Breast Reduction vs. Breast Lift
Breast Reduction Surgery vs. Breast Lift Surgery
Whether it’s due to years of pregnancies and nursing, age, or genetics, many women are not confident in the shape and overall appearance of their breasts. Regardless of the reason, they begin to look for ways to reduce the size, reshape the overall shape, or reposition their breasts. During this search, they are inevitably going to come across breast lifts and breast reductions and wonder if there’s a difference between the two. Surely when you reduce the size of the breast, you’re also lifting skin, right?
These are some of the things we wanted to address in this article. If you’re considering a new look and shape for your breasts and have been wondering what the difference between a breast lift and a breast reduction are (and if both are required for your goals), you’ve come to the right place.
Of course, it’s always best to speak with a trusted surgeon about your ideas, hopes, and desires when it comes to your new look. Each plastic surgery situation is entirely unique according to the individual and the best way to get advice on your specific ideal is to speak with a professional.
Whether you’re just gathering information or seeking out a surgeon to help you achieve the look you want, it’s imperative that you discern exactly what your end goal is. What do you want to achieve? How do you want to look? How do you want to feel? Do you want to greatly decrease the volume and reduce the weight of your breast tissue? If so, a breast reduction procedure will be necessary to achieve your end result.
If, however, you are more concerned with changing the appearance of your breasts so they are higher, firmer, and more youthful (without decreasing size) a breast lift would be a more suitable option to achieve your goals. It is definitely possible to lift the breasts without changing the volume or decreasing tissue. However, this will make the breast appear smaller due to the change in position. It’s important to know that before selecting a breast lift. Many women prefer to have a breast lift with implants as well to maintain a larger size while also lifting.
So, when it comes to choosing between the breast lift and breast reduction, this will depend entirely on what you want and what you’re starting out with. A surgeon may suggest something depending on your current state. Are your breasts deflated after pregnancy and nursing? Are they disproportionate? These cases will involve different ideas as far as determining the best plan of action and, as always, the best way to find out for sure is to speak with a professional who is willing to address your concerns.
Both the breast lift and breast reduction are pretty straightforward and easy surgeries that have high success rates. Women who undergo these transformations are often very satisfied with their end results and excited to embrace their new appearance, reporting major increases in self-confidence post-surgery. With breast reduction, and often the lifts as well, women also report that their posture is better and their back pain diminishes. For those who are accustomed to living with larger breasts, you’re well aware of the back pain (or perhaps you’re used to it) that is associated with larger cup sizes. A breast reduction (and often a breast lift surgery as well) can greatly help with these symptoms and many women are thrilled that they chose to go through with the procedure. Many often wish they had done it sooner as well!
There is a lot of happiness that comes along with those who regain a level of self-confidence they’ve been lacking for a long time. And many women who have yet to have children are still able to breastfeed without any complaints or issues. Unlike implants, breast reductions and breast lifts are very simple procedures that do not involve as much recovery time.
Common complaints that women have when looking into these procedures are that their breasts are too large in proportion to their body frame. A lot of back pain is associated with this, as stated before. Sometimes the nipple can be stretched or pointing downward due to the size, rather than straight out. Some women have noticeable size differences from one breast to the other, often by an entire cup size. Bras can fit very uncomfortably in this case. There are many reasons women choose to have these procedures and it’s great to know that many women who finally do choose to undergo the right procedure walk away from it feeling very thankful that they did.
As stated earlier, it’s best to discuss your concerns and unique case with a trusted surgeon so that you can figure out which option is best for you. When you finally decide on the right course, you’ll be happy to know that recovery from both breast lift and breast reduction surgeries are very similar. You’ll have an overnight stay in the hospital and be on bed rest for 1-2 weeks. Your breasts will be swollen, bruised, and tender to the touch. But you will be able to resume normal activities within the 3rd week of recovery. Your skin should heal fairly quickly and you’ll be able to get up, cook dinner, and walk around the house, but it’s best to wait 6 weeks to a full 6 months in some cases to begin more vigorous activities.
As always, the best information is going to come from your own surgeon. Whether that’s through free consultation or post-surgery questions and concerns. Anything at all that may concern you throughout the entire process should be asked to your surgeon or his team. If you are unsure of whether to start exercising or lifting weights, simply ask your surgeon. A good, professional, trustworthy surgeon will guide you through the entire process seamlessly and you will be so glad you finally went through with it. Think about it, right now your rejuvenated self-confidence is just a phone call away.
