Determining whether you need a breast lift, implants, or a combination of breast enhancement procedures is important for addressing changes to your body. Aging, pregnancy, and weight fluctuations can all affect your appearance. Breast implants are an effective way to achieve beautiful, lasting volume and natural-looking cleavage. A breast lift repositions the breast mounds and areolas to rejuvenate the chest and combat sagging.
At the Aesthetic Laser Center, Dr. Quita Lopez has decades of experience helping patients achieve their desired appearance with innovative and customizable breast enhancement procedures. She personalizes each procedure based on your aesthetic goals and underlying anatomy to help you achieve beautiful results.
Contact our offices in Lake Oswego or Woodburn online or by calling (503) 353-0888 to begin your journey towards perkier and/or fuller breasts!
Contents
About Breast Lifts
A breast lift, or mastopexy, reshapes the breasts and raises their position to create a youthful and proportionate breast appearance. As you age, the collagen in your skin declines, leading to reduced skin elasticity and a condition called breast ptosis (sagging). Weight fluctuations can also stretch the skin, which can result in breast sagging. With a breast lift, Dr. Lopez can raise the breast mounds and reposition the nipples to help you enhance your appearance. Removing excess skin and reshaping the breast tissue can restore a more youthful and uplifted contour. Additionally, droopy skin can cause rashes and skin irritation along the lower breast crease, affecting your quality of life and general comfort, and a breast lift can effectively alleviate this.
Types of Breast Lifts
There are many different types of breast lifts Dr. Lopez can perform depending on the condition of your skin:
- Crescent: A thin incision along the upper half of the areola can remove excess skin for a smoother appearance.
- Donut: To address mild sagging, Dr. Lopez can make a longer incision along the edge of the areola.
- Lollipop: Dr. Lopez can make an incision around the areola and down the breast until it reaches the lower crease.
- Inverted T/Anchor: Dr. Lopez can make an incision that extends vertically along the underside of the breast and horizontally along the inframammary crease.
About Breast Implants
Breast implants are used to increase the volume of your breasts and enhance their shape with natural-looking results. Breast augmentation has helped thousands of patients achieve the breasts they desire. In 2023, over 304,000 breast augmentation procedures were performed in the U.S., making it one of the most popular cosmetic surgeries. (1) Dr. Lopez selects breast implants based on your underlying anatomy, and she personalizes each implant procedure to meet your aesthetic goals. When planning your breast augmentation procedure, Dr. Lopez will consider several factors:
- Implant Size: Dr. Lopez will select the size of the implant based on your aesthetic preferences and underlying anatomy.
- Implant Shape: Implants come in round and teardrop (anatomical) shapes.
- Implant Texture: Some implants are smoother than others, and textured implants typically adhere to the surrounding breast tissue more closely than smooth implants.
Unlike a fat transfer breast augmentation, implants can provide larger volume increases with more predictable and longer-lasting results. The body may reabsorb between 37% and 80% of the transferred fat, depending on the individual and technique used. (2) With implants, you can enjoy beautiful volume increases without the risk of fat reabsorption.
Types of Breast Implants
There are several different types of breast implants that Dr. Lopez offers:
- Saline: Saline implants are filled with salt water contained in a silicone shell. Dr. Lopez can fill the implant after placing it into the breast pocket, allowing the incision sizes to be smaller.
- Silicone: Silicone implants contain a soft gel that mimics breast tissue’s natural movement and feel.
- Gummy Bear: A gummy bear implant is a slightly firmer silicone implant that more accurately mimics the feel of breast tissue.
Benefits of Enhancing Your Breasts
Breast enhancement has several benefits for patients, including:
- Balanced proportions: Enhancing the shape and appearance of your breasts can help you balance your body proportions.
- Long-lasting results: Refined surgical techniques ensure long-lasting results, with many women enjoying the results of their breast enhancement for up to 20 years.
- Minimal scarring: Dr. Lopez makes incisions along the natural curves of your skin to hide any potential scarring. Additionally, breast enhancement’s widespread popularity has helped to develop techniques that utilize only minor incisions.
- Natural-looking appearance: Implants and breast lifts make adjustments that align with your unique anatomy, resulting in enhancements that look and feel natural.
- Improved breast shape: Dr. Lopez can reshape the breasts by removing excess skin with a lift and/or increasing their volume with implants.
- Increased clothing options: After breast enhancement, you can enjoy better-fitting clothing and feel more comfortable wearing open tops.
- Improved self-esteem: Many patients find that they feel better about their appearance after breast enhancement.
Breast Enhancement Candidates
Any patient who would like to improve the appearance of their breasts may be candidates for breast enhancement procedures for a breast enhancement procedure. Patients who wish to address breast ptosis may be better served with a breast lift, while those who are seeking a volume increase may see their ideal results through breast augmentation. These procedures can also be performed simultaneously to address multiple concerns. Some patients may also seek treatment for congenital conditions such as hypoplastic breasts, which are characterized by underdeveloped breast tissue, wide spacing, or asymmetry. (3)
Dr. Lopez recommends postponing a breast lift until after pregnancy or weight loss. If you are in good overall health and do not have any conditions that could affect your ability to heal, you are likely a good candidate for a breast lift and/or implants.
Personal Consultation
During your consultation, Dr. Lopez will discuss your aesthetic goals, medications, and medical history, and perform a physical examination to determine the most effective treatment for your goals. Please come prepared with any questions you have about the treatment.
If you have additional aesthetic concerns, Dr. Lopez can help address them with complementary procedures. Addressing multiple body goals during a single appointment can minimize downtime.
Schedule your consultation online today to begin planning your treatment. If you have any questions, please call our Lake Oswego or Woodburn offices directly at (503) 353-0888.
Breast Enhancement Results
After breast enhancement, you can enjoy improved breast shape and size. Many patients also enjoy long-lasting results for several years. You can feel more comfortable in low-cut tops and bikinis. Patients who receive a breast lift can expect breasts that sit higher on the chest, with a firmer, more youthful appearance. Those who undergo breast augmentation with implants will notice volume increases, enhanced shape, and accentuated contours.
After Weight Loss Body Contouring
Breast enhancement procedures are regularly performed after a woman has lost significant amounts of weight. After weight loss, body contouring procedures remove excess skin and/or fat from multiple areas of the body to restore your figure. Significant weight loss can leave behind loose or sagging skin, particularly in areas like the breasts, arms, and abdomen. Dr. Lopez offers several customizable procedures to address post-weight loss concerns, including:
- Fat Transfer: Dr. Lopez can remove unwanted fat from one area of the body and use it to increase the volume of another area.
- Arm Lift: An arm lift will remove excess droopy skin from the upper arms for a sculpted, more slender appearance.
- Liposuction: Stubborn pockets of fat can be removed with medical suction to contour your appearance to your ideal image.
- Tummy Tuck: Addressing loose skin on the abdomen can create a smooth, toned midsection. This can create exceptional results when paired with breast enhancement.
See the blog to learn more about our procedures and how Dr. Lopez can sculpt your figure to your ideal image!
Cost of a Breast Lift or Implants in Portland
The cost of your breast enhancement will depend on whether you receive a breast lift or breast augmentation and the scale of each procedure. Some patients choose to receive a lift and implants simultaneously. Dr. Lopez will provide an all-inclusive quote and can also discuss financing to help you achieve your goals.
Contact our offices in Lake Oswego or Woodburn online or by calling (503) 353-0888 to begin your journey toward perkier, fuller breasts!
FAQ
Does a breast lift and/or implant procedure hurt?
No, during all breast enhancement procedures, we use anesthesia for your comfort.
What breast implants are best for me?
The most effective implant for your needs will depend on your underlying anatomy and aesthetic goals. We will perform a physical examination to help you explore your options.
What can I expect during my breast implant recovery?
While your breasts heal, it is common to experience skin irritation, mild swelling, and bruising that should shortly subside.
How long will my breast implants last?
Breast implants can last 10-20 years with the proper monitoring and care.
How often should I replace my breast implants?
Patients typically replace their implants every 10-20 years, depending on the implant type, condition, and their aesthetic goals.
References
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons ® Endorsed Partner. https://www.plasticsurgery.org/documents/news/statistics/2023/plastic-surgery-statistics-report-2023.pdf
- Ramachandran K. Breast augmentation. Indian Journal of Plastic Surgery: Official Publication of the Association of Plastic Surgeons of India. 2008;41(Suppl):S41-S47. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2825138/
- Seth I, Hunter-Smith DJ, Rozen WM. Hybrid breast augmentation: a surgical approach and formula for preoperative assessment of fat graft volume. Gland surgery. 2023;12(1):5-10. doi:https://doi.org/10.21037/gs-22-686