What Are the Top Benefits of a Breast Lift?
Your breasts go through significant changes because of hormones, weight fluctuations, and aging during your lifetime. Sagging of the breasts, also known by the medical term breast ptosis, is a completely natural cosmetic change that many women experience but some people might not want this and seek out ways to correct it. Although strengthening the chest muscles can provide a minor natural lift to the breasts, we can’t significantly improve the shape of the breasts through exercises because they are made up of fat and ligaments but lack muscle tissue. Aging is one of the primary causes of breast sagging because as we age, the ligaments that provide support to the breasts lose elasticity while the gravitational pull also affects their shape. Exposure to UV rays can also damage the skin and cause it to lose elasticity. Major fluctuations of the weight cause unnecessary stretching of the breasts. Additionally, the chemicals in cigarette smoke are harmful to skin fibers and cause them to break down. The size changes to the breasts that occur during pregnancy can also cause stretching. A breast lift from our Vancouver area practice is an effective way to restore more shapely, youthful-looking breasts. Here are some of the main benefits of this procedure:
- Restoring the breasts to a more youthful, uplifted position and contour while maintaining the current breast size
- Restoring shape and volume to breasts that have become deflated
- Repositioning the areolas to enhance the new appearance of the breasts
- Relief from irritation beneath the breasts caused by excess, stretched skin
- Clothes fit better and you will feel more comfortable wearing form-fitting clothes
- Less pain in the back, shoulders, and neck from incorrect posture
In addition to breast lift surgery, there are other techniques you can use to prevent sagging and improve breast firmness. Maintaining a consistent, healthy weight, wearing a well-fitting, comfortable bra especially during workouts, quitting smoking, and working out your pectoral muscles are some of the ways you can prevent sagging.
For more advice about what’s involved in a breast lift, contact the Vancouver area office of Dr. Owen Reid. Call us at 604-343-9309 or submit a contact form to schedule a consultation if you would like to discuss breast surgery.
How Long Do the Results from a Breast Lift Last?
It's normal and natural for women to experience some breast sagging and there's no definite age when this may occur; some begin to notice it in their teen years while for others, sagging may occur anywhere from their 20s to 40s or later in life. There are several possible causes for this such as genetic factors, the effects of aging, gravity, hormonal changes, weight fluctuations, pregnancy, smoking, and having larger breasts. As time goes on, the skin produces less collagen to keep it strong and may become permanently stretched. The tissues and ligaments may also be strained by pregnancy or weight gain. A breast lift from our Vancouver area practice is a procedure used to elevate the breasts and give them a perkier, rounder, more visually pleasing shape. Patients are often curious about the longevity of this treatment.
During a breast lift, which is also referred to as a mastopexy, the surgeon takes off excess skin and reshapes the breast contours without changing their size in a significant way. This can make patients feel less self-conscious, more confident about their appearance and the way they look in clothes, and can even decrease back and neck pain.
However, there's no guarantee that the results of a breast lift will be permanent and your breasts won't change in the future years. While the results can generally last for a decade or more, the lifespan of a breast lift depends on several factors including age, genetics, physical health, skin condition, lifestyle, dietary habits, pregnancy, and body weight.
Your skin naturally loses elasticity and becomes thinner with age. Smoking is said to be one of the leading causes of breast sagging and accelerated aging. Sun damage can also cause wrinkles and skin laxity on the chest area, and pregnancy or significant weight gain could also change your breasts in unwanted ways.
To maintain firm breasts, you can incorporate exercises to strengthen your back and chest, wear a bra that fits properly, be sure to take good care of your skin, and maintain a stable weight.
Interested in learning more about what's involved in a breast lift in the Vancouver area? Get in touch with our team at the office of Dr. Owen Reid by calling 604-343-9309 to request a consultation or fill out a contact form to start planning your procedure.
Breast Reduction Techniques
If you said that there was a different breast reduction technique for every practicing plastic surgeon you wouldn't be far from the truth. Although it's common for each surgeon to have their own innovative surgical tips, the vast majority of surgeons are using a personalized variation of a common technique.
Breast reduction techniques are most commonly classified by their scar pattern, and the two most common patterns are the Vertical Scar Technique and the Inverted "T" or Anchor Technique. However, this is only half the story. Arguably, the more important part of a successful breast reduction is what goes on under the skin, within the breast tissue itself, and the scar pattern doesn't tell us anything about how the surgeon handles this part of the operation. For example, Dr. Reid has to make decisions about which parts of the breast will be preserved, which parts will be resected and how to re-configure the breast to achieve the best possible shape. These variables are all independent of the scar pattern.
What technique does Dr. Reid use?
Dr. Reid uses the technique that best suits the patient; there is no one best technique nor would it be appropriate to use the same technique for each patient. Breast shape is highly variable and so a surgeon requires expertise with more than one technique and should also be able to adapt these techniques as needed to breasts with varying characteristics.
So will I get the Vertical Scar or the Inverted "T" Scar pattern?
In breast and body contouring surgery, a plastic surgeon chooses to place a scar or lengthen a scar in order to achieve better contour and shape. This holds true for breast reduction surgery. Dr. Reid uses both patterns and although it's always nice to limit scar length, he finds the Inverted "T" scar pattern to be very helpful for those patients who have significant breast ptosis (droop) and skin laxity. In this situation, the 'additional' scar, concealed along the infra-mammary fold, allows Dr. Reid more control over breast size, shape and position. In contrast, those patients who have large breasts without significant ptosis are typically good candidates for the vertical scar technique.
Dr. Owen Reid commonly performs breast reduction surgeries in Vancouver, Richmond and Delta. For more information or to book a consultation, please contact our office at 604-273-1034.