Breast Lift

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A breast lift is a surgical procedure that enhances the shape and appearance of the breasts.

This surgery is a response to the way gravity causes breasts to lower and sag over time. As well, having children and breastfeeding can haphazardly change the breasts and cause them to droop. Many women become interested in a breast lift after they have had and breastfed children.

Do you wish your breasts were lifted and firmer? You aren't alone. Many women experience sagging breasts over time. This surgery is an extremely successful procedure in restoring a youthful, firmer look to the breasts.

This surgery is a very popular form of plastic surgery and you don't have to look far to find women online who say they wouldn't think twice about getting it again. The vast improvement this surgery can provide, especially for women with sagging, pendulous breasts, creates fast fans from breast lift recipients. That's not to say that it's for everyone, but we hope this site will help you discover if it is right for you.

This surgery can be a great option for a wide range of women and we hope this site can help you start your search to find out if it's right for you. We offer both information on breast lifts as well as a directory of surgeons you can contact for a consultation.

This procedure is unique from a breast augmentation as it doesn't exclusively increase the size of the breasts, but instead improves their contour and gives them a lifted, youthful appearance.

Who's a Candidate for a Breast Lift?

A one-on-one consultation with a trained surgeon is the best way to find out if you're a candidate for this procedure, but here are some things that may make someone a good candidate:

• Breasts that are sagging, pendulous or have lost their youthfulness
• Consistent discomfort associated with supporting heavily sagging breasts
• Breasts that have lost their shape and contour after breastfeeding

Breast Lift Quick Test

The "pencil test" is a quick test to find out if you're a good candidate for this surgery. Take a pencil and place it in the crease beneath the breast. If the pencil can stay there without being held, then you can be a good candidate for this procedure.

This page will give you insight into the procedure, as well as its costs and recovery times. If you are interested in this surgery or learning more after reading this page, use our directory to locate a surgeon in your area who can answer questions unique to your personal interests.

Breast Lift Surgery Overview

This surgery is an outpatient procedure and involves three stages: initial consultation, surgery and recovery. This surgery is an outpatient procedure with a modest recovery period.

A variety of medical procedures fall into the breast lift category and techniques vary based on individual patient needs. Size, shape and degree of sagging in the breasts all affect which technique is best suited to each patient.

Breast size and shape has the greatest effect on which breast lift procedures are available and are right for the patient. During this surgery, the surgeon must make incisions to reposition and re-anchor the breast. Smaller breasts have an advantage in requiring fewer and smaller incisions as there is less weight to support.

How Does a Breast Lift Work?

This surgery enhances the shape and contour of the breast to give it a firmer, more youthful appearance, but there are a variety of breast lift techniques available based on each patient's unique needs. In general, the surgeon will remove skin, fatty tissue and some glandular tissue from the breast to aid in reshaping the breast. The nipple and areola are usually repositioned, but left connected to underlying tissue to maintain sensitivity. Sometimes the areola is reduced in size as well. After tissue removal and repositioning, the surgeon sutures the incision sites and then dresses the new wounds. A breast lift can impact the ability to breast feed and the surgery is best suited to women who have finished having and nursing children.

Healing from this surgery happens quickly and the patient may return to work after just one week. Strenuous work must be avoided for about four weeks and final results of this surgery take shape in the first month, but progress throughout the first year. Scarring is a result of the surgery and will always be visible, but if care is taken, the scars refine over time. Scars can be easily covered by a swimsuit and the patient will still be able to wear low cut dresses after this procedure.

What Questions Should I Have About Breast Lifts?

The key to finding out if this procedure is right for you is asking good questions from the start. While breast lifts are routine, they are still surgery and surgery should be undertaken with good personal education on the subject. That's why this site provides a large amount of information on this subject. To kick off your search, here are some questions you should be asking.

Breast Lifts:

• What is a breast lift?
• Am I good candidate for this procedure?
• If I'm not a good candidate now, will I still benefit from this procedure in the future?
• How much change can be made to my breasts?

Breast Lift Surgery:

• What is surgery like?
• Is surgery painful or am I fully sedated?
• What does the doctor remove during a breast lift?
• Where are incisions made during this procedure?
• Will incisions be visible after surgery? Will there be scars?
• How long does it take to recover from surgery?
• Can I return to work immediately or should I schedule time off?
• Will a breast lift impair my ability to breast feed in the future?

Breast Lift Costs:

• Does insurance cover this surgery?
• Do surgeons offer payment plans or financing options?
• What other costs are associated with surgery?
• Will I need someone to watch my children while I recover?

After a breast lift:

• What do my breasts look like while they are healing?
• How soon can I return to work after a surgery?
• How should I prepare my home for after surgery?
• How many weeks after surgery must I wait before returning to heavy
• exercise?

All of these questions about breast lifts and more are answered right here on this site.

Breast Lifts and Having Children

Many women wonder how breast lifts affect nursing a child or vice versa how having a child can affect a breast lift.

Changes in the breasts during pregnancy and nursing can be very unpredictable. Because of this, many surgeons recommend holding off on a breast lift until after a woman has finished bearing children and breast feeding. The strain this process can put on the breasts can diminish the positive effects that this surgery can offer.

While a breast lift prior to having children and breastfeeding is not typically recommended, it is still possible and doesn't negatively affect nursing. This procedure leaves the nipples and milk ducts intact and doesn't affect the potential for breast feeding in the future. However, the breasts may still lose their youthful shape and begin to hang lower following pregnancy, which can undo the positive effects of a breast lift.

