Whether your breasts sag, droop or deflate over time due to changes in weight or postpartum, sometimes elevating the nipple position can dramatically improve shape and size to restore balance to create beautiful results.
Fortunately, Dr Joseph Rizk is highly skilled in performing breast lifts in Sydney (known as a “mastopexy”), and he can advise you on how to get the best results. In some instances, getting implants in addition to your lift can give your breasts a dramatic new profile.
While implants can give you more volume for your breasts, a breast lift can beautify your breast contours and shift the position of your nipple, giving you a firmer, perkier, and more youthful look.
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The causes of breast sagging (ptosis) are inevitable.
Once you've had children, and more so as you age, gravity begins to take a toll on all your body parts, and that includes your curves. It’s not just wrinkles, furrowed brows, and crows’ feet. Your breasts, thighs, and bottom can start to sag a little too. A breast lift is performed to restore the breasts to a younger size, perkiness and shape by removing excess tissue, skin, and overstretched ligaments in the breasts, and moving the nipple-areola complex higher on the breast.
In some cases, the size of the nipple and areola can be reduced if it has become too enlarged. This results in breasts that are younger-looking and generally have the shape and position of a “pre-children” woman. At Rizk Plastic Surgery in Sydney breast lifts can often be combined with breast augmentation procedures so that the size of the breasts is enhanced along with the position.
Dr Rizk explains more in this video:
However, for some patients, breast lift surgery is considered a controversial topic. This is because to raise the breast's position the surgeon sometimes has to take out some breast tissue. Patients worry that this will make them smaller, as this is often the last thing they want. But as Dr Rizk can tell you, breast lifts can be coupled with fat grafts or implants to maintain the size and curve you'd like to have.
Women who have inherently large breasts often have a bigger problem with drooping. Slight fluctuations in weight, the natural progression of age, as well as having kids can be harsher on women with plus-sized breasts.
Many of them are unaware that while they don't need augmentation, their shape can change dramatically if they get a breast lift. Because these women have large breasts, their lifts are a bit more complex. In addition to tightening the skin and repositioning the nipples and areola, the surgeon may need to reduce breast tissue.
Patients might be worried about losing volume, especially because as large-breasted women, they won’t get implants. Dr Rizk has performed this procedure many times before and he can reassure you that if anything, that slight reduction will complement the overall aesthetic appearance.
They may look smaller, but their shape will be more rounded and their form will be perkier so the patient will have a rounder, curvier result. For women who have breasts that are larger than they desire, a breast lift surgery can also be performed as part of a breast reduction procedure.
Tissue is removed when performing a Mastopexy, and this amount can be adjusted to meet the patient’s needs. When larger amounts of tissue are removed, this often necessitates the repositioning of the nipple as well, so combining a breast lift with a breast reduction surgery is often advised.
There is no shortage of disinformation floating around online when it comes to breast lifts. While the intent may be to help, this advice is usually misleading at best and dangerous at worst. Only a skilled plastic surgeon like Dr. Rizk can help you discern reality from the myths.
“Exercise can lift your breasts!”
Regular exercise is never a bad idea. It's a vital component of a healthy lifestyle. However, exercise cannot improve your breasts' size, shape, or position because it cannot address skin elasticity. Exercise can build your chest muscles and decrease fat deposits, but sagging breasts are an effect of changes in skin resilience that occur naturally in your body over time. Exercise cannot restore the firmness of your skin, no matter how hard you try.
“You can lift your breasts with creams and topical treatments!”
Good skincare is essential to maintaining a youthful, healthy appearance. But creams and other topical treatments can only provide minor improvements and help prevent further degradation of skin condition. They can never replicate the dramatic improvement in shape and position that a breast lift can offer.
“A breast lift and boob job are the same things!”
A "boob job" (augmentation mammoplasty or breast augmentation) and "breast lift" (mastopexy) may sound similar, but they are two distinct procedures with different goals and techniques. The fact that they are often used in conjunction can further confuse matters.
Augmentation mammoplasty — breast augmentation or "boob job" — seeks to enhance the appearance of the breasts through the use of implants, fat transfer, or both. On the other hand, mastopexy is a restorative or revisional procedure used to correct deficiencies in the aesthetic appearance or function of the breasts. Sometimes mastopexy procedures can include implants or other augmentation techniques. However, the initial conditions and issues that each procedure can address are significantly different.
“A breast lift will make your breasts bigger!”
