Breast Lift Dallas, TX

A breast lift, also known as mastopexy, is a cosmetic surgery that can lift your breasts into a perkier position. To do that, your surgeon raises the nipples and sagging breast skin into a higher position and then tightens the surrounding breast tissue.  As you get older, you might experience some breast changes due to:‍

• Weight changes: Gaining and losing significant weight can stretch your breast tissue and cause your breasts to sag.
• Pregnancy: With pregnancy and breastfeeding, the breasts become engorged and then go back down in size. As a result, your breasts can become deflated and flattened against your chest.
• Passage of time: Your breast tissue and nipples start to shift downward as you get older.

A breast lift is an operation that can correct these changes and restore a more youthful appearance to your breasts.‍

During your consultation, we'll discuss your aesthetic goals – how you hope your breasts will look after your breast lift and whether you'd be comfortable with the resulting scars.

After that, we'll determine which breast lift technique suits you best. We offer several breast lift techniques at our clinic in Dallas:

The Crescent Lift

The crescent lift involves making a small incision at the upper edge of the areola and removing a moon-shaped wedge of skin.

This lift leaves minimal scarring (only part of a circle, usually from 10:00 to 2:00), but it can’t correct any significant breast sagging.

We rarely use the crescent because it's not effective.

The Donut Lift (Benelli Mastopexy)

The donut lift requires two circular incisions; one around the outer edge of the areola and another larger circle around it. The top of the larger circle is placed where the top of the areola should be.

Then, the skin between the two circles is removed, and the two incisions are stitched together, leaving behind only one circular scar around the areola.

This lift can raise the nipple (an inch or more), reduce the size of large areolas, and lift sagging tissue at the bottom of the breast, which makes it far more effective than the crescent lift.

The Lollipop Lift (Vertical Mastopexy)

he vertical lift involves two incisions; a circular incision around the areola and another vertical incision that runs down from the bottom edge of the areola to the bottom of the breast.

The additional vertical incision allows us to move the nipple and areola significantly higher and create a fuller breast appearance than with a Benelli lift.

The scars from the lollipop lift, however, are more visible than those from the donut lift. The vertical scar will fade over time and eventually become much less visible.

The vertical lift is our most popular lift because:

• It’s versatile and can be used on a wide range of breast sizes and shapes.
• It has the least scars of any full lifting technique (the Benelli and Crescent lifts are classified as mini lifts.)
• It produces the prettiest breast shape with a rounder, fuller contour than the anchor lift.

The Anchor Lift (Inverted T Lift)

This lift starts the same as a vertical lift, but we make an extra incision to remove a wedge of skin and tissue from the bottom fold of the breast.

We use this technique less frequently than the vertical lift because it produces additional scarring – an extra horizontal scar under the breast.

The simplest way to decide whether you should get a breast lift, breast implants, or both is to consider what each procedure offers you.

A breast lift might be ideal for you in case:

• You have sagging nipples that are sitting low on your breast
• You have drooping breasts that are sitting low on your chest (below the breast fold)

On the other hand, you should consider getting breast implants if:

• Your breasts are deflated and flattened against your chest
• Your breasts have lost fullness in the upper part (cleavage!)
• You want to enlarge your breasts

A third option would be combining a breast lift with breast implants in case your breasts hang low on the chest and lack fullness in the upper part.

Patients seeking breast lift surgery are usually women who have developed some degree of breast sagginess with age or following pregnancy and weight change.

A mastopexy might be ideal for you in case:

• You have experienced a vertical drop in your breast tissue (breast ptosis).
• Your nipples are positioned lower than where you'd ideally want them to be on your breast.
• You're a non-smoker or someone who hasn't smoked or used nicotine products for at least the past 30 days. Smoking decreases the blood supply to the skin and can risk the survival of the nipples and areolas.
• You're in good health and don't have a chronic medical condition that prevents you from receiving anesthesia.
• You accept that breast lifts leave scars – ones that will remain visible on your breasts to some degree.

As for age, we've performed mastopexy on women from their 20s to their 70’s. So as long as you're healthy and a non-smoker, you can be a candidate for a breast lift procedure.

