Breast Lifts Are on the Way Up

For the second year in a row, breast lifts have made it onto the list of the top five most-requested cosmetic plastic surgeries performed in the US, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. This, after having never made it onto the list before — and following a massive 30% rise in popularity from 2019 to 2022. At the same time, the number of patients requesting implants — especially big implants — has been going down, says Julius Few, MD, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Chicago. “I’m observing a trend in my office of many women content with the smaller breasts that they have — or even desiring smaller breasts — but who also wish to have a better shape," explains Melissa Doft, MD, a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York City. They’re choosing a breast lift (also known as a mastopexy) alone, without the placement of an implant, often because they work out a lot and want a more athletic-looking body or they want to be able to go braless. “People say, ‘I just want my breasts to be lifted, I don’t want them to be bigger. I want them to be perky and cute,’” adds Umbareen Mahmood, a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York City, who says that most of the breast surgeries she does are lifts versus augmentations.

Beyond evolving aesthetic preferences, Dr. Few thinks that improved surgical techniques are also a factor in this new movement toward lifts over implants. “Back in my training days 25 years ago, if you wanted a breast lift, you had an inverted T scar,” he says. “It was a big deal, a big surgery. Women would have to stay in the hospital overnight. Today, working with what you already have can give really nice, natural results without an implant.”

• Melissa Doft, MD, is a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York.
• Julius Few, MD, is a board-certified plastic surgeon in Chicago.
• Lyle Leipziger, MD, is a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York.
• Umbareen Mahmood, MD, is a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York.

A lot of patients are also having breast lifts postpartum, adds Lyle Leipziger, a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York. They’ll say, “‘I’m in great shape, but I look at my chest and think these are not my prepregnancy breasts.’”

But what is a breast lift and who is it best for? Is the procedure limited to people who have breastfed children and now see deflated, sagging breasts reflected back at them in the mirror, or is its peak in popularity a sign that we're trending away from bigger breasts? Below, learn more about the breast lift including what to expect from the procedure, how much it costs, and the recovery period.

• What is a breast lift?
• What's the difference between a breast lift and implants?
• Who is a good candidate for a breast lift?
• I'm not sure I'm done having children. Should I wait to get a breast lift?
• Can you combine a breast lift with another procedure?
• What does the procedure entail?
• What is the recovery period?
• Are there any risks associated with a breast lift?
• What does a breast lift cost?
• How long do the results of a breast lift last?

A breast lift is a surgical procedure where excess skin and tissue are removed while the remaining skin and tissue are reshaped to lift the breast. The nipple and areola are also raised, so that they sit in the center of the breast.

The effect is pretty much exactly what it sounds like: Breasts are repositioned higher on the chest, without looking bigger or fuller. (Only an augmentation will get you added volume.)

There are the obvious differences — breast implants increase volume, while lifts take things higher — and the less-expected ones. That is, implants can raise the breast and the level of the nipple a little, but not to the same extent a lift can.

“For women who have significant ptosis, or sagging breasts, the implant does not lift the nipple enough to center it,” explains Dr. Doft. And even though there are different shapes of implants, for patients getting augmentation who also “wish to have a different shaped breast, often a lift is necessary as well for removing excess skin and tissue.”

The surgeons we talked to say part of the breast lift’s popularity is that it is a pretty versatile, customizable procedure. “A good patient is someone who is happy with the size of their breasts, but not the shape of their breasts,” explains Dr. Doft. They might say their breasts are sagging or feeling deflated, which can be caused by pregnancy, breastfeeding, aging, genetics, or weight fluctuations. Most patients who get a breast lift have significant sagging, adds Dr. Leipziger, “and downwardly displaced nipples.”

While it’s popular for patients who have had kids and want to go back to their pre-baby breasts, it's definitely not limited to the mommy demographic. In fact, all of the doctors we spoke to said the procedure is gaining momentum across generations. Patients ranging from 17 to 81 are asking for lifts, says Dr. Leipziger. Younger patients, in their 20s and 30s, may want to address asymmetries or genetic sagging — for them, it can be a “life-changer,” he says. “It's been transformational in every peer group that I've seen.” Other reasons for seeking out a breast lift at a younger age can include big weight changes or having larger breasts at a young age, both of which can cause sagging, says Dr. Mahmood.

The important thing is that every case be individualized to that patient and not a standard idea of what breasts should look like, adds Dr. Leipziger.

Anyone who has had children knows that pregnancy and postpartum can have a huge impact on the shape and size of your breasts (this writer included), and with or without breastfeeding, being pregnant can lead to sagging. If you want to have children in the near future, most doctors advise waiting to schedule a lift.

