Breast lift without implants: the pros and cons of the new trend

Plastic surgeon, leading Russian specialist in the field of breast plastic surgery, chief plastic surgeon of the Moscow region.

Recently, a new trend has emerged in aesthetic medicine – the pursuit of naturalness. Everything that used to be fashionable: too large breasts, pumped lips, is not fashionable today. Therefore, it is not surprising that the majority of Hollywood stars, having said goodbye to the 4th and more breast size, opted for a democratic “two”. If you look closely at the photographs of Victoria Beckham, Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Connelly, Drew Barrymore, the transformations that have occurred with their forms become obvious.

The trend towards natural shapes isn’t just about the stars. A whole group of women has appeared who do not seek to increase their size, but want to have beautiful medium to small breasts. Any plastic surgeon, before proceeding with the operation, carries out an accurate calculation and can offer the option of breast lift with or without implants, depending on the desires and anatomical features of a particular woman. Patients do not always choose to install implants. Especially if her own mammary gland has sufficient volume or the girl wants to have 100% of her natural breast without any artificial implants.

Ideally, any mammoplasty should be performed exclusively according to indications. Can a lift be done without implants and in what cases cannot be done without them? How dangerous is this operation? Let’s try to deal with these and other pressing issues.

Most women experience the first manifestations of breast ptosis (sagging) even before the baby is born. The breast is a hormone-dependent organ: it is influenced not only by the menstrual cycle, but also by fluctuations in weight. In addition, with age, the glandular component of the mammary gland tends to degenerate and turns into fat. Fat, everyone knows about it, is a rather heavy substance. A woman’s breasts drop lower every year due to the force of attraction, the presence of fat and a decrease in tissue elasticity. If you come to the surgeon’s appointment, then, before starting a conversation about the operation, he will take measurements to find out how many centimeters (0,5-3 or more) your nipple is below the line of the base of the breast. Unfortunately, no exercises or preparations can return the breast to its original place, make it beautiful, lush, and tall again. This can be done only with a magic wand or a surgeon’s scalpel.

There are several types of breast lift

Mastopexy is a breast lift without implants. A beautiful facelift can be done not only with implants. A breast lift is an independent operation. It is chosen by women who are satisfied with the volume, but not the shape of the breast. That is, a lift without implants provides a beautiful shape without changing the size of the bust. The operation allows you to correct the shape and raise the breast, thus solving the main problem. Depending on the degree of breast ptosis, the patient is offered a method of intervention: areolar method (with minor ptosis – an incision around the nipple); vertical lift (for grade II ptosis – an incision around the nipple and further down to the submammary fold) and anchor lift (for grade III – another one is added to the first two incisions along the breast fold). By the way, the listed methods of breast lifting are not at all three rigid standards of the operation, but three subgroups. For example, only a vertical lift has five varieties, and all types and methods of lifting – at least 14.

In the process of mastopexy, excess skin (but not subcutaneous tissue!) Is excised, due to this, the areola moves to the right place without disrupting breastfeeding functions. Advantages of braces without installing implants: painlessness and inconspicuous thin stitches. Correctly performed lifting (without overstretching and deformation with precise markings, special “cosmetic” sutures) can ensure the absence of any serious postoperative complications. The stitches are very thin and hardly noticeable within a week after the operation, they are finally formed and almost disappear after six months. After a proper lift, the breast looks so beautiful that the almost imperceptible traces of the operation do not bother any of the patients. The disadvantages of this method include the fact that lifting without implants cannot be performed periareolar (without a vertical incision), which most patients insist on. The second drawback is that without implants it is impossible to achieve the “push-up” effect that many girls like so much.

Breast endoprosthetics. Lift with implant augmentation are two operations that are most often performed at the same time. In simple terms, this method combines the correction of the breast with the methods described above (mastopexy) and the installation of implants. As we mentioned, not every facelift can be done without implants. Periareolar lift (with a circular incision around the areola, without a vertical incision) is performed only with the implantation. Surgeons who break this rule always end up with an ugly, flattened, tomato-like breast shape. The good news for these patients is that the situation can be corrected by installing an implant. A lift with implants is chosen by those representatives of the fair sex who are not satisfied not only with the shape, but also with the volume lost due to the birth of a child. And also those who would like to enlarge their breasts for aesthetic reasons. The choice of implants today is quite large, and the quality of modern implants leaves no doubt. These are silicone implants with a smooth or textured shell and a highly bonding (non-flowing) gel inside, as well as polyurethane implants. Due to the very “rough” surface, the latter are difficult to install, but they reduce the risk of postoperative displacement (they have practically no opportunity to roll over). Modern implants are very durable: you can fly with them on an airplane, sunbathe, play sports, give birth and breastfeed. There is no need to be afraid that the new generation implants that are being installed today may burst and leak out. They have passed all the necessary testing and certification both in Russia and in Europe and the USA. The disadvantages include some soreness in the first 3-5 days and the very presence of implants in the body (although their safety is confirmed by all tests and certificates).

Lipofilling makes it possible to enlarge the breast with its own fat, taking it where it is not particularly needed: for example, in places of local fatty deposits (on the hips, abdomen, waist). The advantage of this method is its 100% naturalness. This is the only way to really enlarge your breasts without using implants. However, if the breasts are sagging, a lift (fat transfer alone) is indispensable. Lipofilling is good when you need to make a slight correction of asymmetry, slightly adjust the result of the tightening, add roundness.

This method has more disadvantages: firstly, breast augmentation with lipofilling is possible by a maximum of 1,5 sizes, since most of the transplanted fat tends to quickly dissolve. Secondly, with large volumes of transplanted fat, fibrous tissues may appear, which are not dangerous, but complicate the diagnosis when examined by a mammologist. In addition, this method is only suitable for those who have excess fat.

Each of the methods of breast correction has its pros and cons, as well as its own indications. Unlike conventional augmentation with implants, a lift is a much more technically complex operation. Of course, the choice must be made consciously and be sure to consult a specialist in the field of mammoplasty. If you are concerned about the safety of implants, find out if the desired effect can be achieved without endoprostheses. And if your choice is a lift with an increase, find out all about which endoprostheses will be installed for you. Ask the surgeon why he chooses this model, what are its advantages, check the availability of the appropriate certificates, even watch videos on YouTube to know everything about these implants. Each patient is responsible for their health, therefore, I repeat, choose only surgeons specializing in mammoplasty and high-quality, certified implants. A lift without implants is an excellent choice for those who do not seek to enlarge their breasts, but want to get the perfect shape and quick painless rehabilitation.