Breast lift results are virtually permanent; they don't have an expiry date. If you get a mastopexy, in 30 years, your breasts will still look better than they would look had you not gotten the surgery.

With that said, a breast lift cannot stop your body's natural aging process; your breasts will continue to age after the surgery. Therefore, some patients may need to revisit the mastopexy 10-20 years after the procedure, but that doesn't happen often.

Some things can increase the likelihood of needing a revision breast lift, such as:‍

• Significant weight changes: Weight fluctuations can cause the tightened breast skin and tissue to stretch out.
• Pregnancy: When you get pregnant and breastfeed, your breasts become larger and deflate a little afterward. As a result, your breast tissue and skin will become more relaxed and loose.

Otherwise, it's not common to need to revisit a mastopexy down the road.‍

Several things will help you get ready for a breast lift:‍

• Stop smoking six weeks before your breast lift; this includes vaping, chewing nicotine, hookah, and marijuana. Smoking restricts your blood flow and can impair your healing.
• Schedule a mammogram before your procedure; it will allow your surgeon to monitor any future changes in your breast tissue after your mastopexy. This advice applies to women over 40 or those at higher risk for breast cancer.
• Avoid certain medications that can increase your risk of bleeding, such as Aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs, and herbal supplements.
• Schedule a mammogram before your procedure; it will allow your surgeon to monitor any future changes in your breast tissue after your mastopexy. This advice applies to women over 40 or those at higher risk for breast cancer.
• Maintain a healthy weight by making dietary changes and exercising regularly.
• Take time off work and other daily activities to recover. Women with desk jobs usually need four to seven days off.
• Arrange for a family member or a friend to drive you home after surgery and help you around the house and with the kids as you heal.
• Fill your pain meds prescriptions and have them ready for you at home before your surgery.
• Prepare a recovery area for you at home and supply it with comfort items such as pillows, blankets, healthy snacks, and entertainment.
  

A breast lift is a day procedure – you can leave the same day and recover safely at home. It's performed under general anesthesia in most cases, but some breast lifts, particularly mini lifts, can be done under local anesthesia.

Before the surgery, we'll mark your breasts where your incisions will be. Once you're asleep under general anesthesia: ‍

• First, your breast skin will be sterilized and draped.
• Then, we'll make the planned incisions and remove excess skin and breast tissue.
• After that, we'll move the nipples into their new position and close the incisions in multiple layers to minimize scarring.
• Finally, we dress your wounds, put you in a support bra, and send you into the recovery room for about an hour and a half to wake up from the anesthesia before you return home.

After your mastopexy:

• Your breasts will be covered with gauze, and you'll be dressed in a surgical support bra.
• You might have small tubes (surgical drains) near your incisions to drain excess blood and fluid for a few days. Most of our patients do not require drains.
• Your breasts will be somewhat swollen, and bruised for a couple of weeks.
• Pain is usually low to moderate following a breast lift.
• You may feel numbness or tingling in your nipples, areola, and breast skin which can last several weeks.
• Initially, you'll need to sleep on your back or sides to keep pressure off your breasts (consider sleeping in a recliner).

Here's what you can expect during your breast lift recovery:

• You'll have bruising, swelling, and discomfort in your breasts for about two weeks - it's normal.
• You should wear a support or sports bra around the clock for 3 to 4 weeks - no cheating!
• You can return to wearing a regular bra about four weeks after your breast lift
• Your incisions will be red or pink for a few months
• You should avoid lifting, bending, and straining in the first few days after a breast lift
• You can return to desk work around four to seven days after your surgery
• You can usually resume sexual activity at three weeks.
• You can usually return to more vigorous activities, such as lifting and exercising, about three weeks after your procedure
• Although breast lift scars are permanent, they'll significantly thin and soften 1 to 2 years after mastopexy

All in all, a breast lift is an effective procedure that can give you beautiful young-looking breasts but also leaves some degree of scarring. You should carefully weigh the pros and cons in your head and then decide whether this surgery can give you breasts you're confident with and proud of. We offer our patients in Dallas, Texas, all the different types of breast lift surgery, and accompany them through a rapid and seamless recovery - every step of the way.