Breast Lift

Breast lift surgery, also known as breast mastopexy, is an operation which lifts and reshapes the breasts using various techniques to rejuvenate the look of low-hanging, ‘empty’ or saggy breasts. Lifting the breasts also lifts self-confidence.

A surgical breast uplift (or breast mastopexy), is often combined with a restoration of volume with implants or fat grafting (lipofilling) to provide an immediate solution to restoring youthful, firmer breasts.

You are a good candidate for breast uplift (breast mastopexy) surgery if:

• You have low-hanging ‘saggy’ breasts and would like lifted, firmer breasts
• You are in good overall physical health and you do not have any illnesses or diseases (e.g. diabetes and obesity may delay healing)
• You are in good overall mental health and you are fit to make good decisions regarding surgery
• You acknowledge the risks and side effects that might happen after the procedure, e.g. slow healing and scars that take time to settle
• You have logical and reasonable expectations for the results of the surgery
• You are happy to follow all post-surgical instructions provided by your surgeon
• You do not smoke

Breast lift surgery or mastopexy is performed under general anaesthesia as a day case procedure. At the Cadogan Clinic, we use TIVA (Total IntraVenous Anaesthesia), so you wake up quickly and do not feel sick. You are ready to go home. Pain is minimal, but you will be given simple analgesia as a stand-by.

There are various methods of breast uplift, but essentially the breast tissue is repositioned higher as a firm mound, the nipples put at the appropriate level with matching areolas and excess skin removed.

This will always necessitate a scar around the areola, the darker skin around the nipple. This may be adequate for a small breast lift, but usually more skin has to be removed leaving a vertical scar below the nipple and frequently another horizontal one in the fold beneath the breast. These scars are on the underside of the breast and therefore less obvious. Inevitably they will be red, to begin with, but with The Cadogan Clinic, scar treatment will eventually become inconspicuous.

The specific mastopexy used by your surgeon will depend on the size and shape of your breasts, skin elasticity, the size of your areolas, and the expected extent of the lift. Immediately before surgery, your surgeon will mark the breast lift on the skin in a standing position, establishing the position of the nipple on the lifted breast.

Yes. There are several options.

 A breast lift without implants (mastopexy) will give you a natural and more youthful breast shape by raising the position of the nipple and removing excess skin. This procedure elevates your nipple-areolar complex and reforms the natural breast tissues restoring your breasts to their youthful perky position. A mastopexy provides an opportunity to improve shape and symmetry. The correction of droopiness is a considerable confidence boost.

Most women, who want to regain their youthful appearance and correct the effects of ageing and pregnancy, prefer this procedure. The breasts will look smaller but that is just an illusion as only a small amount of skin tissue is removed. A mastopexy results in minimal changes in breast volume.

Lipofilling or fat grafting to the breast will lift the breasts in a similar way to using implants but has the added advantage that the shape can be adjusted by the placement of the fat. This is particularly good for filling the upper breast recreating that fullness of youth and defined cleavage.

The volume of the breast is not reduced significantly in a breast uplift surgery (mastopexy) procedure, so it’s more a case of re-shaping the volume you already have. Breast lift without implants generally results in minimal changes in breast size and volume because only a small amount of skin tissue is removed.

The usual outcome of the mastopexy procedure is a perky and curved breast with improved symmetry that will give you a youthful appearance. If the uplift is combined with a breast augmentation, then the cup size will obviously increase in proportion to the size of the implant; your surgeon will guide you in this regard.

Breast uplift surgery with implants results in a significant increase in breast size and volume. This gives you a better cleavage as compared to mastopexy alone. Mastopexy is the best option for you if you are craving for perky round breasts.

Different techniques may be required for different patients. This is often due to the age of the patient, the size of the breast, the amount of breast tissue to be removed and also depending on the end result the patient is looking for.

There are four main types of breast lift surgery technique:

Crescent Lift – involves a crescent of skin removed at the top of the nipple to improve nipple position. This is the least invasive breast lift.

Benelli Lift – Otherwise known as a Circumareolar Lift. This is best used for slight nipple asymmetry or a mild lift. A doughnut-shaped incision is made around the areola to remove tissue and the skin is then ‘purse-stringed’ to tighten the breast skin. It is less invasive than full mastopexy. A flattening effect on the breasts may occur.

Lollipop Lift – Or Vertical Scar Mastopexy. A lollipop-shaped incision is made from the crease of the breast vertically and surrounds the nipple. This is a very effective lift for many women with low hanging breasts.

