Women who are unhappy with the fullness of their breasts, or with drooping or sagging of the breast may be interested in a Breast Lift (Mastopexy). A woman may consider a Breast Lift, Breast Augmentation (breast implants), or a combination of the two procedures, to help restore the breasts to a more youthful appearance and address drooping and sagging breasts.
The best way to decide which procedure will help address your needs and meet your aesthetic goals is to discuss them with a qualified plastic surgeon in your area. To help with your plastic surgery consultation, here's a few guidelines to how your surgeon may determine the best procedure for you.
Which procedure would be best?
Surgeons offering plastic surgery to address drooping or sagging breasts measure and categorize the degree of drooping and sag by where the nipple sits in relation to the the inframammary fold, the crease under the breast where the breast meets the chest and rib cage.
Drooping and sagging of the breast is the result of a naturally occurring laxity in the tissue, ligaments and skin of the breasts, medically referred to as Ptosis. Ptosis is a part of the body's natural aging process. Drooping and sagging of the breasts, is influenced by several factors including pregnancy, breastfeeding, significant weight gain followed by a weight loss, age and the overall size of the breasts (larger breasts are more prone to sagging and drooping over time).This measurement is one of the main factors in determining the need for a Breast Lift versus a Breast Augmentation or combination procedure.
- If a woman's nipple sits above her inframammary fold, she does not have ptosis and a breast lift may not be needed. Women whose nipples rest above the inframammary crease often benefit from a Breast Augmentation over a lift.
- If a woman's nipple sits at or below her inframammary fold, her breasts do have ptosis and a Breast Lift may help.
- If a woman's nipple sits at or above the inframammary fold, but the bottom portion of the breast sits below the fold, this is referred to as pseudo-ptosis. Depending on the degree of droop or sag and the overall size of the breasts, a Breast Lift or a combination Breast Lift with Implants may be required.
If you're unhappy with drooping or sagging breasts, or if you feel that your breast appear "deflated" or lack volume following a pregnancy or weight loss, and are interested in restoring or improving the appearance of your breasts, you can start by locating a plastic surgeon "in my area" using our provider directory or you can Request a Consultation with one or more plastic surgeons right here from our site.