discuss this with their plastic surgeon. The changes that occur in the breasts during pregnancy can minimize or reverse the improvement a breast lift provides. Likewise, plans for significant weight loss should also be discussed. For these reasons, good candidates for a breast lift are generally women of normal, stable weight whose breasts are fully developed and who have completed their family.
This can also be performed on young women that have asymmetrical (uneven) breasts.
A breast lift is best performed on healthy individuals who do not have a life-threatening illness or medical conditions that can impair healing, non-smokers, and individuals with a positive outlook and specific goals in mind for improving body image.