Anchor Lift – For significant breast droop. This is when the incision is made similar to the lollipop, but also travels along the breast crease, forming an anchor shape. This is the most invasive breast lift procedure, but very effective for women with a long inframammary fold (distance from breast crease to nipple).

It is true that no woman has perfectly symmetrical breasts. However, there is a point where the difference in size and shape becomes, first noticeable to the patient, and then to others, causing distress. The asymmetry may also involve the chest wall (pectus excavatum and pectus carinatum).

The exact procedure will need to be customized to the patient and may involve augmentation, reduction and very likely an uplift or mastopexy on one or both sides.

The patient is quite likely to have a preference for one breast over the other and want to match the other one to it.  A common abnormality is the tubular breast or conical breast where there are varying degrees of large nipple mound and constricted base to the breast.

Surgery offers a good solution to the problem of uneven breasts and understanding surgeons at the Cadogan Clinic will need to discuss your precise requirements.

There is no durable way to lift and reshape sagging breasts without some type of surgical intervention. There are certain lasers, radiofrequency and ultrasound machines that can tighten the skin, however, if you require a significant lift this will not be sufficient. However, there are some natural methods you may attempt prior to seeking surgery if that is your desire. Keep in mind that for 99% of cases, surgical intervention is the only way to see viable results.

Here are some natural suggestions sometimes advised.

Firstly, exercise or working out is the first way. Pectoral muscles can be trained and toned to have a natural lift. Examples of the exercises include pushups, weighted chest presses, weighted chest fly’s, and the elbow squeeze.

Secondly, diet also could help in lifting the breast. Avoid excessive fatty proteins food like red meat and fried foods. You have to focus on vitamins, minerals and calcium by eating cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cabbage.

Thirdly, do some massage to your breast as massage supplies your exercise program. With massage, you can use specific kinds of oils that help in preventing wrinkled skin and stimulate blood flow.

Fourthly, sleeping on the back is very beneficial to not cause sagging breast.

Fifthly, swimming for half an hour in the pool on a daily basis can greatly tighten up the muscles of the breast so this will cause great results to your breasts.

Finally and most importantly stop smoking is a very important way to have lift breast as smoking is one of the main reasons behind sagging breast. 

There is no durable way to lift and reshape sagging breasts without some type of surgical intervention. There are certain lasers that can tighten the skin, however, if you require a significant lift this will not be sufficient.

Breasts sag after weight loss because the ligaments that support the breast and the breast skin only have a limited ability to retract as the fatty element of the breast lose volume.

The skin envelope is relatively larger and the internal ligaments are overstretched by this point.

This effect can be compounded by genetic variance in skin elasticity and natural collagen levels. Patients, who naturally have large breasts, will also always suffer more than those with a flat chest since there is a greater weight and more to sag. Pregnancy can have the same effect.

The solution is to remove the sagging skin by breast lift (mastopexy) or increase the volume via a breast augmentation or natural breast augmentation, or a combination of the two.

It is usually recommended that patients should be 18 years old before undergoing cosmetic breast surgery. The argument is that the breasts may still be developing and, if surgery is too early, this development may continue requiring more surgery later. It is also felt that psychologically development is also incomplete.

However, there are good reasons why early surgery might be sensible. The breasts may be deformed, unequal in size and or very large, all causing psychological harm, which could be averted by surgery. The common deformity is tubular or conical breasts. On these occasions, the surgeon is likely to ask for confirmation from the parent, GP, and psychologist.

We use a variant of the general anaesthesia technique called TIVA (Total Intravenous Anaesthesia) that is delivered by our team of top anaesthetists. Intravenous delivery enables our anaesthetist team to monitor anaesthetic depth more closely via specialised computers to maintain an optimal level of anaesthesia. This means you will wake up feeling much better than with traditional alternatives and ready to go home shortly after.

“How long does a breast lift last?” is one of the most common questions a woman asks when she plans a breast lift. Well, it is possible to obtain long-lasting results from a breast lift. However, the truth is there is no single answer. Once a lift is performed your breasts will have a better shape, lifted and fuller, but your breasts are constantly ageing along with the rest of your body.   It takes time for the breasts to sag again and be reassured that most patients find that the one lift or mastopexy is adequate.

A true answer would be that it depends on the age, pregnancy, health, skin tone, weight of breasts, body weight and lifestyle of the woman.