The goal of a breast lift in isolation is never to increase breast size. Instead, it is primarily focused on restoring breast shape, position, and texture where significant sagging or drooping has occurred. This repositioning and tightening of the skin and tissue can provide an enhanced look that makes the breasts appear larger or more full, but an actual increase in size cannot be achieved without implants or grafting techniques.
Breast lifts are a highly versatile procedure that can be customised to the needs of each patient. Many women choose to undergo a breast lift with implants to correct their breasts' position, shape, size, and texture.
For many patients who have lost significant volume due to pregnancy, nursing, or other natural changes to their body, a breast augmentation with lift is the right solution. A breast lift, by itself, can correct position problems and eliminate excess skin, but it can do little to remedy lost size and texture. Thus, many women choose to include the placement of implants along with their breast lifts to restore the fullness, feel, and appearance of healthy, youthful breasts.
On the other hand, some patients have excess tissue that has caused their breasts to droop or lose their ideal shape and positioning. Or perhaps the size of their breasts is ideal, but the orientation or texture is not. In these cases, a breast lift without implants may be the best solution.
In this approach, the overall position and balance between breasts is the focus of the breast lift. Attention is paid to ensure that the breasts match, that sagging and excess skin or tissue are removed, and that the alignment of breast features is ideal. In some situations, fat transfer or grafting can be used to smooth contours and improve fullness without the need for implants. You will have the opportunity to discuss your concerns with your breasts with Dr. Rizk during your personalised consultation. Together, he will provide you with advice and guidance in determining the condition of your breasts and which approach best fits your needs, goals, and lifestyle.
If you ask about the different types of breast lifts Sydney plastic surgeons will mention three main kinds. The type of lift you select will also affect the kind of scar that you end up having.
Your choice of technique will either leave you with a rounded scar, a vertical lollipop scar, or an upside-down t-shaped anchor scar. The surgical scar depends on how loose your skin is, and Dr Rizk will help you decide what the best option is for you. Dr Rizk advocates the National Law and Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) guidelines that any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.
Donut: This breast lift technique — also known as a “periareolar incision” or “Benelli lift” — uses only an incision around the perimeter of the areola. It is typically most appropriate for people with mild to moderate sagging. However, a skilled surgeon like Dr. Rizk may use the donut technique along with breast implants to remedy cases where more severe sagging is present.
Lollipop: A lollipop breast lift utilises an incision around the areola and then down to the breast crease. Patients with moderate sagging and who do not want to include implants tend to do best with this technique. This method may also be referred to as a “vertical scar keyhole incision” procedure.
Anchor: In this type of breast lift, an incision is made around the perimeter of the areola, then continued down vertically to the breast crease and finally along the underside of the breast crease. This is the oldest breast lift incision technique and is most useful in cases where significant breast reduction is needed, or there is a high degree of sagging. Because it can cause the most scarring, the anchor technique is commonly utilised when less invasive methods will be unsatisfactory. Conversely, it may also be ideal when very little skin or tissue needs removal since it can provide shorter scars and reduce the risk of puckering or indentations.
Dr Rizk advocates the National Law and Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) guidelines that any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.
Women who are good candidates for breast lift surgery generally want to recapture the size, shape, and contours of their breasts. Postpartum decreases in the fat and mammary tissue can affect these traits, as well as the occurrence of breast ptosis (sagging). A breast lift can be a solution for problems like:
Women who are generally in good health, have good skin elasticity, and are non-smokers are good potential patients. If you have any serious medical issues like heart conditions, cancer, or infections, you should not undergo a breast lift procedure. Further, you should fully understand the risks, have realistic expectations, and be in a good state of mind before undergoing any cosmetic surgery process.
The degree of sagging, the condition of your internal tissues and ligaments, and general skin condition will all affect the outcome of your breast lift procedure and help determine the right procedure for you. Dr Rizk will go over all of these considerations in your consultation and help customise a surgery plan to fit your needs and meet your expectations and desires.
Another thing women might worry about is the sensitivity of their nipples. They may be concerned that physically shifting the position of their nipple will affect nipple sensation and breastfeeding. Fortunately, Dr Rizk is an expert, and when he repositions your nipples, he ensures that the nerve system and blood supply are unaffected. This means your nipples should remain as responsive as they’ve always been.
The cost of a breast lift will vary from patient to patient. Because no two people are exactly the same, the surgery plan Dr. Rizk recommends for you will be fully customised to your unique goals.
