Breast Lift Baltimore, MD | Mastopexy Surgery Washington DC

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Breast Lift

in Baltimore, MD

Board certified plastic surgeon Dr. Emile Brown offers a variety of breast lift options to patients in Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Annapolis and the surrounding areas of Maryland. Gravity and a loss of skin elasticity can cause your breasts to sag or droop. When this happens, exercise alone may not be enough to lift your breasts back into their usual position. Breast lift surgery trims away excess skin and reshapes the breast in order to raise the bosom and help it appear more youthful again.

What is a Breast Lift?

A breast lift is a surgical procedure that addresses sagging breasts by eliminating excess skin and repositioning the breasts to a more youthful position. The breast lift also repositions the nipples so that they face forward instead of downward. A breast lift is often performed alone or may be part of another breast procedure like a breast reduction or a breast augmentation with implants.

Benefits of a Breast Lift?

A breast lift can address sagging breasts, whether it’s due to overly large breasts or sagging with age or after pregnancy or weight loss. Women with sagging breasts must often wear support bras and may find it difficult to find swimsuits that fit well. Ladies with very large chests might even feel uncomfortable because the weight of their bosom puts unnecessary strain on the neck and shoulders. Following a breast lift, many women find they have more clothing options and that everyday activity that no longer causes them discomfort.

Who is a Good Candidate for a Breast Lift?

Candidates for a breast lift are those who experience breast sagging due to age, weight loss, childbirth, or other factors. Those who are undergoing a breast reduction to reduce overly large breasts will undergo a lift at the same time to remove excess skin. The breast lift may also be added to a breast augmentation for a more significant enhancement. It is important to remember that a breast lift will reposition the breasts, but will not significantly change the size of the breasts. If you have sagging breasts, speak with Dr. Brown to determine if breast lift surgery is right for you. While women of all ages can benefit, we often advise those who plan to become pregnant and/or breastfeed to postpone surgery. Fluctuations in weight can also cause breasts to sag. As such, women should also wait until they have reached their healthy weight and held it for at least six months.

How is a Breast Lift Performed?

A breast lift is typically performed with the use of general anesthesia. An incision will then be made either around the areola, around the areola and vertically down to the breast crease, or an extra incision may be needed within the breast crease. Your surgeon will determine the best area from which to trim excess skin, which will allow the breasts to be raised to a more youthful height.

Recovery After a Breast Lift

After a breast lift, bandages will be placed over the incisions and a support bra should be worn to help minimize swelling and assist with the healing process. Patients should avoid certain movements that involve the chest muscles like heavy lifting. Most patients take about a week off work to properly recover at home. It is important to follow all post-operative care instructions and exercise restrictions carefully to ensure successful results. Once the swelling has diminished, patients can enjoy perkier, more youthful-looking breasts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a breast lift covered by insurance?

Insurance does not cover a breast lift done for purely cosmetic reasons. Insurance will generally cover a breast lift if it is done to achieve symmetry after breast reconstruction for breast cancer.

Does a breast lift cost more than implants?

The cost can vary based on the extent of lift required and the type of implants being used, but a breast lift alone generally costs around the same ballpark total amount as breast implants alone. A breast lift is generally a longer surgery, but the cost of the longer surgery is evened out by the cost of the implants themselves.

Does a breast lift leave scars?

Despite what some doctors might claim, there is no way to effectively lift a breast without some type of scar. In order to relocate the nipple to a higher position and reshape the breast, skin incisions are always required. Depending on the extent of lift required, these incisions can be just around the areola itself (periareolar aka donut lift), around the areola and vertically down the breast (vertical aka lollipop lift), or around the areola, vertically down the breast, and in the fold underneath the breast (anchor aka wise pattern lift).

Do I need a breast lift or just implants?

It depends on how much of a lift you need. Implants alone will lift the nipple a bit, but a formal breast lift is usually required to lift the nipples and reshape the breast more significantly. It would be best to have a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon to personally examine you and determine the best option for your needs.

Do you lose sensation with breast lift?

It is common to have some changes in nipple sensation after a breast lift (either increased or decreased sensation), but these changes are usually temporary and resolve within 6 months or so. While permanent changes in nipple sensation CAN happen after a breast lift, this is not common.

Does a breast lift make your nipples less sensitive?

It is common to have some changes in nipple sensation after a breast lift (either increased or decreased sensation), but these changes are usually temporary and resolve within 6 months or so. While permanent changes in nipple sensation CAN happen after a breast lift, this is not common.

Do you still have feeling in your nipples after breast lift?

It is common to have some changes in nipple sensation after a breast lift (either increased or decreased sensation), but these changes are usually temporary and resolve within 6 months or so. While permanent changes in nipple sensation CAN happen after a breast lift, this is not common.

Does insurance pay for breast lift?

