Losing weight and regaining your slim, fit physique is one of the most empowering things you can do. However, many women are dismayed when they lose weight only to find that weight loss has also affected their breasts. Paired with their new, feminine silhouette, many women find the sagging, empty-looking breasts make them more self-conscious than before.
Weight Loss and Breast Size
Having a healthy body is important, as is maintaining an ideal BMI. However, when we lose weight we can also lose breast tissue. Breast tissue is made up of large amounts of fat, so it stands to reason that fat burning activities affect our breasts. After weight loss – especially significant weight loss – women can find their breasts are smaller, sagging, and have a lot of excess skin. This is because, unlike fat and muscle, skin does not always tighten as well.
Weight Loss and Breast Sagging
Sagging breasts – also known as breast ptosis – means that the skin of the breasts has lost laxity. Gravity and the weight of breast tissue exacerbates this issue, causing breasts to droop and nipples point down. This leaves women feeling uncomfortable and embarrassed by their appearance, even after working hard to lose excess weight. However, cosmetic surgery can help restore the look of your breasts.
Breast Lift Procedures Post-Weight Loss
There are cosmetic surgery options for breasts affected by weight loss. The first of these is breast lift. Also known as Mastopexy, breast lift surgery helps reshape and lift your breasts back to their natural position on the chest wall. In the case of women with lax skin but breasts still have significant natural breast tissue, a breast lift might be all you need. Breast lift surgery helps elevate the breasts and nipples, while removing excess skin. But sometimes a breast lift alone is not enough to combat the loss of breast tissue and skin laxity.
Breast Lift with Implants After Weight Loss
When breast tissue has been decreased by age and weight loss, a breast lift alone may not restore the natural look of your breasts. Your surgeon may recommend you have a combined procedure, known as mastopexy-augmentation or a breast lift with implants. While this is a more complex procedure, requiring a specialist breast surgeon, mastopexy-augmentation can lift the breasts while also returning lost size and cleavage. Regardless of your surgical choice – or the advice of your surgeon – you will most likely need Nipple Surgery as well to correct the position of the nipples.
How Do I Know if I Need a Breast Lift or a Breast Lift with Implants?
The best way to decide on the right procedure for you is to have a consultation with an experienced breast surgeon like Dr. Robert Drielsma. Your surgeon will be able to assess the condition of your breasts and make the best recommendations to get much your natural look needs. This involves examining breast tissue, nipple location and skin health. The amount of skin and elasticity has an impact on the best type of surgery for you, as will the level of breast ptosis.
How to Test at Home For Breast Lift Surgery
If you would like to get some idea of what surgery might be the best for you, prior to your consultation, you can perform some small tests at home. If you stand and raise your arms above your head, you can study the movement of your breasts. When you raise your arms, watch to see the location of your nipples. If they are elevated to a position on the breast that looks natural and your breasts rise to look like they did before they began to sag, then it is possible that you may only need a breast lift or only breast implants, not combined surgery.
Another way to assess your level of breast ptosis at home uses a pencil or piece of paper. This helps you assess where your nipple sits and if it is below the breast crease. Slide a pencil or plain sheet of paper underneath your breast when not wearing a bra. The pencil or paper should sit against the breast crease. Look at your breasts in the mirror. Are the nipples below the top edge of the paper or below the pencil? When you raise your arms, does the pencil or paper fall loose easily? If this is the case, a breast lift is likely your best option for surgery, rather than augmentation alone.
Discuss Your Breast Lift Options With a Qualified Surgeon
However, surgical options are best determined by proper examination. This involves checking the breast tissue, skin and how you would like your breasts to look. It is important to discuss your options with a surgeon who is highly experienced in restoring natural looking breasts after weight loss. Don’t have your mind set on one procedure. It is best to work with your surgeon for the best results that match your wishes!
If you would like to find out more about Breast Lift after Weight Loss, contact us today to book a consultation with Dr. Robert Drielsma!