Choosing the best type of cosmetic breast surgery is a major decision. When looking for breast enhancement options, you may wonder if you should go with a breast lift, an augmentation, or both. Luckily, augmentations and lifts are surgeries that can be performed simultaneously and provide different benefits, so you do not necessarily have to pick one over the other. Dr. Troy Pittman, a board-certified cosmetic breast surgeon, can explain how each procedure will affect you, and how they can complement each other.
Difference Between a Breast Lift and Augmentation
A breast lift procedure aims to reposition the breasts on the chest in order to give a lifted, less saggy appearance. This occurs by removing sagging breast skin that appears due to overall breast deflation after breastfeeding or decreased collagen production that comes with getting older. Additionally, during a breast lift (also known as a mastopexy), the breast tissue is tightened and reshaped.
Breast augmentation surgery increases breast size either with implants (silicone or saline) or fat transfer. With this surgery, a patient chooses their ideal breast shape and size from various implants available that create a specific breast appearance. Beyond increasing size, the procedure can roll back changes that result from pregnancy and aging, for a naturally enhanced look.
Though a mastopexy reshapes and tightens the tissue, it does not increase breast volume. For most patients, enhancing breast size is only possible with augmentation surgery. If a patient wishes to change breast size and reduce visible aging signs, combining the two is the best option.
Combining a Breast Lift and Augmentation is More Beneficial
Though the breast lift and breast augmentation procedures aim for different enhancements, combining them could provide more benefits. As a woman ages, her breasts may lose volume due to pregnancy, weight fluctuations, or aging. Further, our skin loses elasticity and the breasts sag over time, resulting in stretched nipples and a flattened breast shape.
To address all of this at once, Dr. Pittman can perform both procedures in one session. This will also cut down on the cumulative recovery time that would occur if you got them both separately.
An additional benefit of combining the two procedures is a reduced need for larger implants. The lift can reshape and tighten existing breast tissue for a rounder shape so that smaller implants could make a similar impact as bigger implants. This might be a big change for you, so we have a unique 3D virtual experience called Crisalix to provide you with a preview of how your new contours may look on your own body.
Schedule a Consultation to Determine Which Breast Procedure(s) Will Work for You
For women who are unhappy with how their breast look, one of the big questions they often ask themselves is: should I get a breast lift or a breast augmentation? The answer can be both! Combining the two surgeries will provide more breast enhancements than either would on their own.
Reach out to us and schedule a consultation with Dr. Troy Pittman. He is an acknowledged expert in the field of cosmetic breast surgery, and can provide his opinion on how you can best remake your body into a form that leaves you satisfied and self-confident.
