Sagging Breasts (and Surgical Solutions) Explained Bengtson Center for Aesthetics & Plastic Surgery

Posted On: July 9, 2020

Every woman is unique. We know this, right? This individuality includes physical characteristics (like breast size and shape) and preferences (like style and fashion). That said, there's no doubt that many women share a desire for a youthful-looking figure marked by perky breasts. Unfortunately, time, gravity, and hormones seem to have ideas of their own. As we lose skin elasticity and watch our weight and breast size fluctuate (thanks, kids!), we may begin to notice that our breasts begin to sit a little (or a lot) lower on the chest. Genetics play a big part of this, and unwanted changes can occur in younger women as well. For women everywhere, from our out-of-town patients to the local a mastopexy has proven to be a popular choice for countering sagging. Better known as a breast lift, this surgery available at our Bengtson Center for Aesthetics and Plastic Surgery from Grand Rapids breast surgeons, Dr. Brad Bengtson and Dr. David Alfonso.

So you know that you have two accomplished plastic surgeons who can use advanced technology to help you plan your surgery, visualize your results ahead of time, and apply their experience and talents toward giving you beautiful results. But how exactly does this drooping occur in the first place?

Chest muscles and breast tissue are constantly subjected to forces pulling them downward. This steady pull can be particularly stressful on the body if your breasts are large and heavy. Hormonal shifts cause their composition to change, and aging impacts the overall quality of the skin, causing it to become weaker and thinner as it produces smaller quantities of collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid over time. This makes the skin less able to hold them up. Add to this the fact that if they become fuller due to swelling with milk during pregnancy, it's common for the skin and ligaments to become even more stretched out. All of these factors are contributors to dangling breasts that can cause some women to feel self-conscious.

There are some natural ways to delay or reduce breast sagging, including strengthening the pectoral muscles through exercise, maintaining as stable a weight as possible, keeping good posture, wearing a supportive bra that fits you properly, refraining from smoking cigarettes, and limiting your exposure to UV rays from sunlight. That said, sagging happens!

A breast lift creates significant improvement, especially for women who have a large amount of loose skin. During a breast lift, stretched-out skin is removed to move both breasts into a higher position. The surgery can also make sure they “point” up and out (instead of at your feet). Lifts can also be combined with a breast augmentation or reduction to further shape them and give you the unique, individualized look you want.

Ready to learn more about breast lift procedures available from Michigan's The Bengtson Center for Aesthetics and Plastic Surgery? To set up a consultation with our doctors, fill out an online form, write to us at [email protected], or call us at 616.588.8880 today.

Written by Bengtson Center for Aesthetics & Plastic Surgery