Sagging breasts can affect women at any age, but you’re more likely to face the problem as you get older. Unfortunately, sagging breasts are inevitable for many women, especially if you have large breasts, but that doesn’t mean you have to live with this embarrassing problem.
Rafael C. Cabrera, MD, FACS, at Plastic Surgery Specialists of Boca Raton specializes in performing breast lifts that eliminate droopy breasts and restore a youthful breast profile. Here, we explain why your breasts sag and describe your treatment options.
Your skin loses strength and elasticity as you get older. Unfortunately, this is a process you can’t control because your skin naturally produces less collagen and elastin over the years. The loss of these proteins leads to weak, sagging skin all over your body, especially in your breasts.
The skin surrounding your breasts serves as a supportive structure that holds them in their normal position. As aging weakens your skin, gravity combined with the weight of your breasts pulls the skin down and your breasts droop. While most people simply call them sagging breasts, the medical name is breast ptosis.
In addition to aging, many changes that occur throughout your lifetime contribute to breast sagging. You’re more likely to end up with breast ptosis if you have any of the following:
Smoking cigarettes may accelerate the process. The chemicals in cigarettes trigger the destruction of collagen and elastin.
During your first appointment, we talk about how you want to change your breasts and learn if you’re unhappy with the size or shape of your breasts in addition to the sagging.
We also evaluate the extent of your breast ptosis. The severity of sagging is based on the nipple position and the amount of tissue that falls below the crease underneath your breasts.
Based on your goals and the extent of the sagging, we recommend the best procedure for transforming your breasts and achieving the appearance you desire. For most women, that means choosing one of the following:
A breast lift (mastopexy) specifically targets sagging breasts. During a breast lift, we remove excess skin and tissue and reshape the remaining skin to lift your breasts. In addition to eliminating sagging, the procedure tightens your skin, restoring support for your new breast contour.
We also reduce the size of the areola if needed and reposition the nipple and areola, placing them above the crease.
Breast lift surgery does not significantly change the overall size of your breasts or add fullness to the upper part of your breasts. If you want a new size or shape, we can combine a breast lift with reduction or augmentation surgery.
If you want to add fullness to your upper breasts, we can insert a saline or silicone implant or perform a fat transfer at the same time as your breast lift. During a fat transfer, we perform liposuction to take excess fat from another area of your body. Then we purify the fat and artistically inject it into your breasts.
Scheduling a consultation is the best way to learn about your options for lifting your breasts. If you have any questions or want to schedule an appointment, call Plastic Surgery Associates of Boca Raton at 561-203-0377 today.
