What is a Breast Lift?

A breast lift can rejuvenate your figure with a breast profile that is more youthful and uplifted. Also known as mastopexy, a breast lift helps restore the shape of sagging or drooping breasts. We do this by first evaluating the shape of your breasts and listening to what you would like to accomplish. We may propose raising the nipple position, removing excess skin and / or tightening the surrounding tissue to reshape and support a new full and lifted breast contour.  Past patients who have wanted their breasts elevated to a more youthful position have found this type of enhancement has worked particularly well. 

Your breasts often change over time, losing their youthful shape and firmness for any number of reasons, including

• Pregnancy

• Breastfeeding

• Weight fluctuations

• Aging

• Gravity

• Heredity

Our breasts come in a variety of shapes and sizes, each creating different options for approaching the procedure. Dr. Ridgway works closely with patients to determine where to best place the incisions required, based on your anatomy and your goals. In some cases, patients may have their areola reduced in size and lifted to a higher position. For some of our clients, this may also be the best time to consider a breast augmentation to also increase volume. 

Based upon the plan we develop together to help you meet your goals, we may find it’s best to combine a breast lift with other procedures to sculpt the proportional shape you want.

Is Breast Lift Surgery right for me?

Like any cosmetic surgery, the decision to have a breast lift highly individualized and something we encourage you do for yourself, not to fulfill someone else's desires or to try to fit any sort of ideal image. A breast lift is a good option for you if:

• You are physically healthy and maintain a stable weight

• You do not smoke

• You are bothered by the feeling that your breasts sag or have lost shape and volume

• Your breasts have a flatter, elongated shape or are pendulous

• When unsupported, your nipples fall below the breast crease

• Your nipples and areolas point downward

• You have stretched skin and enlarged areolas

• One breast is lower than the other

Addressing Inverted Nipples?

Some of our clients come to us with inverted, or flat or concave, nipples, perhaps making their breasts look asymmetrical or affecting their overall. Along with a breast lift, nipple inversion surgery can normalize the appearance of the nipple. 

Women born with inverted nipples have milk ducts that are too short for the nipple to protrude. This may affect either one or both nipples, and may have always been present or appear later in life as a result of trauma to the breast or breastfeeding.  In some cases, nipple inversion could be a sign of breast cancer - something we could discuss and evaluate during consultation.  Nipple inversion surgery can normalize nipple appearance   Women who are planning on having children and breastfeeding are encouraged to wait until after they are finished before having inverted nipple repair.