If you are considering cosmetic breast surgery, you might be curious about the difference between a breast augmentation and breast lift. How do you know which procedure will help you obtain your desired results?
Breast Augmentation surgery is designed to enhance the shape, size, fullness and projection of your breasts using breast implants. The incisions used are discrete, as they are hidden in places like the inframammary folds (inframammary incision), around the areola (periareolar incision), and in the armpits (transaxillary incision).
Breast Lift or Mastopexy is a surgical procedure designed to lift droopy and saggy breasts by removing excess skin and repositioning the nipples higher on the breast. Unlike with a breast augmentation, the scars associated with a breast lift are a little less inconspicuous. Breast lift surgery scars are inevitable, however they do range in size and visibility. The incision scars will depend on the type of breast lift required to correct the degree of droopiness you have.
For minimal correction, your surgeon can use the Periareolar Technique, a.k.a Donut Lift, where the incisions are hidden around the areola.
The most popular technique used at Clinic 360 is the Vertical Breast Lift, a.k.a Lollipop Technique, which entails an incision around the areola, as well as one straight down from the areola to the middle of the breast fold. This technique is most suitable for those with moderate sagging.
The Anchor Technique is most suitable for those with severely sagging breasts. It involves the use of an anchor-shaped incision pattern: one incision around the areola, a vertical incision to the breast fold (or inframammary fold), and one along the inframammary fold.
For women who are concerned about both a loss in volume as well as sagging, a combined procedure is recommended. The goal of a combination breast augmentation/lift surgery is to add volume to the breasts, build a rounder breast shape, raise the nipple position, and sometimes to reduce the size of the areola.
Can I lift my breast with implants alone?
A breast augmentation is designed to increase the volume of your breasts, it is not intended to lift the breast. However, if you have a mild degree of droopiness, it is possible to create a more lifted look with implants alone. Using the subglandular or dual plane implant placement, along with the proper implant size and shape, an augmentation alone can restore volume to the breast, thus creating a more lifted look. In these cases, a breast lift is not necessary.
In cases where the breasts are more droopy, overstretched, or have poor elasticity, implants alone will not do the trick. In fact, the implants will weigh down the breast tissue, and cause further drooping down the road. In these cases, a breast lift is necessary to remove the excess tissue, which creates a tighter pocket to hold the breast implants up.
How do I know which breast surgery procedure is right for me?
The best way to determine which procedure is right for you is to book a consultation with our highly skilled and knowledgeable team at Clinic 360. During your consultation, the surgeon will speak to you about your body goals and assess your anatomy, skin, breast tissue and nipple position to determine a customized technique to achieve the look you want.