What Is Breast Lift?
Breast lift surgery is primarily aimed at repositioning and reshaping the breasts; it can elevate the nipple-areola complex and get rid of excess skin to dramatically change how your breasts appear.
The descent of breasts, called ptosis or sagging, is a common problem — characterised by an elongated appearance of the breasts, loss of fullness in the upper pole and a lowered position of the nipple-areola complex.
Gravity, ageing, pregnancy, breastfeeding, weight changes and postmenopausal changes can all cause breasts to droop. This can make them look less perky, which many women find undesirable. However, breasts can be effectively lifted through a mastopexy, more commonly known as a breast lift surgery.
Note that a breast lift typically results in an approximately 20% decrease in breast size as well, although the change in volume is not as dramatic as can be achieved with breast reduction.
However, if you are concerned about loss of breast volume, breast augmentation can be performed at the same time to make your breasts fuller.
Quick Facts
What is the downtime for breast lift?
You might have to take 1 week off work after your breast lift surgery.
When do you see the full results of breast lift?
While the majority of the results appear after 3 months, full results can take 6-12 months to appear.
What kind of anaesthesia is used for breast lift?
A breast lift is performed under general anaesthesia, so you will be asleep during the procedure.
How long do breast lift results last?
The results of your breast lift surgery can last for as long as 10-15 years.
Am I A Good Candidate for Breast Lift?
If you want to reposition your breasts, a mastopexy can make a noticeable difference in the appearance of your breasts. However, in order to be considered a suitable candidate, you need to meet certain criteria.
It’s important that your expectations are managed and kept realistic before you have the surgery.
Results: You should bear in mind that while this surgery can give you long-lasting results, they might not be permanent owing to the natural processes of ageing and gravity. Still, after having this surgery, your breasts will sag less than they would have without it.
Having a clear and realistic understanding of what surgery can achieve is essential for a positive outcome.
What It Can Do: Enhance breast size and shape to achieve desired breast proportions.
What It Cannot Do: Solve underlying emotional challenges or create perfection.
Your surgeon will discuss achievable results during your consultation to ensure your goals align with what’s possible.
Who is Not Suitable for a Breast Lift?
You might be advised against a breast lift in the following instances:
- You have a physical health problem (e.g. issues with healing, your immune system, heart and blood vessels).
- You have a mental health condition (e.g. body dysmorphic disorder).
- You are unwilling to stop smoking 2 weeks before and after the surgery as it can negatively impact recovery.
If you’re considering breast lift surgery, our expert team at Longevita is here to guide you. We’ll help determine the best approach to meet your needs, whether cosmetic or reconstructive. Book a consultation today to take the first step toward feeling more confident in your body.
What Should You Know Before Getting a Breast Lift?
Before deciding on the different surgical techniques, there are two things that need to be considered:
- Degree of breast sagging (ptosis)
- Changes to breast volume
Degree of Breast Sagging (Ptosis)
The Regnault classification is popularly used to determine the extent of breast ptosis. It has three grades, which are as follows:
When the nipple is at the level of the breast crease or inframammary fold (normally, it is above it).
When the nipple is 1-3 cm below the breast crease, although it is still not at the lowest point of the breast.
When the nipple is more than 3 cm below the breast crease and is the lowest point of the breast.
In all these grades of ptosis, the position of the nipple changes with reference to the breast crease. However, there is another type of ptosis, where the nipple is above the breast crease, but the breast tissue hangs below it. The latter is known as glandular ptosis or pseudoptosis, and this condition is usually treated with breast augmentation instead of lift.
Changes to Breast Volume
As mentioned earlier, breast uplift surgery can decrease your breast size by approximately 20% without the use of an implant. For this reason, it’s important that you discuss the possibility of an augmentation mastopexy with your surgeon — these two procedures can be done together.
Before the surgery, you will be asked questions to determine whether or not you also desire any increase in volume, such as more fullness in the upper half of your breasts, in addition to repositioning/reshaping your breasts.
