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Breast Lift

Breast sagging, medically known as ptosis, has many causes. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, weight fluctuations, and aging all impact the breast tissue’s natural support structure. Over time, formerly perky breasts can become saggy and deflated. 

Breast sagging is a widespread concern. By middle age, most women have some degree of breast ptosis. Factors like genetics and breast size can impact the degree of sagging women experience. Pregnancy and weight changes are also primary contributors to naturally occurring breast changes that lead to sagging. 

Skilled breast surgeons can perform breast lift surgery on its own, or you might opt to combine it with other procedures, like in a mommy makeover.

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Patient Experiences: Tiffany

What Is a Breast Lift?

A breast lift is a surgical procedure that reshapes the breasts, lifting them to a higher position on the chest wall and reshaping them to restore youthful fullness. 

There are many variations of the traditional breast lift, allowing our surgeons to customize this procedure to each patient’s unique needs. A mini-lift, or periareolar lift, can address a less advanced degree of breast sagging with minimal scarring. A full breast lift can address significant breast sagging. We also offer a breast lift combined with breast implants, allowing patients to access the benefits of breast lift and breast augmentation surgery with a single procedure. 

Breasts and sagging have long been an inseparable duo, but it doesn’t have to be that way. We suggest a change in trajectory. Take your breasts from sagging and deflated to lifted and youthful with a breast lift at Sarasota Plastic Surgery Center.

The Breast Lift Procedure: What to Expect

Your breast lift will take place at our accredited on-site surgical center, which we’ve equipped with the latest safety equipment. Our team of surgeons, surgical nurses, anesthesiologists, and other surgical techs will care for you throughout the surgery, with the same level of expert care we would provide to our family members. Most patients receive this treatment under general anesthesia on an outpatient basis and return home the day of their surgery to comfortably recover at home. 

In performing breast lift surgery, a surgeon will make incisions on your breasts. The location and placement of each patient’s incisions will depend on the degree of breast sagging and the desired changes.

Periareolar incision


The surgeon creates an incision around the areola, hidden in the color transition. This technique only allows for a minor lifting and is only for patients with mild sagging. 

Lollipop incision


The surgeon makes an incision around the areola and vertically on the lower breast extending from the base of the areola to the breast crease. 

Anchor incision


The surgeon makes an incision around the areola, vertically on the breast to the breast crease, and a horizontal incision at the base of each breast, following the direction of the breast fold. 

After making the incisions, your surgeon will remove and reshape, skin, fat, and tissue, then tighten the underlying breast tissues. If needed, they can resize and reposition the nipple/areola complex. Finally, the surgeon closes the incisions with sutures and wraps the breasts in bandaging.

Recovery After Breast Lift Surgery

Patients typically return home on the day of their breast lift procedure. We will teach you how to care for your incisions and drains (if necessary). You’ll return to visit with us several times during the recovery process. 

We encourage patients to start moving around within 48 hours of surgery, including gentle walks and other light activities. Avoid heavy lifting or putting pressure or strain on the chest. Most patients can resume regular daily activities within a few weeks. Wait to resume exercise until cleared by your surgeon, usually within six to eight weeks after surgery.

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Am I a Good Candidate for a Sarasota Breast Lift?

We encourage women experiencing unwanted breast sagging to explore breast lift surgery with a plastic surgeon. Learning more about this procedure can help you determine if you’re a good candidate for surgery. 

Our breast lift patients are typically women in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, or beyond that are experiencing breast sagging, often because of aging, pregnancy, or weight changes. Good candidates for surgery should not smoke and should be in good overall health. 

To ensure that surgery is a safe and effective option for each patient, we perform detailed and comprehensive consultations. Your surgeon can help you decide if you’re a good candidate for surgery. 

Breast Lift With Augmentation: When Do You Need Both?

Breast lift surgery reshapes the breasts, keeping them at a similar size and volume. Breast augmentation places an implant into the breast to increase size, but it does not address sagging or skin laxity. Women looking for size and shape changes may benefit from a breast lift and augmentation combination. If your sagging breasts are also asymmetrical or smaller than you’d like, combination treatment may yield the best results. 

Schedule a Breast Lift Consultation at Sarasota Plastic Surgery

Turn back the clock on your sagging breasts with a Sarasota breast lift. If you’re interested in learning more about breast surgery at the longest established group of board-certified plastic surgery practices in the area, contact Sarasota Plastic Surgery Center for a consultation.

FAQs About Breast Lift in Florida

Some scarring is normal after breast lift surgery. A surgeon must make incisions to trim away excess skin, which will inevitably leave scars. Our surgeons use scar minimization techniques and carefully place incisions to minimize their visibility. At first, scars will be more prominent, but over the first year after surgery, they will fade significantly. Most patients find the improvement in their breast shape offsets the appearance of any scars that occur. 

Some scarring is normal after breast lift surgery. A surgeon must make incisions to trim away excess skin, which will inevitably leave scars. Our surgeons use scar minimization techniques and carefully place incisions to minimize their visibility. At first, scars will be more prominent, but over the first year after surgery, they will fade significantly. Most patients find the improvement in their breast shape offsets the appearance of any scars that occur. 

Some scarring is normal after breast lift surgery. A surgeon must make incisions to trim away excess skin, which will inevitably leave scars. Our surgeons use scar minimization techniques and carefully place incisions to minimize their visibility. At first, scars will be more prominent, but over the first year after surgery, they will fade significantly. Most patients find the improvement in their breast shape offsets the appearance of any scars that occur. 

We customize each surgery and cannot provide a quote without first meeting with you. Each patient will receive detailed cost, financing, and payment information during their consultation with us.

A typical breast lift procedure takes between two and three hours.

Some discomfort is typical after a surgical procedure, but our team focuses on helping patients recover comfortably. Pain medications, including prescription and over-the-counter options, can reduce discomfort during the healing process. Let us know if you’re experiencing pain, so we can help you find solutions for your discomfort.

Surgeons often reposition and resize the nipples and areolas during breast lift surgery to make the nipples look more proportionate to the reshaped breast. Often, the areola stretches along with the breast size. Removing a small portion of this stretched-out skin can improve the aesthetic results of breast lift surgery for many women.

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