If you’re unhappy with your current breasts, you may have considered breast enhancement surgery. Most patients seeking this category of plastic surgery choose either from breast augmentation surgery (breast implant surgery) or breast lift surgery.
With that said, knowing the difference between a breast lift vs augmentation can be difficult if you’re not acutely familiar with plastic surgery in general.
Below, we’ll go over the similarities and differences between breast lift vs breast augmentation surgery. Ultimately, the decision will come down to meeting with your chosen plastic surgeon for a consultation appointment so that they can speak with you directly about your goals and give you a physical examination.
Still, the following should offer some general information to help you better understand how these two extremely common breast surgeries differ.
Breast Augmentation vs Breast Lift: What’s the Difference?
Both breast augmentation (augmentation mammoplasty) and breast lift surgery (mastopexy) are plastic surgery procedures designed to improve the appearance of the breasts and boost the patient’s self confidence. Let’s take a look at the details for each procedure.
Breast Augmentation
Breast augmentation (breast implant surgery) aims to increase breast size using breast implants. Saline or silicone breast implants are inserted in front of or behind the chest muscles to add volume.
Breast implants can be chosen in a variety of styles. Patients are able to choose between silicone and saline implants, textured or smooth implants, and round or teardrop shaped implants. They can also decide how much volume they’d like to add and what style of projection they desire.
Breast augmentation incision locations depend on how large the implants are, the anatomy of the patient, and how your surgeon feels. Incisions may be made around the outer edge of the areola, within the breast crease, or sometimes, in the armpit.
Recovery after breast augmentation typically takes between one and two weeks, and most patients handle it well.
Breast Lift Surgery
The breast lift procedure is for patients who want to lift sagging breasts. If, when you look in the mirror without a shirt or bra on, your nipples are lower than your breast crease (breast fold), a breast lift may be for you.
One drawback with this surgery is that some patients require multiple breast lift incision sites, which means multiple scars. For example, if you require a significant lift, you may need an anchor breast lift.
For an anchor lift, an incision will be made around the outer edge of the areola, within the breast crease (horizontally), and up and down going from the bottom of the areola to the breast. There are also lollipop breast lifts and donut or periareolar breast lifts.
Breast lift recovery time is similar to breast augmentation recovery time in most cases (one to two weeks).
FAQ: Breast Augmentation vs Lift
What is the recovery like for a breast augmentation with lift vs without a lift?
If you opt for a lift with your breast augmentation, it’s likely your recovery will be a bit more involved. The extended surgery will result in more trauma to the breast tissue (and sometimes, more incisions will be needed), making it one of the more invasive cosmetic surgeries.
Still, this is a common procedure and patients typically do very well throughout the healing process.
Is a breast lift more painful than augmentation?
Not necessarily. Sometimes, breast augmentation can be more painful during recovery because breast augmentation focuses on increasing breast volume, which sometimes requires breast implants to be placed behind the chest muscles.
This stretches the chest muscles and can result in more soreness post-surgery. At the same time, a lift will reduce excess skin, change the breast position, and manipulate the existing breast tissue more, which can also be painful during recovery. Pain levels all depend on the specifics of your surgery.
Is a breast lift cheaper than augmentation?
Breast lift cost and breast augmentation cost often vary a lot depending on the specifics of your circumstances. Please schedule a consultation for a surgery quote.
Is it better to get a breast lift or implants?
If you have drooping breasts with excess breast skin, a breast lift is usually better. Good candidates for breast lift surgery have nipples that point downward and that are lower than the breast fold.
Conversely, breast augmentation is better for patients who want to increase their breast size and upper breast fullness. In this case, silicone or saline implants can help you go up one cup size or more.
Schedule a Consultation Appointment Today
Only a board certified plastic surgeon should perform breast augmentation and breast lift surgery. However, there are some plastic surgeons who are not board certified who will say they can perform these procedures just as well.
Board certified surgeons go through several additional years of education and hands-on surgical training, including gaining in-depth knowledge and hands-on experience performing breast augmentation and breast lift surgery alongside some of the best known surgeons in the country. These are the professionals you want when you opt for an elective breast surgery.
Board certified surgeon Dr. Charles Galanis has many years of experience with breast augmentation, breast implants, and breast lifts. Contact our Beverly Hills practice today to book your consultation with Dr. Galanis and start learning more about your desired surgical procedure. We would love to help you look and feel your very best — call today!