A breast lift is a cosmetic surgery, and therefore insurance will not pay for it unless the lift is being done for reconstruction after breast cancer. In certain situations, insurance will pay for a breast REDUCTION procedure if a patient has symptoms from excessively large breasts and meets other requirements. These requirements will vary from one insurance provider to another.

How do you shower after a breast lift?

How soon a patient is allowed to shower after a breast lift will vary from surgeon to surgeon, but I personally allow my breast lift patients to shower 24 hours after surgery. At this point, the incisions can get wet and patients are able to shower normally without any issues.

How long does it take for breast lift scars to heal?

Patients are usually allowed to resume all normal activities including heavy lifting and strenuous exercise 4-6 weeks after a breast lift. The scars themselves will continue fade and become less noticeable over the course of 12-18 months.

How long do breast lift results last?

There is no definite answer as to how long breast lift results last. A womans breasts can change over time as she ages, with changes in weight, or with breastfeeding. All of these factors might cause a womans breasts to sag more after a breast lift. However, the results of a breast lift are relatively permanent for the majority of patients.

How long does a breast lift last?

There is no definite answer as to how long a breast lift lasts. A womans breasts can change over time as she ages, with changes in weight, or with breastfeeding. All of these factors might cause a womans breasts to sag more after a breast lift. However, the results of a breast lift are relatively permanent for the majority of patients.

What types of breast lifts are there?

There are three general categories of breast lifts: periareolar aka donut, vertical aka lollipop, and anchor aka wise pattern. In order to effectively relocate the nipple to a higher position and reshape the breast, skin incisions are required. Depending on the extent of lift required, these incisions can be just around the areola itself (periareolar aka donut lift), around the areola and vertically down the breast (vertical aka lollipop lift), or around the areola, vertically down the breast, and in the fold underneath the breast (anchor aka wise pattern lift).

How soon after breast lift can I exercise?

How soon a patient is allowed to exercise after a breast lift will vary from surgeon to surgeon. I personally let patients resume exercise that does not involve the upper body 2 weeks after surgery. Patients can resume strenuous upper body exercise 4-6 weeks after surgery.

What is a crescent breast lift?

A crescent breast lift generally refers to a surgery where a crescent of breast skin is removed from above the nipple, in order to move the nipple to a higher position. This results in a periareolar scar around the upper half of the nipple. A crescent breast lift is the least powerful type of breast lift, and is only able to raise the nipple slightly.

Will breast lift affect breastfeeding?

There are many reasons why some women are not able to breast feed, so it is difficult to ever know whether a prior surgery affects this. Although any surgery on the breast itself might have an effect on breast feeding, many women are able to breastfeed after a breast lift.

How long does a breast lift take?

The length of a breast lift procedure depends on the extent of lift required. However, most breast lifts take between 1 to 3 hours.

How painful is a breast lift?

Patients generally do not have a lot of discomfort after a breast lift procedure. Many patients are able to control the pain with over the counter medications alone, and do not require any narcotic pain medications.

Is getting a breast lift safe?

Although all surgeries have risks, a breast lift is generally a very safe procedure with a low risk of complications. The most common complications are also minor, and include asymmetry, delayed wound healing, poor scarring and temporary changes in nipple sensation.

Will a breast lift remove stretch marks?

During a breast lift procedure, some amount of breast skin is removed. So if this excised skin has stretch marks on it, these stretch marks will effectively be removed. However, a breast lift will otherwise not have an effect on any remaining stretch marks.

Will a breast lift reduce cup size?

During a breast lift procedure, the breast is re-shaped and skin is removed. This will not have much effect on overall breast volume, but may change the way bras fit so a change in cup size is always possible. If a patient desires to have smaller breasts, some amount of breast tissue may also be removed during a breast lift - this is called a breast reduction.

How much is a mini breast lift?

A mini breast lift is another name for a periareolar or donut breast lift. This results in a periareolar scar around the nipple. A mini breast lift is only able to raise the nipple slightly, and is only suited for select patients. The cost will vary, but can range from approximately $4,000 to $6,000.

How much does breast lift cost?

The cost of a breast lift will vary based on the amount of lift required and the technique chosen. Therefore, the cost will range widely from approximately $4,000 to $9,000.

What is a non surgical breast lift?

There is no exact definition of a non surgical breast lift and this is more of a marketing term. Despite what some doctors might claim, there is no way to effectively lift a breast without some type of surgical procedure.

What is the vampire breast lift?

A vampire breast lift involves injecting platelet rich plasma, also known as PRP, into a womans breasts. PRP is prepared by collecting a patients own blood, and isolating a certain portion that contains numerous growth factors. These growth factors can help boost the bodys regenerative abilities and promote rejuvenation.

Your Consultation in Baltimore, MD

If you are anxious to look and feel your best, contact board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Emile Brown today to schedule your breast lift consultation. We proudly serve patients from Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Annapolis and the surrounding areas of Maryland.

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