You should not forget that the technique employed in the mastopexy is all important in determining not only the shape , but also the longevity of the result.

You will need to wear a garment day and night for at least three weeks after breast reduction surgery, and may be for as long as 6 - 8 weeks.

Whilst different surgeons will operate according to slightly different protocols following breast reduction surgery, you will need to wear a garment for at least 3 weeks after your breast reduction surgery.

This might be a specialised lycra compression garment made specifically for those who have recently undergone breast reduction surgery, or simply a sports bra depending on your surgeons preference.

Either way, the compression garment is worn to support the breasts and protect the wounds. It is particularly necessary for when you are undertaking more vigorous activity and exercise.

Following traditional techniques, you should expect a small degree of scarring. There are of course different techniques for a breast uplift procedure and the scars created will depend on the technique employed as well as the patient, lifestyle and the level of ptosis (droop) of the breasts to begin with. Most commonly you should expect scarring around the nipple, across the natural fold underneath the breast and a vertical scar linking the nipple scar to the breast fold scar.

A breast lift (mastopexy), like any surgery, requires a skin incision and will leave a scar. Scarring fades nicely with time, but the final outcome is not something any surgeon can promise. A patient's propensity for good healing is genetic as well as technique dependent. In addition, scars near the middle of the chest have a greater tendency to keloid and those to the outer side of the chest may stretch. This is why we try to keep cars short and towards the middle of the breast.

But there are some ways that can minimize scars. Our surgeons advise patients to apply silicone gel or sheeting to the young scars until they are mature. This period can be 3 months or up to a year.

At Cadogan Clinic we offer the Cadogan Clinic Scar Program that will ensure your scars heal nicely. Feel free to contact us for a consultation to go over the scar after-care program with one of our doctors. We use a variety of treatments including specialized lasers.

Our expertise means that we see patients from elsewhere who have problems of shape and size in addition to poor scars and these patients may need surgery.

It is recommended that you take 2 to 3 weeks off from work however if you have a sedentary job one week is adequate. If you have an active hobby or leisure interest, please seek advice from your surgeon as to when you will be able to return to it following surgery.

If possible, avoid flying for the first six weeks. Do not sit out in strong sun for the first 2 weeks after surgery. 

Theoretically, you should be able to breastfeed so long as the milk ducts (channels from the gland to the nipple) are not cut during surgery.

In breast augmentation, the implant is placed behind the breast tissue. When incisions are made under the breast or in the armpit, the gland and ducts are not disturbed. A cosmetic incision around the areola extends directly through the breast and although a few ducts may be cut this does not matter in practice and most ducts remain intact.

With a breast lift or mastopexy, the gland and ducts are not disturbed.

In a breast reduction, part of the gland is removed, but it is already too large and theoretically, this should not matter as long as ducts still connect and drain the remaining breast. Older techniques would have cut many ducts, but newer techniques leave many ducts intact. This is a point to discuss carefully with your surgeon.

A point to remember is that many patients, particularly those with very large breasts are unable to breastfeed anyway and it is difficult to know after surgery whether you might be one of these and the inability to breastfeed is nothing to do with surgery.

Grafted fat is mostly placed around the edge of the glandular tissue and would not affect feeding. When fat is placed into glandular tissue, there may be pressure on the gland and ducts, but one would not expect this to be a long term issue. You will not be pregnant at the time of surgery and there will be plenty of time to settle in.

Occasionally patients with extremely large breasts are treated with a method which involves temporarily removing the nipple and areola completely, thus dividing all the ducts for certain. At the end of the procedure, the nipple is grafted back. All patients are told that they will never breastfeed. However, there are occasionally cases where patients were able to breastfeed after this.

Remember, there are a number of factors you should consider when determining which procedure is right for you. Each type of breast surgery will give you a different end look and may come with different concerns. It is important for you to keep that in mind when weighing other factors such as breastfeeding in the future.

Be open and honest about your plans, goals, and concerns with your surgeon during your consultation and rest assured that you’re in the best of care at the Cadogan Clinic.

We recommend that you do not sleep on your stomach immediately following surgery, perhaps for as many as two weeks.

Instead, we recommend you sleep slightly elevated on your back in order to reduce swelling.

You may find it useful to keep a pillow against one or both of your sides to tuck you into place. The pillows will help keep you from rolling in your sleep and unintentionally causing yourself more discomfort.