The extent of the procedure, the technique used, and other factors will all contribute to your overall expense. Following your one-on-one consultation with Dr. Rizk, you will receive a detailed breakdown of the cost you can expect for your breast lift procedure. In addition, Dr. Rizk will ensure you feel fully informed and comfortable throughout your journey together.
A breast lift will give you a dramatic new body, so it surprises patients when they are told they can go home the same day. The operation itself takes between one and three hours, depending on the intensity of sagging and the complexity of the breast lift.
Patients are put under general anesthesia, so they will be unconscious throughout. The specific way that breast lift surgery works sounds surprisingly simple. The surgeon makes a series of incisions according to the surgery plan around the nipple-areola complex and along or under the breast. Excess tissue, overstretched tendons, and inelastic skin are removed.
The surgeon will reposition the nipple and areola higher on the breast, then adjust the breast tissue to perk up your contours. If necessary, your surgeon can use fat grafts or implants on the upper parts of your breast. This balances out the drooping, re-aligns the nipple and gives your breasts a rounded overall shape.
After the anaesthesia has worn off and the doctor says it's okay, patients can leave the hospital.
Naturally, they shouldn't try to drive so soon after anaesthesia, so before surgery, they should organize for someone to take them home. Patient safety is paramount for Dr Rizk, so he won’t discharge a patient until he is sure she has a designated driver. He will only release her directly into her driver’s hands. Dr Rizk likes to keep a close eye on all his patients, so he will schedule check-ups, and provide an after-hours number to see that everything is running smoothly.
Patients should expect some bruising and swelling. In some cases, a small tube may be inserted under the skin to drain excess blood and fluid after the surgery. Patients will have some pain, so they will be given pain meds as well as antibiotics to stop infection. Other than that, they can recover at home.
Once you get home, it's a good idea to check your sleeping position, at least for the first few weeks. Try sleeping on your back to avoid putting undue pressure on your chest.
The patient will also have to wear a special recovery bra for a month and a half. You can expect your breasts to be swollen and/or bruised for up to two weeks, but this is normal. You will probably experience soreness in your chest or along the incisions as well.
The scars will probably be bright and red for two or three months, but this is part of the healing process so don’t be too uneasy. You should avoid many normal activities that involve reaching and lifting, including bathing or washing your hair.
Dr Rizk will advise you on when it is safe to resume these activities, but you should avoid any strenuous activity for at least two weeks. If you’re a smoker, Dr Rizk will suggest you quit for about eight weeks.
Stop smoking two weeks before surgery, and avoid cigarettes for six weeks after you leave the hospital. This will help you recover faster and avoid complications. Dr Rizk will advise you when follow-up appointments are needed to remove any drainage tubes or stitches or simply to check on your progress.
As your healing progresses, try to be patient. You will notice an immediate change in the way your breasts look and feel, but this will change as your breasts settle and heal.
The appearance of your breasts will change throughout the recovery process, so if you don’t quite like what you see, give it some time. You won’t have your “final” look until six months after surgery when your tissues have healed and your swelling has stopped.
You might notice that your breasts appear slightly smaller even if you did not have reduction mammoplasty. However, this is the natural result of your breasts being rounder and firmer. While every woman’s results will vary, you should experience a perkier, younger look for years to come.
In terms of breast surgery, Sydney offers a variety of procedures under Dr Rizk. These include:
Learn more about breast lifts in Sydney in a consultation with Dr Joseph Rizk
If your breasts are sagging or drooping and you would like to discuss your options, contact Sydney plastic surgeon Dr Joseph Rizk for a unique consultation where he will expertly collaborate with you to achieve your desired results. You can schedule a consultation with Dr Rizk today by filling in the consultation form below or giving us a call on 1300 707 007. Monday – Friday, 9.00am – 5.00pm.
Meet Dr Rizk
Dr Joseph Rizk became Australasia’s plastic surgeon of the year by making sure that each patient is heard, respected, and treated well. His patient-first approach provides you with the accurate medical information you need to make informed decisions about your course of treatment. At the same time, he offers his decades of knowledge and experience to help you along your path.
DOUBLE BAY, Suite 3.01, Level 3, 451 New South Head Road, Double Bay NSW 2028
Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm
Dr Rizk recommends that you seek out a second opinion from another qualified healthcare provider before undertaking any cosmetic procedure. In accordance with the National Law and Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) guidelines, any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks, so a second opinion is advised.
