Are you uncomfortable with the results of certain life changes that have come your way? If you feel as though your breasts have altered with time, then perhaps you should consider cosmetic surgery. For several reasons, a woman’s breasts will change dramatically through a lifetime. Remember that you have options. At Soler Cosmetic Plastic Surgery in Tampa, Florida we can help to transform you with your own individualized breast lift.
What Causes Breasts to Sag?
There are many factors that contribute to female breasts and their natural tendency to lose volume as we age.
Pregnancy and Breast Feeding
The breasts will swell during pregnancy and just prior to breastfeeding when the milk supply fills up the breasts. As the ligaments supporting these enlarged breasts grow weak and overworked, they begin to lose the ability to support the breast tissue, which can cause sagging.
Gravity
Over a long period, the natural pull of gravity will result in decreased firmness and support.
Genetics
Inherited traits also play a role as well in the evolution of your breasts. It is not uncommon to inherit traits from family members, so notice changes early on and be prepared.
Smoking
Smoking is obviously very detrimental to your lungs, but it also completely changes your skin, making it lose and dull.
Weight Loss
Significant fluctuations in weight can also be the culprit behind saggy breasts. The reduction in support is very similar to pregnancy because of the decrease in breast skin elasticity.
Exercising Without Proper Upper-body Support
Exercising without proper support, such as with a sports bra, can damage the breast ligaments and cause breasts to sag. The damage to these breast ligaments is even more prevalent in large-chested women.
What Is a Breast Lift?
This is a cosmetic procedure performed on an outpatient basis with a focus on the removal of any excess breast skin and nipple replacement to give the breast a firm appearance. This optional procedure is meant to reverse the effects of aging and other factors that can cause the breasts to appear to sag.
Who Would Make the Ideal Candidate?
Healthy adult women with attainable goals involving their breast appearance make a good candidate. Complete your family before having this procedure because carrying children will reverse the surgical effects. You can safely breastfeed after either a lift, implants, or both.
Your Consultation
During your consultation, our gifted surgeon will examine and measure your bust to get a better idea of how you could benefit from a breast lift. On the day of your consultation, your surgeon will work with you on your own individualized surgical plan that will address your main concerns
Tip
To give the surgeon a precise idea of your surgery goals, bring a picture of the exact breast size you hope to be. Also, be thorough and honest with any questions you might have. Our surgeon is very thorough during this initial consultation and offers an in-depth explanation of each aspect regarding your procedure.
A Lift Test to Do at Home
The following self-check can be done by you in the comfort of your own home. Try this simple test at home and find out if you could benefit from this procedure.
Self-Test 1
Item Needed:
- Pencil
Without wearing a bra, use the pencil test to determine if you could benefit from having this procedure. First locate the inframammary fold, the crease under your breast where the tissue meets the chest wall. Slip a normal number two pencil along this crease under your breast and see what happens.
Did the pencil fall, or does it lay comfortably along the crease? If the pencil fell, it means your breasts don’t necessarily need a lift. However, if the pencil remained secure in the nook of the crease and was easily secured by the breast itself, then you would benefit from this procedure.
Self-Test 2
Items Needed:
- One sheet of paper
- A mirror
Without wearing a bra, slip your sheet of paper between your breast and your inframammary fold, or the crease that connects the breasts to the chest wall. With the paper in place, glance into the mirror and notice the position of your nipple. If you find that your nipple extends past the edge of the sheet of the paper, this is a good sign that you are a prime candidate for a breast lift.
Where Will the Procedure Take Place?
The actual procedure will take place at a nearby surgical facility. Our surgeons take pride in offering the best combination of a safe operating room along with same-day discharge to avoid the risk of bacterial infections that can be associated with long hospital stays.
The experienced, board-certified anesthesiologists we work with are at the top of their field. Not only this, but our surgeons have a long-standing relationship with the surgical staff and fifteen years of experience working together in the operating room. When deciding which surgery is right for you, ask yourself some key questions to aid in the decision-making process.
Important Considerations
Are You Perfectly Happy With Your Current Cup Size?
