Breast Lift Surgery by Dallas Double Board-Certified Surgeon Dr. Farris
Over time, you’ll begin to experience certain changes in the appearance of your breasts. Factors such as aging, pregnancy, breastfeeding, and gravity often lead to sagging and droopy breasts. If you’ve begun to notice these changes, you’re not alone. Most women eventually find that their breasts start sagging. If you’d like to correct sagging and restore a perkier, more youthful breast appearance, a breast lift may be right for you.
Dr. Zachary Farris is a double board certified plastic surgeon with more than 15 years of experience performing breast surgery. He will customize your breast lift procedure to address your unique needs and goals, ensuring beautiful, natural-looking results. You can learn about your breast lift options and receive individualized treatment recommendations by speaking with Dr. Farris in a private consultation. Please call 214-363-1073 today to schedule a consultation. We serve patients in the Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas metro area.
What is a Breast Lift?
A breast lift is a surgical procedure performed to reposition the breasts into a more youthful appearance. It is the most effective way to address sagging issues. As part of the aging process, the nipple will often move downward and the upper surface of the breast will lose fullness. A breast lift will reshape the breast mound and reposition the nipple to a higher position in order to correct these changes. A traditional breast lift does not rely on implants, though a breast lift can be combined with a breast augmentation for enhanced results.
This procedure can have a dramatic impact on your appearance, restoring a more balanced overall figure in addition to improving the appearance of your breast region. Many women also find that they look much better in clothing and swimsuits due to the more youthful breast profile achieved with a breast lift.
What kind of results can I expect from my breast lift?
This surgery brings your breasts back up to a higher position on the chest. This reverses the sagging that has brought more and more of the breast volume to the bottom of the breast. Lifts are very satisfying procedures for women whose breasts have become pendulous. They can downsize enlarged areolae. They can take nipples that may be pointing downward and bring them back to their natural higher position. And if you’ve opted to have Dr. Farris add implants, you’ll gain a curvier figure at the same time.
How long will the results of my breast lift last?
The sagging and excess skin removed by Dr. Farris with your breast lift are permanently gone. Of course, your body will continue to age, and your tissues will continue to weaken and sag. Still, any future sagging will start from a much better place. You’ll never again have the same degree of sagging that merited your opting to have this surgery. The only way to really negate any of your results would be to gain and lose a large amount of weight, or to become pregnant again. If you’ve opted for augmentation with your breast lift, implants have a lifespan of usually around 10-15 years, so you’ll probably need to have your implants replaced at least twice during your life (depending on your age).
Am I a Candidate for a Breast Lift?
Ideal breast lift candidates:
- Are in good overall health
- Have realistic expectations for the outcome of the procedure
- Would like to correct moderate to severe sagging issues commonly caused by aging, pregnancy and weight loss
- Have loose skin and stretch marks on their breasts following pregnancy and breastfeeding
- Have downward-pointing nipples and wish to restore a perkier nipple position
- Do not smoke or are willing to quit smoking prior to surgery and throughout the recovery period (smoking can adversely impact healing and results)
If you are planning on having more children, you may want to wait to undergo a breast lift until you are done with this phase of your life. While a breast lift won’t affect your ability to become pregnant or breastfeed in the future, you may find that future pregnancies will adversely impact your results and require a revision procedure. In general, Dr. Farris recommends that you wait a minimum of six months after you’re done breastfeeding before undergoing a breast lift.
It’s important to understand that the primary purpose of a breast lift is to correct sagging issues and restore a more youthful breast appearance. If you are unhappy with the size or shape of your breasts, you will need to address this through breast augmentation. Often, Dr. Farris will recommend breast augmentation in conjunction with a breast lift in order to address all of your goals at once.
What are the risks of breast lift surgery?
Breast lifts are major surgeries, so they include risks involved with surgery: bleeding or the formation of a hematoma, reaction to anesthesia, infection, and slow incision healing. Risks related to breast lifts include:
- Changes in nipple or breast sensation (these usually revolve within a few months)
- Irregularities in breast contour or shape
- Breast asymmetry
- Necrosis of fat tissue
- Fluid accumulation
- Possibility of the need for revision surgery
What will my scarring be like after a breast lift?
Scarring will be a part of these procedures, as the incisions are somewhat lengthy. But you’ll be surprised at how they fade with time. The anchor incision will create the most scarring, as you would assume. The best advice for managing or attempting to minimize the appearance of your scars is to leave the silicone wound dressings in place until Dr. Farris removes them at your follow-up. Also, wearing your surgical bra and then your support bra at all times during the first 4-6 weeks is critical. This eliminates any pressure on the incisions, which keeps the scars as narrow as possible. It also helps eliminate some of the redness. Topical scar-minimizing treatments keep the area moisturized and help to minimize the appearance of the scars. SkinMedica makes one such product called Scar Recovery Gel with Centelline. Lightly massaging your scars can help them heal more smoothly. But you cannot do this too early and put stress on your incisions. Ask Dr. Farris when massage could be appropriate, along with the proper technique.
