The Breast Lift: Plastic Surgery for Younger-Looking Breasts

 

As women age, many factors affect the shape and firmness of a woman's breasts. Pregnancy, nursing, weight changes, and the effect of gravity over time can make a woman's breasts sag and become less firm.

The skin of the breasts stretch with these changes, causing the nipple to drop and point toward the ground as opposed to outward, like a well-supported breast.

For women who want to restore a youthful, well-supported appearance to their breasts, there is a cosmetic surgery called mastopexy, or a breast lift. Having a breast lift can restore a woman's confidence in her appearance, and can enhance the appearance of her breasts. In some cases, breast implants are added during the plastic surgery to increase the size of the breasts as well as to lift them.

Most of the time, mastopexy is done under general anesthesia. The breast lift is performed by removing excess skin from beneath the breast. The nipple is then moved to a location higher up on the breast, and the skin around the areola is then brought down and reconnected. This gives the breast its new contour. Women who opt to add size during a breast lift also have implants inserted under the breast tissue or under the muscle of the chest wall. The entire procedure usually takes one and a half to three and a half hours.

As with any plastic surgery, there are some risks involved in getting a breast lift. The scarring from mastopexy is permanent, and can be fairly extensive. Scars will appear red and lumpy for months after the surgery, then gradually fade into thin white lines. Some of the other effects of this cosmetic surgery may include: