How long does a breast lift last?
A mastopexy, more commonly known as breast lift, is a highly sought-after procedure for those wanting to achieve a more youthful, pert and aesthetically pleasing decollete. Breast lifts often help women regain confidence in their figures by restoring their feminine proportions and helping them feel more comfortable in their bodies and clothes.
One concern remains still unsettled for the majority of women who chose this plastic surgery procedure: how long does a breast lift last? From my experience as an aesthetic surgeon, a breast lift is permanent, but there are a number of factors that can influence the longevity of breast lift surgery such as age, genetics, health and dietary habits, but also breast size and weight and finally surgical factors.
In this article, Rozina will walk you through the main factors that can influence your breast lift longevity and we will offer some tips on the best practices for the maintenance of breast lift surgery.
Skin type
Skin elasticity has a lot to do with your genetics, much of this is determined by genetics and hormonal status (pre, peri, post menopausal) The single most important factor you can personally contribute to helping improve skin elasticity is to avoid exposure to the sun. Overexposure can cause the skin's texture to change and lose elasticity causing ‚leathery’ old looking skin with sunspots, wrinkles and poor elasticity. Natural supplements like vitamin C and E have been shown to help promote and improve skin elasticity.
Eating a healthy diet (heavy on the veggies, light on the meat and dairy), quitting smoking, and exercising regularly can improve the results. There are also some interesting lymphatic drainage massages and skin tightening treatments that could have a positive impact, but nothing has been proven with these alternative treatment methods.
BEFORE
AFTER
Support
Whether or not you are a fan of the bra, the fact of the matter is they will help extend the life of any breast lift procedure. Wearing ill-fitting bras or foregoing them all together can cause your breasts to sag faster and further. This is especially true when you engage in sustained physical activity as the increased impact and movement constantly pulls on your breasts ligaments - the support a well fitted supportive bra provides will likely extend your results.
Do your breasts a favour and invest in the right bra to support and preserve your breast lift post-surgery results.
Pregnancy and weight
Rapid weight gain and loss is never a good thing for any cosmetic surgical procedure and can have negative effects on breast lift results. Weight should be carefully controlled and maintained in order to achieve the best and longest-lasting results. Seek a breast lift only after you have reached and sustained your target weight, then sustain that weight by continuing to follow a healthy lifestyle.
Regarding pregnancy, the breast tissue goes through many changes during breastfeeding, so I encourage individuals to seek these types of surgeries to have full and frank discussions with their surgeons about their priorities and accept the consequences of any additional children and discuss the effect of breastfeeding.
Surgical technique
The surgical method used in your procedure could be one of the most important factors for getting long-last results. There are a few different surgical techniques - some that only move the skin of the breast (which causes the breasts to sag sooner) and others that actually move and reshape the breast tissues.
Your plastic surgeon will have to discuss every detail of the procedure beforehand so you feel comfortable and know exactly what’s going on.
Consequently, the answer to the longevity of a breast lift is: ”it depends on your breasts:- how far up the nipple-areola complex needs to be moved and the weight of your breast tissues. And the surgical technique used re breast shape, size reduction and Nipple areola movement. The effects of surgery are of course permanent BUT life does not stand still and as your weight and hormones change, so too will your breasts. Gravity sadly always exerts its effects downwards and although it is a mild force it is consistent and ongoing.
Every person is different as are their results but following the tips above can assist in extending the longevity and integrity of your breast lift preserving your rejuvenated look.