If I think I may have more children, can I still have a breast lift?
Dr. Farris advises his potential breast lift patients to be pretty confident they do not want any additional children moving forward. This is because the changes he makes with your breast lift can be negated, at least to a large extent, by the breast size gain and weight gain of pregnancy and breastfeeding. This can create new sagging afterwards. The best time for this procedure is after you are finished having children.
How can I prepare for a breast lift?
Your preparations will be the same as with any surgery. Dr. Farris will have you stop taking blood thinners, anti-inflammatory medications, aspirin, and most supplements for one week prior to your surgery. If you smoke, you’ll need to stop for at least two weeks prior to and after your procedure, as smoking constricts your blood vessels and impedes healing. You’ll want to lay low for at least the first couple days after your surgery, so you’ll want to create a comfy recovery nest with lots of entertainment options at your fingertips. You will need to avoid any heavy lifting for about six weeks, so if you need to do any of that you’ll need to do so before your surgery. This is an important part of your recovery and to help minimize your scarring, so these instructions need to be heeded completely.
Your Breast Lift Procedure
Dr. Farris will customize your breast lift procedure to address your unique needs and aesthetic goals. Depending on the extent of excess skin and sagging you’re experiencing, Dr. Farris may recommend one of the following techniques:
- Periareolar “donut” incision – The incision is made around the perimeter of the areola. This option is used in cases of mild sagging.
- “Lollipop” incision – An incision is made around the perimeter of the areola, and another vertical incision extends down to the breast crease. This option is ideal for cases of moderate sagging.
- Wise pattern “anchor” incision – An incision is made around the perimeter of the areola and another vertical incision extends down to the breast crease while also extending horizontally along the breast crease. This technique provides the most amount of lifting and is ideal for cases of severe sagging.
Once the incision is made, Dr. Farris will lift and reshape the breast tissue to improve the firmness and contour of the region. Excess skin is removed and remaining skin is tightened. The nipple is then repositioned to a more youthful position.
View our breast lift before and after photos.
Is breast lift recovery painful?
These are not overly painful recoveries. You’ll probably want to use your prescription pain medication for the first two days or so. From there, pain decreases quickly, and most patients are able to switch to over-the-counter pain medication options. The surgical bra we have you wear for the first few days really helps minimize any movement of your breasts. This helps with pain, as well as protecting your incisions.
Recovery after a Breast Lift
Dr. Farris and his staff will provide specific instructions regarding your aftercare. It’s important that you follow these instructions diligently in order to promote proper healing and achieve the best possible results.
You will most likely go home the same day of your surgery. Make sure you arrange for someone to drive you home since you will still be under the lingering effects of anesthesia. You will most likely feel drowsy for the rest of the day, and you should get plenty of rest. It’s also a good idea to have someone in the house who can assist you during this first day of recovery.
Postoperative pain is limited, and Dr. Farris will prescribe medication to further minimize discomfort. A surgical bra will be worn until the first post-op visit, and a snug sports bra may be used after that. Drain care will be required if drains are used. Drains are commonly removed within a few days after surgery. Stitches are placed under the skin during surgery so there is nothing to remove in the office. An underwire bra may be used beginning at 4-6 weeks after surgery.
You should plan on taking about one week off from work after surgery. You can gradually resume light activity as you feel up to it, but you’ll need to avoid strenuous activity or heavy lifting for four weeks.
During your procedure, Dr. Farris will make every effort to minimize scarring. However, some degree of scarring will be inevitable. You may use vitamin E cream and scar products beginning three weeks after surgery to optimize healing of your scars. Scars change in appearance and improve over time for up to 12 months.
Can I combine a breast lift with other procedures?
Breast lifts can be combined with other procedures. Of course, a breast lift is already a part of Dr. Farris’s combination of procedures in a mommy makeover, which includes a tummy tuck and liposuction with the lift. Many of our patients opt to have Dr. Farris add breast implants during the breast lift. This is an easy time to do this, as he can use the same incisions he has made for the breast lift to insert the implants. Adding implants increases breast volume, which doesn’t happen with a lift alone. If you are interested in combining another procedure with your breast lift, discuss this with Dr. Farris during your consultation and he’ll advise you on what would or would not be a good complement.
Contact Double Board-Certified Breast Surgeon Dr. Farris
Please contact Farris Plastic Surgery using the form on this page or call 214-363-1073 today to schedule a breast lift consultation. We serve patients from the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas area.
