Breast Reduction Photos- Breast Lift Achieved with Reduction, North Carolina*

Patients seeking breast reduction frequently ask if a lift is included as well. It always is included. Breast reduction and breast lifting utilize very similar concepts and incision design. They both reshape the breast making it narrower, reducing areolar size and elevating the nipple position and usually restoring some volume in the upper portion-also known as the upper pole. A breast lift generally does not involve a significant amount of reduction of tissue however, most breast lifts remove skin and some additional excess fatty tissue and sometimes even breast tissue. Breast reduction usually involves a more significant amount of breast removal. Women who do not like their small breast size and suffer from breast ptosis will often have a breast implant placed during a breast lift; a procedure known as augmentation mastopexy. The distinction between a breast lift and a breast reduction sometimes is somewhat arbitrary and usually a small amount of breast tissue is removed to make the breast somewhat smaller during a breast lift. This 55-year-old woman was very active playing tennis and other outdoor activities and was unhappy with her sagging breasts and had a small breast reduction removing about 200 grams (less than 1/2 pound) per side. She went from a D to a C cup and felt much better in workout clothes, tennis outfits and bathing suits. Breast reductions often involve removal of over one pound (453 grams) per side.