“If you're family planning, I generally say you should wait,” says Dr. Mahmood. If you're done having kids but still breastfeeding, she advises waiting until at least six months after cessation. Dr. Few agrees, “If the question of having children is a definite yes, and a woman has a plan to have children in a set timeline, I would probably do it after.” Otherwise, the results may not last through another pregnancy or round of breastfeeding and you might end up wanting another lift later.

When you hear the words “breast lift,” your brain might jump right to the classic “mommy makeover," which often includes a breast lift, tummy tuck, and/or liposuction. "Almost everyone will say, ‘While I’m under, can you lipo my inner thighs, my arms, or my chin,'” explains Dr. Mahmood. “I almost always combine it with something. Patients are taking the opportunity while under anesthesia to address another area.”

Dr. Few likes the “flexibility” of the breast lift. “If down the road a patient decides, ‘I had my lift, I want my breasts to be larger,’ then they can still have an implant if they choose,” he says. “It doesn’t make the surgery any harder. It’s like a reset that puts the breast where you want it to be.”

You can also opt to add your own fat to the breast for more volume without an implant — “an auto-augmentation,” says Dr. Few. “You’re doing a lift, but you can fill or fluff up the innermost part, the area between the cleavage points.” During the breast lift, fat is also removed from elsewhere on the body using liposuction: “It requires extra time to harvest fat from another part of the body for injection into the breast. This may be of advantage to the patient because it can address two concerns in one procedure,” says Dr Few, adding, “If someone is very thin, fat may not be an option for injection.”

The breast lift is a relatively straightforward outpatient procedure, done under general anesthesia. It typically takes about one to three hours, depending on breast shape and size. First, the surgeon will make an incision — either around the areola; around the areola and down in a vertical line similar to a lollipop shape; or around the areola, down, and along the curve of the breast like an inverted T-shape — depending on a patient’s breast shape. Excess skin and tissue are removed and the remaining breast tissue is reshaped into a more uplifted silhouette, the nipple and areola are moved up on the breast, and the areola’s size can also be tweaked if desired.

Patients are able to go home that day, often wearing a post-surgery bra that they’ll keep on for a specific period of time as directed by their doctor. (The bra can be removed to shower.) Some patients may have drains or require stitch removal post-surgery, but this depends on your doctor, so be sure to discuss recovery at your initial consultation.

The breast lift's rise in popularity may also be due to its relatively easy recovery period; while any procedure will come with a fair share of pain, the breast lift is typically less painful than an augmentation. “The recovery time is very reasonable,” says Dr. Few. “Most patients start to feel almost back to their normal self within a week or two.” According to Dr. Mahmood, many patients experience “very little” pain and are taking Tylenol versus a prescription painkiller by day two of their recovery.

Though you may feel better after a week or two, it takes about six weeks to fully heal from a breast lift procedure. Dr. Leipziger says he takes a conservative approach to post-op care, requesting his patients wear the surgical bra for a week. “They can get on a treadmill lightly [easy walking] after about two to three weeks, but no upper-body strenuous activity [including weightlifting, lifting heavy objects, or rapid movement] for about six weeks.” Most doctors use dissolvable sutures, so you don’t have to go back to have stitches removed.

Like all surgical procedures, breast lifts can cause bleeding, seroma (soft, swollen lumps around the incision site that can be drained with the help of a needle), infection, asymmetry, and poor scarring. Risks associated specifically with breast lifts include a change in sensation to the nipple, loss of the nipple, and a possible change in the ability to breastfeed, says Dr. Doft, though these side effects are very rare. “Infection or hematoma would be the most common side effects: Infection rates are 1 to 5% and hematoma 2 to 10%, depending on the study,” she explains. And while revision rates for augmentation are as high as 36%, according to one study published in the journal Seminars in Plastic Surgery, after a breast lift “it is not very common that people ask for a revision,” says Dr. Doft. If a patient is unsatisfied enough to ask for a revision, “it is usually after a major change—menopause, weight gain, pregnancy, weight loss.”

The average cost varies depending on where you live, but you can expect to pay anywhere from $15,000 to $25,000 for a breast lift.

The results of a breast lift are permanent, but Dr. Doft says that weight change, pregnancy, menopause, aging, and the effects of gravity can have an impact on results over time. The effects usually aren’t dramatic enough to warrant a new surgery, however: “Some patients elect to have a secondary procedure, but many do not,” she says.

Read more about plastic surgery for the breasts, and what happens to the breasts after pregnancy and breast feeding:

Everything That Happens to Your Breasts When You Get Pregnant

The Truth About Breast Lifts

The Complete Guide to Breast Augmentation

Now watch a video on 100 Years of Plastic Surgery: