How Long Does A Breast Lift Last?
A breast lift surgery is often requested for women who want a younger look after pregnancy, breastfeeding, or significant weight loss. In addition, a breast lift can help you regain lost confidence in your appearance by lifting the breasts and making you feel at ease in your body and clothing.
A breast lift procedure, sometimes done in combination with breast augmentation, moves the breasts to a higher position by removing excess skin and reshaping the tissue to make it look more youthful.
When considering a breast lift, women have many questions about whether the breasts drop after the procedure.
How long does a breast lift surgery last?
A breast lift procedure can correct a moderate or heavy amount of breast tissue sagging and is usually considered permanent. However, how long the breast lift surgery will last depends on many things, including genetics, health, diet, exercise amount, and whether you gain or lose weight.
Assuming you don’t get pregnant again or fluctuate a lot in weight, your results can last 10 years and sometimes much longer.
Remember that a breast lift augmentation does not slow the aging process. Eventually, the breasts will drop years after a breast lift simply because the aging process has continued.
However, breast lifts should last for many years if you do your part. You can do several things to ensure the procedure lasts as long as possible:
Care For Your Skin
How elastic the skin is mainly depends on genetics. But you can improve your breast skin elasticity. First of all, avoid being in the sun too much. Sunbathing may feel good, but it will make the breast skin lose its elasticity and cause wrinkles and sagging.
Skin elasticity also can be improved by taking vitamin C and vitamin E supplements.
Don’t Gain Or Lose A Lot Of Weight
One of the most common reasons women need another breast lift is their weight changes significantly. Unfortunately, gaining or losing weight is rarely good for any cosmetic procedure.
It’s vital to carefully control your weight to get the best results and maintain them. Surgeons recommend only getting a breast lift after you are close to your goal weight and have maintained it for at least six months.
Have Breast Lift After Pregnancy
Pregnancy and breastfeeding are wonderful, but both take a toll on the breasts. During pregnancy, the breasts may increase by one or two cup sizes. After you are finished breastfeeding, the breasts go back to their normal size but can leave the breast tissue sagging and flat.
That’s when many women decide to have breast lifts, breast augmentation, or even a breast reduction.
You also can have a breast lift between pregnancies, but the subsequent pregnancy will probably undo the procedure. Ideally, wait to have your breast lift until you have had your last child.
After you give birth, wait about six months until you get back to your regular weight. Then you can have a breast lift.
Breastfeeding also stretches the breast skin, so it’s best to wait until you are finished having children before having your procedure.
Wear A Proper Bra
Many women aren’t fans of bras, but wearing a good, supportive one will make breast lifts last longer. Conversely, wearing an improper bra or not wearing one will make the breasts drop after a breast lift.
This is especially the case if you work out a lot as the increased movement will make the breasts sag more over time. You can help the breasts stay in their more youthful position by wearing the right bra.
A softer bra with medium support is usually the ideal choice after a breast lift and especially if you had breast augmentation, too.
Also, your surgeon will probably fit you with an extra supportive bra after the procedure. Remember to wear it for four to six weeks or whatever timeframe the surgeon recommends.
Don’t Sleep On Your Side Or Stomach
Did you know you spend about ⅓ of your life sleeping? If you sleep on your chest or side, the ligaments are strained all night and are pulled down. A better way to support the breasts is by sleeping on your back every night.
If this is uncomfortable, try putting pillows under your arms, so your body stays in place.
Maintain Good Posture
Good posture doesn’t just help your back. For example, if you hunch the shoulders too often and lean forward, the breasts sag with the body.
You can maintain better posture and prolong your breast lift results by standing up straight when you walk and don’t hunch over when you sit.
Keeping an upright posture also can make you look thinner, so it has many benefits.
Eat Right And Exercise
You also can maintain your breast lift results by maintaining a healthy lifestyle. First, smoking tobacco and drinking alcohol tend to dry the hair and skin, eliminating these habits when possible.
Also, eat healthy foods and don’t go up and down in weight; significant weight changes affect your skin’s elasticity.
After your breast lift, the body will continue to change. But with some wise life decisions and a healthy lifestyle, you can support the breasts and keep them in their younger-looking position for many years.
Questions And Answers
Will breasts sag again after breast lift?
In instances of increased strain, sagging may resurface, often necessitating lower pole breast support augmentation—an issue frequently encountered.
How permanent is a breast lift?
The duration of breast lift results varies. Some enjoy over 15 years, while others seek minor adjustments sooner. Typically, results last 10-15 years.
How long does it take for a breast lift to look normal?
Swelling and fluid retention can temporarily change your breast appearance post-surgery. However, expect your final breast shape to emerge in 6 to 12 weeks.
How long will my breast lift recovery be?
Expect breast swelling and bruising for roughly two weeks. Pain, incision redness or pinkness may persist for a few months. Numbness can last around six weeks in nipples, areolae, and breast skin.
Request A Breast Lift Consultation
References
How Long Do Breast Lift Results Last? (n.d.). Accessed at https://www.plasticsurgery.org/news/blog/how-long-do-breast-lift-results-last
