There is no universal age or benchmark for when women can consider undergoing breast lift. Some women feel they need breast lift at 30, and others never do. What matters is knowing when the right time is for YOU. If you are questioning whether a breast lift might be appropriate, Dr. Anna Wooten, trusted breast lift surgeon in Pittsburgh, encourages you to ask yourself some important questions. If you answer “yes” to these questions, you should consider scheduling an informational consultation with the doctor.
Do My Nipples Sit below the Breast Crease?
The position of your nipples/areolas will give you a good idea of whether it is time to consider a breast lift. If your nipple-areolar complex falls below the breast crease (where the bottom of your breast meets your torso), this means that you have a significant degree of ptosis, or sagging, that only breast lift can correct.
A good way to assess this is to lift your breast and place a pencil horizontally in the fold underneath the breast. Let the breast settle into its natural position, and then look at your breast in the mirror. Do the nipple and majority of the breast tissue sag beneath the pencil? If so, you are likely a candidate for breast lift. If the nipple and the majority of the breast tissue are at or above the level of the pencil, you probably do not need a breast lift.
Is My Breast Skin Very Loose?
The breast skin can lose its firm, elastic quality after pregnancy and nursing and require surgical correction. It may have stretched to accommodate the enlarged breast tissue during pregnancy and nursing and failed to retract after weaning the baby. Women that lose a good deal of weight may also find that their breast skin hasn’t tightened around their smaller breasts.
Do My Nipples Point Downward?
The skin at the base of the breast can stretch out and start to sag; as this happens, the weight of the breast tissue can pull the nipples downward so they point toward the floor. A breast lift repositions the nipples so they face forward and look more youthful.
What Breast Lift Entails
Dr. Wooten offers traditional breast lift surgery, during which she removes excess skin, repositions the breast tissue higher on the chest wall, and relocates the nipples on the breast mound.
In addition to the traditional approach to breast lift, Dr. Wooten also offers the Brazilian Breast Lift procedure, which blends breast lift techniques with fat transfer. The result is perkier breasts with greater upper pole fullness (i.e., fullness in the upper portion of the breast). Dr. Wooten is one of the only plastic surgeons in the Pittsburgh area to perform Brazilian Breast Lift; she studied it for many months in Brazil with the plastic surgeon that invented the technique (Dr. Ruth Graf).
To schedule a consultation to discuss traditional breast lift or Brazilian Breast Lift with Dr. Wooten, please call (724) 759-7777 today.