Breast Lift

Conveniently located to serve the areas of West Covina, CA

Breast Lift West Covina, CA

A breast lift, also known as a mastopexy, is a procedure used to raise and reshape sagging breasts. As a woman ages, her breasts begin to lose their natural shape and firmness due to loss of elasticity. Having children or fluctuations in weight can also cause your breasts to lose tone and volume and a breast lift offers women the chance to restore their breasts to a more youthful shape.

Under the direction of Dr. Daniel Hung-Sun Lin, at Shine Cosmetic Surgery he along with his caring staff look forward to helping you achieve a bust line you can be proud of. Because breast skin is responsible for holding your breast in position, when it becomes lax it will give way to breast ptosis also known as breast droop. When your breast skin is tight and has good tone, it will hold your breast high but when it becomes loose or stretched out, it will allow your breast to sag. A breast lift will reshape your breasts by removing excess skin and tightening the surrounding tissue.

Before you consider the different options available for breast lift surgery, Dr. Lin feels it is helpful to understand what conditions might require this type of surgery.

The three conditions generally identified with sagging breasts include:

  1. Ptosis
  2. Empty Sac Syndrome
  3. Pseudoptosis

Although every situation is unique, not all of these require a breast lift to restore youthfulness to your breasts. Usually ptosis is the only condition that warrants a breast lift, as the insertion of breast implants will restore fullness to your breasts in most cases of Empty Sac Syndrome and pseudoptosis.

Ptosis

Ptosis is the term used when describing sagging breasts. Medically speaking, ptosis is the definition used for breasts that sag low enough for the nipple and areola to be out of position in relation to your breast crease.

Medical experts have recognized three digress of ptosis including:

  1. Mild ptosis (grade I): Mild ptosis is you’re your nipples have dropped to the level of your breast crease.
  2. Moderate ptosis (grade II): Moderate ptosis is when your nipples have dropped below the level of your breast crease.
  3. Advanced ptosis (grade III): Advanced ptosis is when your nipples sag so much they actually point towards the floor.

If you have been diagnosed with ptosis, in most cases you will need a breast lift to correct your condition.

Empty Sac Syndrome

The Empty Sac Syndrome refers to a breast that has lost fullness due to age, pregnancy, or breastfeeding. In this case, the nipple and areola have not fallen in relation to your breast crease so there is no need for a breast lift. Breast implants alone should provide enough volume to restore the youthful appearance of your breast.

Pseudoptosis

Like the Empty Sac Syndrome, pseudoptosis is a condition where your breast lacks fullness. In this case, your breast may appear full below the nipple but it lacks fullness above the nipple. In most cases of pseudoptosis, your nipple and areola are positioned so that a breast augmentation with breast implants will be sufficient to restore youthfulness.

During your consultation with Dr. Lin, together you will decide if a breast lift is right for you. If it is determined that it is, he will discuss the different types available and the type you choose will depend on the degree of ptosis your breasts have.

The types of breast lifts available at Shine Cosmetic Surgery include:

  • The Crescent Breast Lift: Also known as a crescent lift or nipple lift, this breast lift is a simple procedure that corrects mild ptosis. Dr. Lin will remove a crescent shaped piece of tissue above your areola then he will raise your nipple to a higher position.
  • The Benelli Breast Lift: The Benelli breast lift, also known as a donut mastopexy, circumareola breast lift, and apex lift, is considered less invasive than other types of breast lifts. It will correct mild to moderate ptosis and during this procedure, Dr. Lin will remove a donut-shaped piece of tissue from around your areola before reattaching the remaining tissue.
  • The Vertical Mastopexy Breast Lift: The Vertical Mastopexy Breast lift, also known as the lollipop breast lift, LeJour lift, and modified Benelli, provides more lift than the Benelli for patients with moderate ptosis. During this procedure, Dr. Lin will remove a donut-shaped piece of tissue, like in the Benelli breast lift, but in addition he will make a straight incision from under your areola to the breast crease. The vertical mastopexy provides more lift than the Benelli but less than the Full Mastopexy.
  • The Full Mastopexy Breast Lift: The full mastopexy breast lift, also known as an anchor lift or inverted-T, will correct severe grade III ptosis. During this procedure, Dr. Lin will make an anchor-shaped incision that starts at the base of your areola and travels to the bottom of your breast meeting your ribcage. Dr. Lin will then cut out a crescent-shaped piece of skin above where your breast meets your rib cage removing and re-positioning your nipple so that it sits in a more youthful position.

After your breast lift procedure, once your incisions have been closed and taped a surgical bra will be applied. Postoperative discomfort may be greatly reduced through medication and a return to normal light activity is possible within several days. Scars are the greatest drawback to the breast lift surgery and any woman considering a mastopexy must realize that she is exchanging her saggy breast cosmetic problem for another cosmetic breast problem, which are scars. Most scars fade over time however and women with sagging breasts feel the benefits of a breast lift outweigh having a scar.

Whether or not you need a breast lift can only be determined during your consultation with Dr. Lin. At your exam, he will take specific measurements to verify where your nipple and areola are positioned in relation to your breast crease or inframammary fold. He will then use those measurements to decide if fullness can be restored with breast implants alone or if a breast lift is required. If you are interested in a breast lift to help make your silhouette more pleasing, Dr. Lin at Shine Cosmetic Surgery can help. After your breast lift procedure at our Los Angeles practice, you can expect firmer and shapelier looking breasts for years to come.

For more information or details, please contact us today and let us schedule your complimentary breast lift consultation.