If you feel completely comfortable this way, chances are you would benefit from this single procedure. That being said, many of our patients have reported a significant amount of volume loss in the breasts. Depending on the cup size you want, we can adjust the procedure to match your needs.
Adding implants, for example, will not only perfect the size, shape, and position of the breast, but it will also leave you with an ample amount of perfectly proportioned cleavage that makes it all worth it.
Is the Concern Only the Nipples?
Perhaps they face down instead of straight ahead. This is the result of a time-related loss of volume that actually pulls the nipple down. Any discomfort associated with the natural placement of the nipple can be fixed with a simple surgery. Nipple placement is directly connected to the distance to and from the inframammary fold and its deviation from the center of the breast.
In reference to the inframammary fold, or the crease between the breast and chest, do your nipples sit above or below the crease? If nipples surpass the inframammary fold and hang below, this suggests a breast lift would be a good option.
Prepping Before the Procedure
During your consultation, ask your surgeon any question that comes to mind. Writing down a set of questions prior to your first appointment will ensure you remember everything you want to address and have covered all your bases. This surgery effectively raises the breast by removing excess skin, reshaping the breast tissue, and repositioning the nipples to the new center of the breast.
Minutes before the procedure, incision marks will be made on each breast where the incisions will be. A thorough examination of each breast is then performed.
Right before your procedure, your surgeon will use a combination of your measurement and their expertise to apply superficial marks where the incisions will be located during the surgery. Upon completion, you will then be sedated to a state of unconsciousness before the procedure begins.
The Surgery
Once you are asleep, the surgeon will begin. During the procedure, loose skin around the breast will be removed. The surgeon will work with this tighter version of the breasts in a way that brings out their best shape. Now the breasts sit in a higher position, making it necessary for the nipples to be surgically altered to rest in a higher position in the new center of the breast.
Symmetry Check
The remainder of the surgery will focus on each breast and the surgeon perfecting the symmetrical aspect so they look just alike. Following this cosmetic procedure, you will be taken into a recovery area for a few hours to allow the anesthesia to subside before you are released into the care of a trusted friend or family member.
You will be expected to wear a hospital issued compression bra for several weeks following your procedure to keep your newly firm breasts just as your surgeon shaped them.
The Incisions
Our surgeon will determine the best method of lifting the breasts in reference to your body and the incision location. The two methods used in our offices vary in resulting scars and our surgeon will determine what is best for you.
Types of Incisions:
1. Anchor
This encircles the areola and extends from the bottom of it to beneath the breast where it ends in the inframammary fold, which is the crease where the breast meets the chest wall.
2. Lejour
This site, named after the French word meaning “a short scar,” circles the areola and continues all the way down the middle of the breast. These surgical scars tend to diminish with time and leave minimal scarring compared to other methods.
Recovery
Most women who have had this procedure find that their surgery sites will remain sore for about the first week or two. During this recovery period, this time allows for the newly shaped breasts to accept their new form. Your surgeon will prescribe a prescription pain medicine to take during recovery and will want to see you in the office once more 5-7 days after your surgery.
It’s permissible to return to your job a few days after surgery, however for the next two months you should not for any reason engage in heavy lifting.
Psychological Results from the Procedure
Feeling good about yourself completely is hard if a physical feature is causing you distress. Being comfortable in your own skin carries over into other aspects of your life, including your mood, self-image, and general overall demeanor. It’s important for women to feel in control of their bodies and exude the confidence they feel. Be the best version of yourself that you can be each day and stay informed enough to know how to achieve it.
The Results
The results of this alone will improve the shape of your body significantly, revealing a more pleasing silhouette both with and without clothes on. Though you will see a positive difference, for a more dramatic result it’s important to consider the option of breast augmentation. Women often lose volume for multiple reasons as they age, so combining the surgical power of a lift with the added volume of implantations will often give the best results.
A New You
Now you know exactly what to expect and exactly what you will gain when you undergo a procedure such as this. Be the best version of yourself and call today for a consultation about the bustline that’s waiting to be yours. Contact the trusted surgeons at Soler Cosmetic Plastic Surgery in Tampa, Florida to book a consultation today.