“Will breast implants fix my saggy breasts?” This question is a common one in our offices, especially from patients with a bit of breast sagging that are considering implants. They hope that increasing the size of their bust will eliminate the sagging they’re experiencing and leave their breasts both full and perky. The question of whether to lift or not with your implants is a good one; unfortunately there is no one simple answer to this question. Dr. Lewis can give you a personalized answer during your breast augmentation consultation, but below you’ll find some general guidelines about breast lifts and implants.
Does a Breast Lift Include Implants?
While both are a type of breast enhancement procedure, breast lift vs. breast augmentation, typically with implants, have different purposes. While breast lift can be combined with breast implants, they aren’t included in a basic lift procedure. Implants for augmentation can be included in a breast lift procedure, depending on the patients needs and the recommendations of a board-certified plastic surgeon.
What Does an Implant Actually Do?
Implants are designed to increase the amount of breast volume that you have. They don’t do any actual lifting, although in some women with smaller chests an implant can eliminate a small amount of sag. Implants will increase your chest size, but won’t eliminate sagginess in most cases. If your breasts are sagging now, large implants likely won’t fix the problem. You’ll just end up with large, sagging breasts. A breast lift, either before or with your implant surgery, may lead to better results.
Do I Need a Lift?
When you come in for your breast augmentation consultation Dr. Lewis will carefully examine your body and help you determine if a breast lift is needed to obtain the results you want to achieve. One of the primary factors used in making this determination is the placement of the nipple on the breast. As breasts begin to sag breast volume shifts lower in the breast. When a majority of breast tissue falls below the nipple, a lift may be needed. If your nipple point downward (instead of outward) you will probably need a lift. This guide will help you take a few simple measurements to determine the amount of breast sagging that you have.
Can I Have a Breast Lift and Breast Augmentation at the Same Time?
For many patients breast augmentation and a breast lift can be performed at the same time. Dr. Lewis will lift the breasts, reposition and resize the nipple if necessary, and then place the implants. This allows you to achieve both an increase in volume and perkiness through one surgery. If you have a large degree of ptosis (breast sagging) two surgeries may be needed, a breast lift first followed by augmentation.
You can view examples of some of our work combining breast augmentation and breast lifts by viewing our photo gallery.
Do I need a breast lift with my implants? The answer to this question isn’t a simple one; come see Dr. Lewis for personalized recommendations for your body type. Give us a call today at 804-267-6009 to schedule your consultation.