Breast Implants Vs. Breast Lift: Which is Right for Me?
Aging, weight changes, gravity, and pregnancy can affect the size, shape and perkiness of your breasts. You may also be self-conscious if you feel that your breasts are smaller than you’d like. So what should you do if you’re unhappy with your breasts? Depending on what you would like to achieve, there are several safe and effective breast surgery options. To help you decide what’s right for you, we’ll walk you through the benefits and differences of two of our Orange County plastic surgery clinic’s most popular breast procedures: breast augmentation and breast lift.
Breast Augmentation is for Volume & Size
Breast augmentation using implants creates more volume or fullness in your breasts (think of this as an increase in cup size). Breast augmentation is a great option for women who have smaller breasts than what they prefer, or who’ve lost volume due to pregnancy and breastfeeding. At our clinic, breast implants come in a wide range of shapes and sizes in order to provide you with a truly customized procedure that addresses your unique aesthetic goals and body type. When choosing a size and shape, you and your plastic surgeon will want to consider your natural foundation, chest wall shape, body form, and lifestyle.
At Dr. Ryan Moore’s plastic surgery clinic in Orange County, he offers breast augmentation with either silicone or saline breast implants. Choosing silicone or saline depends on several factors including desired results and your body type. Many people choose silicone implants because they tend to have a more realistic feel and are a great choice if you have very little natural breast tissue. However, silicone is typically more expensive, requires a larger incision, and is a more involved surgical procedure. Saline implants work well if you have ample breast tissue, as it can add volume and shape without making a significant change in the feel of the breasts. Both silicone and saline implants usually last ten to fifteen years, are FDA approved and have excellent safety records.
Breast augmentation alone will not correct for breasts that have sagged, so your plastic surgeon may suggest combining augmentation with a breast lift (more on that below).
A Breast Lift is for Sagging Breasts
Pregnancy, breast feeding, weight changes, hormonal changes, aging, and gravity can cause breasts to sag and appear elongated or droopy (this is medically referred to as breast ptosis). A breast lift, also known as a mastopexy, raises the breasts by removing excess skin and tightening the surrounding tissue to reshape and support the new breast contour. Statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons show breast lifts have grown 70% since 2000, outpacing breast implants 2-to-1.
An initial at-home test you can do to determine if you're a potential candidate for a breast lift is the pencil test. Simply place a pencil as high as you can under your breast fold. If the pencil holds, then you have signs of breast drooping. Additionally, if your nipple falls below the pencil, then you have significant ptosis, and more than likely are a great candidate for a breast lift.
During a breast lift, Dr. Ryan Moore will trim away excess skin and reshape the breasts to restore a more youthful, perky look. While raising breast tissue, a breast lift will also reposition the nipple/areola to a more proportionate position. Dr. Moore can also reposition and reshape the nipple and areola if desired.
Keep in mind that breast lift surgery does not significantly change the size of your breasts or round out the upper part of your breasts. If you want fuller breasts, you may consider a breast lift combined with breast augmentation surgery. More on that below.
Combining Breast Implants with a Breast Lift
Breast augmentation and a breast lift procedure may be performed together to help you achieve the exact breast shape, position, and size you desire. A breast augmentation combined with a breast lift is called an augmentation/mastopexy. This dual procedure can help give you perky, full breasts and repositioned nipples. During your initial consultation with Dr. Ryan Moore, he can help you determine which procedure is best for you or if you’d be a candidate for both breast augmentation and a breast lift.
Schedule a Consultation at our Orange County Clinic
In summary, breast augmentation increases the cup size of your breasts, while a breast lift raises drooping tissue without adding any size or fullness. Many patients opt for both breast augmentation and a breast lift (an augmentation/mastopexy) at the same time. Both procedures require 3-4 weeks of healing with a gradual return to activity. The recovery time is about the same if you have an augmentation/pexy.
Find out whether you’re a candidate for one or both of these breast procedures by scheduling a consultation with Dr. Ryan Moore at his office in Irvine, California. He is extensively trained in the nuances of breast surgery and uses some of the most trusted and state-of-the-art surgical techniques to safely create beautiful results that fit with each of his patients’ unique lifestyles, body types, and desires.