What Are the Different Types of Incisions for a Breast Lift?
Most significantly, the choice of incision depends on how much your breasts sag. There are four different options for this, which are as follows:
- Doughnut (Periareolar) incision
- Lollipop (Vertical) incision
- Anchor (Inverted T) incision
- Crescent Incision
Doughnut Incision
Also known as circumareolar or periareolar incision, it’s when the surgeon cuts around the circumference of the areola and removes a doughnut-shaped piece of skin to typically address mild (grade I) breast ptosis. It can also lift the nipple by 2-3 cm and can also be used to correct asymmetry in the nipple-areola complex.
Note that the skin is stitched back up around the areola, and over time, the area smooths out; the scars can be noticeable, but they eventually fade with time. Additionally, with a periareolar technique, you should not expect to achieve sufficient breast projection, which is why it is best suited for mild cases.
Lollipop Incision
Combining circumareolar incision with a straight line running down the lower half of the breast is the lollipop incision, also known as a vertical mastopexy.
Despite being able to address all degrees of ptosis, this type of incision is most suitable for those with moderate sagging (grade II), where the breasts are notably low due to extra skin but not excessively so. It is one of the most popular breast lift techniques and its biggest advantage is that it causes less scarring.
In this type of breast lift, excess skin at the bottom of the breasts is removed and the breast is also repositioned higher up. A lollipop incision can temporarily result in the contraction or bunching up of the skin at the bottom of the breasts, however, your skin will become completely smooth within around 3 months.
Occasionally, small wounds may open in the lower corners of the incision during healing as the internal stitches dissolve, but they typically heal with dressing changes.
Anchor Incision
Shaped like an anchor, this “inverted T” incision involves cutting around the perimeter of the areola, a vertical line going straight down and a horizontal incision in the breast crease (inframammary fold). Therefore, it combines the lollipop incision with an added horizontal component.
While this type of incision can leave an additional scar in the breast crease, it is still best suited for those with severe breast ptosis — it can be grade II or III — and a large amount of excess skin. Moreover, your scars will eventually fade with time and become practically invisible.
The excess tissue is removed from the breasts while the nipple-areola complex is still attached; afterwards, the areola is elevated to a new position. Furthermore, if needed, some breast tissue may also be removed from the lower pole of the breast.
Crescent Incision
The “crescent” incision is a less commonly used surgical technique for a breast lift.
It involves cutting the top half of the areola’s circumference and removing a crescent-shaped piece of tissue from above the nipple-areola complex to slightly lift the areola.
This technique can be helpful in achieving symmetry when there’s a difference in height between the two areolas. However, one of its limitations is that it’s not technically a “breast” lift in that it really only lifts the nipple-areola complex.
There are several other downsides of this type of incision in a breast lift, including the stretching of the areola and its taking on an oval shape.
If you are considering it due to the less scarring potential of this treatment, keep in mind that it will not lift your breasts, at least not significantly. It should be considered a procedure for correcting nipple-areola asymmetry.
How is a Breast Lift Performed?
On the day of the surgery, after you’ve thoroughly gone over your treatment plan once again with your surgeon, they will draw the preoperative markings.
These markings determine the new position of the nipple-areola complex as well as the amount of skin that will be removed and help in ensuring symmetry.
Following that, you will be given a sedative to help relax you, and you will then receive general anaesthesia, so you will be unconscious during the procedure and not experience any pain. Your surgeon will then reduce the skin envelope by cutting out excess skin.
Your areola will also be reduced in size, and the entire nipple-areola complex will be moved to its new position. Additionally, as mentioned earlier, some tissue from the lower half of the breast may also be removed, if needed, to ensure optimal tightening.
The entire surgery can take 2-3 hours, but it can be longer if combined with an augmentation surgery. It is inpatient, meaning you’ll have to stay in the hospital overnight and will be discharged the following day. Two days after that, you’ll have a check-up appointment with your surgeon to make sure you’re recovering normally and your surgical sites are healing properly.