Breast Lift Costs and Options

There are several elements that comprise the cost of this surgery and each may vary. The primary cost is the surgeon fee, which will be determined by the quality of the surgeon as well as the average costs in a patient's geographic area. As well, there will be a fee for the facility where the surgery is performed as well as a fee for anesthesia. Beyond this, a patient must plan for costs of medication in recovery and miscellaneous costs that arise as well.

Breast lift costs are made up of a variety of expenses. Each of the following costs can vary and each should be considered when planning on the cost of this procedure.

• Surgeon Fee - The surgeon's fee is the primary cost of this surgery. This is the fee the surgeon charges for the surgery itself and includes the time and consultation surrounding the surgery. A surgeon's fee will increase based on experience and the number of breast lifts performed.
• Facility Fee - Location of the surgery will vary by surgeon. This surgery can take place in a hospital-like environment, an outpatient surgery center or even a surgeon's private operating room. Each of these facilities can vary in fee, but a surgeon will be able to give an exact cost at consultation. A facility fee generally costs between $500 and $1000.
• Anesthesia - Anesthesia fees vary based on local versus general anesthesia. The vast majority of breast lift surgeries are performed with general anesthesia. Local anesthesia for this procedure is less common, but sometimes used.
• Medication - Following surgery, the surgeon will prescribe drugs to relieve any pain from surgery and antibiotics to prevent infection. Pain and discomfort are most associated with the first two days after surgery with it lessening over the next one to two weeks.
• Miscellaneous Costs Related to Breast Lift - Lifestyle and travel costs should also be considered when planning for this surgery. Travel to the consultation and to surgery could be a notable cost if the patient does not live close to a surgeon.

Whether it's too big or too small, saggy or asymmetrical, most women have at least one thing they wish they could change about their breasts. There are many different types of cosmetic surgeries to solve these problems, but one of the more universal solutions is the breast lift.

A breast lift, also known as a mastopexy, removes excess fat and tissue to lift and tighten the breast for better shape and firmness. Factors such as weight loss, pregnancy, breastfeeding, and ultimately age frequently cause a loss of skin elasticity in women, which in turn leads to drooping or saggy breasts. This is especially noticeable in women with larger breasts, and for them a breast lift can restore the firmer appearance of their youth, and even be used in conjunction with a breast reduction, if they so desire.

Women who've lost significant amounts of breast tissue over time, or whose breasts were never quite as full as they would have liked, may want to consider getting implants or some other form of breast augmentation along with a breast lift to restore or increase size along with improvements in the skin tone and positioning of their breasts. If a woman has one breast significantly larger than the other, she can also choose to have just one implant placed in the smaller breast to even them out.

One exciting new advance in breast lift technology is the Laser Bra Surgery. It is designed to offer stronger internal support to lift and enhance the breasts and create a youthful, firm appearance. During the procedure, the same approach to incisions is used as in traditional breast augmentations, lifts, and reductions. The surgeon then removes excess tissue in order to lift the breast, and to reduce it if necessary. If the patient instead wants breast augmentation, the surgeon lifts the breast as before, but also inserts implants through the incisions. At the end of the procedure, the surgeon applies a cosmetic laser to the outermost tissue layer. The heat of laser creates an internal support structure similar to a bra, which gives the newly reshaped breasts an added degree of firmness and lift.

One of the differences between the Laser Bra Surgery and traditional cosmetic breast surgery is that the nipple is not affected, which is a definite bonus for those concerned about nipple sensitivity or who still hope to breastfeed. Another benefit is its fast recovery time--patients typically return home within two hours after the procedure, and can resume normal activities within three weeks.

Because Laser Bra Surgery is a fairly new surgical procedure, only a small percentage of plastic surgeons have experience with it. If you decide to have it done, make sure your doctor is at the top of his field. He should be certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, and have extensive experience in all of the breast-related surgeries and procedures. Make sure he is certified specifically for use of the Laser Bra Surgery as well. Ask how many times he has performed the surgery before, and request before-and-after photos of some of his previous patients. It's your body and your money, so don't settle for anything less than the best.

Breast Lift Recovery and Expectations

Initial recovery from surgery is short, but it may take up to one year for the incision lines to fully settle into their permanent look. This surgery is an outpatient surgery and a patient may return to work after about one week of recovery as long as she avoids heavy lifting. Exercise and some regular lifting may be allowed after three to four weeks of healing. Initial bruising and swelling recede after two days and the redness of incision lines will diminish greatly within the first six weeks.

Proper expectations about the natural effects of aging are important to understanding the benefits of the surgery. This surgery can improve the shape of the breasts and correct sagging that occurs over time. However, it is natural for the breasts to sag again with time and aging. The degree to which this happens depends on the person and the size of the breasts. Heavier breasts are more affected by gravity, while lighter breasts may be more resilient. Some patients will do an additional breast lift later in life and future plans should be part of the discussion with a good surgeon. Use the directory on this page to find a surgeon in your area.

How Can I Learn More About Breast Lift Surgery?

This site is designed as a hand book to help you investigate this surgery and find out if it's right for you. Ultimately, a skilled surgeon is the only person who can tell you for sure whether you are a good candidate for this surgery and give you the details on exactly what surgery will look like for you. Setting up a one-on-one consultation with a real doctor is your first step. Browse the surgeon directory on this site to find an experienced surgeon in your area. We want to help connect you to good surgeons in your area.

What is Breast Lift Guide.com?

BreastLiftGuide.com is designed as an online handbook to this surgery where you can find out if you might be a candidate, read more about the surgery and even browse for a surgeon in your local area. Please feel free to use this site as a starting point as you learn more.

You will find the site is broken into sections covering the different techniques, the recovery process and the possible breast lift cost. As well, the site features a directory of surgeons skilled in this surgery. This is provided to help connect you to a good surgeon in your area for a one-on-one consultation to find out if a breast lift is right for you.