Breast Lift

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Breast Lift

Breast lift has increased 65% over the past 10 years, and 87,386 of these procedures were performed in the USA last year (2000-2009 American Society of Plastic Surgeons statistics). It can be performed by itself or in conjunction with breast augmentation. The implant in this case provides more fullness in the upper portion of the breast.

In general there are three types of breast augmentation: Binelli lift, Lollipop lift, and Full lift.

Binelli Lift

This lift is used for women with droopy breasts where the lower pole of the breast is not stretched out. Their lower pole skin is tight, relatively speaking, and these patients have predominately drooping nipple/areolas or excessively large areolas. The areolas are trimmed to the correct diameter and moved up to their new position. A permanent purse string stitch is placed so that the areola will stretch less over time. There is only a scar around the areola. This lift is generally performed with the use of an implant. Without an implant, this lift can make the breast look flat in appearance. Photos of this type of lift can be seen in the Augmentation/Lift section. They are the ones that have a scar around the areola only.

Lollipop lift

This lift is used for women with breasts that have become droopy at the nipple areola area as well as in the area of the lower pole. This lift shapes the breast more into a more conical ideal breast shape. The scar is around the areola and down towards the inframammary fold, but not along the inframammary fold.

(photos)

Full Lift

This lift is for women with breasts that are droopy in the area of the nipple/areola as well as the lower pole. This group has so much excess skin in the area of the lower pole that they need to have skin removed in the area of the inframammary fold as well. Often, Dr. Gray uses a Vertical Technique of this lift where some breast tissue can be moved upward to give some upper breast fullness, and the scars are made shorter.