Patient Journey
Patient Journey
How Long is the Recovery for Breast Lift?
Mastopexy usually has a downtime of 1 week. While you’ll be able to notice an immediate difference, it will take 3 months for most of the swelling to subside, and your results will likely become visible after 6-12 months.
Side effects such as bruising and discomfort are normal and expected after the surgery. Additionally, due to the swelling, you might also experience temporary loss of sensation in the nipples and the skin of your breasts. Numbness will take a few weeks to go away, while it can take several months for soreness to subside.
If you’re feeling a bit tired, don’t be alarmed. It will take a few weeks to months for you to start feeling yourself again. Some other things you need to bear in mind during recovery include:
Limit activity
Restrict your exercise to walking for 2-6 weeks. Importantly, during the 1st week, don’t put unnecessary pressure on your chest or bend over. These things can slow down the healing and cause excessive swelling and bleeding.
Avoid swimming pool, sauna and jacuzzi
|
Do not get into any swimming pool, sauna or jacuzzi for 6 weeks after your surgery. Following this duration, your scars will be healed, but you still need to be careful about keeping them out of the sun for 1 year. |
Care for your scar
|
Scars will take 12-18 months to fade — then can be red and lumpy in the first few months but will fade into thin white lines. Make sure to keep them out of the sun for at least a year, as sunlight can cause discolouration. |
Avoid smoking
It is very important that you avoid smoking for at least 6 weeks after the surgery as it can cause poor blood circulation and slow down the healing process.
* Aftercare instructions can vary between surgeons, so make sure to follow the advice of your surgeon.
During the check-up appointment, you will be explained all the aftercare instructions. If you have questions about recovery, you can always ask your surgeon by reaching out to us at [email protected].
What Are the Potential Complications of Breast Lift Surgery?
Like every surgical procedure, breast lift carries certain risks. Some of them include:
- Changes in breast and nipple sensation
- Hematoma (pooling of blood underneath the skin)
- Seroma (build-up of clear fluid)
- Scarring
- Asymmetry
- Infection
- Wound dehiscence
Your surgeon should discuss all the potential risks of the surgery with you beforehand, allowing you to make an informed decision.
Rest assured, in the hands of an experienced surgeon, you can safely undergo a breast lift and achieve your desired results.
With Longevita, a board-certified plastic surgeon, who is also a member of the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS), will perform your surgery in a facility internationally accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI). All measures will be taken to ensure that you have this surgery safely.
Breast Lift in Turkey Before-and-After Photos
The result of your breast lift may last for 10-15 years, although there are a number of factors that can affect its longevity, including pregnancy, changes in weight, smoking, and large-sized breasts.
Keep in mind that the natural process of ageing and the effects of gravity will also affect your breasts. Even so, your breasts will sag less than they would have without the surgery.
Also, please note that since every individual is unique, results can vary between patients.
What our Patients Say
Don’t take our word for it – see for yourself what patients say about their experience!
How Much is a Breast Lift in Turkey?
Being a cosmetic surgery, breast lift is not usually available on the NHS or covered by insurance. Privately, this surgery can cost £7,000-£10,000 in the UK, while the average is £2,000-£3,000 in Turkey. With Longevita, you can get this surgery for £1,850.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between breast reduction and breast lift?
Where breast lift focuses on repositioning the breast and the nipple-areola complex, breast reduction reduces the overall volume of the breasts. Both surgeries involve tissue removal, however, it is less so in a breast lift. When less than 300 grams of tissue is removed per breast, it’s considered a breast lift. Anything above that is considered a breast reduction.
Will a breast lift affect my ability to breastfeed?
Breast lift surgery should not affect your ability to breastfeed. However, it can affect the results of your mastopexy. Postponing a breast lift might be advised for women who are planning future pregnancies.
Can I get nipple piercings after a breast lift?
You are advised to not wear any piercing(s) in the breast area for at least a year after your surgery. This will allow optimal healing of your surgical area and minimise the risk of complications.
