Most women find that the appearance of their breasts change over time, often due to pregnancy, nursing, weight loss or aging. Breast sagging and diminished breast density can alter a woman’s figure significantly, making her look older than she should. While the issue can be camouflaged to some extent with the use of push up bras or other specialized garments, many women choose to have the problem resolved permanently by means of a surgical breast lift. Women considering this type of solution should spend some time weighing the pros and cons of the procedure carefully, since cosmetic breast surgery is a serious commitment.
Two basic types of breast lift procedures are available to women who are less than pleased with changes in the size, shape or volume of their breasts, simple breast lifts and breast lifts with implants. Both are outpatient procedures that are designed to lift, firm and shape the breasts in order to provide a more youthful and attractive appearance.
A breast lift is a cosmetic breast surgery procedure best suited for a woman who is satisfied with the size of her breasts, but wishes to address changes in shape, perkiness or volume. The procedure takes between three and four hours to complete, during which the plastic surgeon removes excess skin and tightens and reshapes breast tissue to improve give the breasts a firmer and more attractive appearance.
A breast lift with implants is a more complex cosmetic breast surgery that combines a simple breast lift with an augmentation procedure. This surgery is well-suited to a women who experienced a significant loss of volume or size with aging or after nursing, or who has always been dissatisfied with her breast size and would like to address that issue along with the effects of aging. In addition to the lift procedure, the surgeon will place implants under the chest muscle to enhance size or volume as requested by the patient.
The benefits of these cosmetic breast surgery procedures are primarily aesthetic ones, offering women the opportunity to reclaim their youthful figure or enhance it. However, the correction of appearance issues that a woman sees as flaws can have an emotional impact as well. Many women report a resurgence of self-confidence after their breast lift procedure, feeling pleased by the image they see in the mirror, rather than self-conscious.
The drawbacks include scarring, which is an inevitable consequence of any cosmetic breast surgery. How noticeable your scars will be depends upon factors that include the size of your incisions, which can vary according to the surgical technique used, and your skin type. Patients who are considering a breast lift with implants should know that while some patients can have both steps of this procedure performed in one surgical session, for others, a two stage process may be necessary, with the lift procedure done first and augmentation performed after a three month healing period. Complications are another consideration, since no surgery is without risk, and can include excessive bleeding, infection, poor wound healing and asymmetry and decreased nipple sensation.
Goldberg Plastic Surgery services patients in the Long Beach, Manhattan Beach, Palos Verdes, Redondo Beach, South Bay, & Torrance areas for cosmetic breast surgery procedures.