After a breast lift surgery procedure, the breasts will be supported in the bra; they will be swollen, firm and lumpy in the first few postoperative weeks. The breasts start to soften after around 6 weeks, and by 3 months the swelling should have gone down, leaving you with your new shape.

Massage/moisturize – Treat the whole breast, including scar. Use the palm of your hand in a gentle circular motion, using a moisturising cream for dry skin, e.g. E45. This helps to soften your skin, adjacent tissue, and adjust to its new contour. Experience how your breasts feel before letting anyone else touch them.

After the first 2 weeks, start returning to your normal activities of living. Be sensitive to your body and try not to do too much too soon. Therefore, if you experience any pain, stop and try again another day. You can drive and start lifting light objects if you feel comfortable. Gym activities, aerobics or sports that involve using your arms should be avoided for 6 weeks. You may start lower leg exercise after 4 weeks. You can start lifting your elbows above your shoulders, washing your hair, getting the washing off the line, etc.

This is completely normal and your surgeon will be able to assess how best to correct these variances during your procedure.

The nipple may be numb or hypersensitive immediately after the operation and it may then take some time (commonly up to a year) to fully recover and regain full sensation.

There is not an easy answer. Opinions vary.

Traditionally patients were asked to massage the breasts after augmentation in order to stretch the pocket the implant lies in and thereby reduce the risk of the formation of a tight capsule deforming the shape. It might have helped.

Nowadays the surgical pockets are made to exact size and capsules, although still a problem, are less common. The usual advice is now to support the breasts in the correct position with a sports bra or medical equivalent for weeks or months.

Massage has never had a place in other types of breast surgery such as breast reduction, breast lift or mastopexy or breast reconstruction.

Again massaging scars has been almost universal as a means of helping them mature. There was nothing else to do.

Scar management at The Cadogan Clinic is now important with several levels of treatment. Sometimes massage is part of this. This applies to all scars and all types of breast surgery.

You can view breast lift before and after images in our Breast Lift Before and After Gallery on this page.

At your consultation, your consultant will also share more extensive examples of breast lift before and after results they have achieved.

We feel strongly that you can best understand what might be possible for you and your breast area by reviewing the results of previous breast uplift procedures

Saggy breasts are caused by the onset of age, childbirth and extreme changes in weight. With time youthful, perky breasts typically give way to saggier breasts.

The best solution for saggy breasts, and the restoration of more youthful perkier breasts, is via a breast mastopexy or breast uplift procedure.

Your saggy breasts are restored into more youthful, perky breasts over the cause of the procedure, with excess tissue excised and the breast mound repositioned.

The ageing process does continue beyond this, but you can expect your previously saggy breasts to remain youthful, perky breasts for a long time after surgery.

A breast mastopexy or breast uplift procedure is the most effective means for getting firmer breasts, often in combination with breast implant surgery.

Your surgeon will advise you on how to get firmer breasts and the best options available to you.

It is not possible to perform a breast lift without surgery. The scale of the procedure requires surgical intervention to ensure meaningful results are delivered.

Non surgical breast lift options such as push up bras and massage will not deliver the same results as their surgical alternatives.

Any promise to deliver a meaningful breast lift without surgery or lift your breasts naturally should be treated with extreme caution and care.

Before you decide to go ahead with your breast lift (mastopexy), it is important that you choose a surgeon who is experienced and qualified to carry out this particular type of surgery. A good surgeon should be able to explain the procedure in great depth, as well as the recovery period and any potential risks or complications. They will also be honest about potential outcomes and help you to manage your expectations.

A good surgeon will explain the difference between breast lift surgery and breast augmentation to ensure the procedure to be performed is the one which will best help you to achieve your goal.

You should check that the surgeon is a specialist in breast lift surgery. When you have your initial consultation, make sure the surgeon has an extensive portfolio of breast lift before and after photographs that they can share with you so you can get a good idea of how the results of your surgery will look. Be sure to check out testimonials from previous patients.

A good breast lift surgeon will strive for the most natural-looking results possible and will always put the patient’s mental and physical wellbeing ahead of everything else. If you are not physically and psychologically fit and healthy, an ethical surgeon will not attempt to perform the procedure.

Only registered doctors can perform cosmetic surgery in England. You can check if a surgeon is a registered doctor or surgeon on the General Medical Council (GMC) online register.

Some surgeons may be members of professional associations, such as the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) or the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS). However there are some qualified surgeons who are experts in their field but choose not to sign up to a trade body for their own reasons.