Breast Augmentation vs. Breast Lift

Understanding the difference between breast augmentation and a breast lift is important for seeking the most effective breast treatment for your goals. Aging, pregnancy, and weight fluctuations can all impact the appearance of your breasts. Breast augmentation can increase their volume, while a breast lift can reposition the breast mounds and reshape the areolae for beautiful, natural-looking results.

At Scottsdale Plastics, Dr. Robert Bonillas has decades of experience helping patients enhance their appearance with innovative treatments tailored to their unique underlying anatomy. He will perform an exam, discuss your body goals in-depth, and customize your procedure to align with your aesthetic goals, helping you enhance your appearance and boost body confidence.

Contact our office online or call (480) 245-6380 to learn more about your breast enhancement options and how Dr. Bonillas can help you achieve your goals!

About Breast Augmentation

Breast augmentation, colloquially known as a “boob job,” increases the volume of your breasts with either artificial implants or transferred fat. As you age, excess skin and pockets of fat can affect the appearance of your breasts. Many patients also desire larger breasts, even if they are not burdened with sagging skin or stubborn fat. In a breast augmentation procedure, Dr. Bonillas will consider your anatomy and goals to determine the best options for your goals. Some factors he will consider include:

  • Implant size: Implants can come in a vast range of sizes, and what is best for you will depend on your anatomy and breast size goals.
  • Implant shape: Implants can be either round or anatomical/teardrop-shaped, each offering its own advantages.
  • Implant texture: Some implants are smoother than others, and textured implants can adhere to the surrounding tissue.

Dr. Bonillas also offers three different types of breast implants to choose from:

  • Saline: Saltwater-filled implants can be placed through smaller incisions and then filled.
  • Silicone: These implants are filled with a flexible silicone gel that mimics the appearance, feel, and movement of natural breast tissue.
  • Gummy bear: These implants are filled with a slightly firmer silicone gel to provide a more accurate tissue density.

Fat Transfer

A fat transfer increases the volume of the breasts with your own fat instead of artificial implants. With a fat transfer, we can enhance the appearance of the breasts by removing excess fat from other areas of the body with liposuction, a treatment that uses gentle suction to remove fat while preserving the surrounding tissue. During the treatment, Dr. Bonillas will administer tumescent fluid to the excess fat, a combination of saline, epinephrine, and lidocaine that causes the fat cells to swell. He will extract the purest fat cells and reinject them into the breasts to meet your desired appearance.

About Breast Lift

A breast lift, or mastopexy, reshapes the breasts and raises the breast mounds for a more youthful-looking appearance. As you age, the collagen in your skin declines, resulting in fine lines, wrinkles, and laxity that affect your appearance. Weight changes can also cause the skin to stretch, resulting in a droopy appearance known as breast ptosis. With a breast lift, Dr. Bonillas can reposition the breast mounds and reshape the nipple to enhance your appearance.

Types of Breast Lifts

Dr. Bonillas performs several different types of breast lifts. Depending on your anatomy and the state of your breasts, you may receive:

  • Crescent: Dr. Bonillas can make a thin incision along the upper half of the areola to remove excess skin, resulting in a smoother appearance.
  • Donut: Dr. Bonillas can address mild sagging with a slightly longer incision along the edge of the areola.
  • Lollipop: Dr. Bonillas can make an incision that circles the areola and extends vertically along the lower side of the breast, reaching the lower crease.
  • Inverted T/Anchor: Dr. Bonillas combines a lollipop incision with another that extends horizontally along the inframammary crease to address a significant amount of droopy skin.

Benefits of Breast Enhancement

Both breast augmentation and breast lifts offer several benefits for patients who want to improve the appearance of their breasts, including:

  • Balanced proportions: Repositioning the breasts and removing excess skin can achieve breast symmetry and harmony with the rest of your body, improving your clothing options and accentuating your curves.
  • Long-lasting results: You can enjoy long-lasting results for up to 20 years with implants, and even longer with a fat transfer if you maintain a stable weight.
  • Minimal scarring: We take care to make incisions along the natural contours of your chest, allowing them to be hidden for beautiful, natural-looking results.
  • Natural-looking appearance: You can enjoy beautiful results with implants carefully selected to match your specific body shape and underlying anatomy.
  • Improved breast shape: Implants and a breast lift can reshape the breasts for a smoother, curvier, and fuller appearance.
  • Increased clothing options: After breast enhancement, you can enjoy better-fitting clothing and feel more comfortable wearing open tops.
  • Improved self-esteem: Many patients find that they feel better about their appearance after undergoing breast enhancement.

Candidates

Candidates seeking breast augmentation and/or a breast lift typically want to improve the appearance of their breasts for a more youthful or fuller look. If you are unhappy with the size and/or shape of your breasts, these procedures will help you achieve your body goals. Some patients would like to address hypoplastic breasts, a genetic condition that results in insufficient breast tissue. It can also result in breasts that are spaced far apart, asymmetrical, and/or have misshapen areolas. (3) If you are planning to become pregnant or if you would like to lose weight, we will likely recommend that you wait to undergo breast enhancement surgery.

If you are in good overall health and do not have a condition that would affect your ability to heal, you are likely a good candidate for breast enhancement. Implants are ideal for patients who would like to increase their breast volume, while a lift is ideal for patients who would like to reshape and/or reposition their breasts by removing excess skin.

Consultation

During your consultation, Dr. Bonillas will discuss your aesthetic goals, medications, and medical history to determine an effective treatment plan for your desired look. Please come prepared with any questions you have about the treatment.

Dr. Bonillas will perform a physical examination to recommend an implant profile that suits your underlying anatomy and aesthetic goals.

Contact our office online or call (480) 245-6380 to schedule a consultation and explore your breast enhancement options.

Breast Enhancement Results

After breast enhancement, you can enjoy improved breast shape and size. Results are long-lasting, allowing many patients to enjoy their results for upwards of 20 years. Patients report increased confidence and happiness with their new breasts, and many feel more comfortable in form-fitting clothing.

Breast Enhancement After Weight Loss

Drooping and deflated breasts are a common experience for many after weight loss. Excess skin and fat can also occur in multiple areas, affecting your self-esteem and quality of life. If you recently lost weight, Dr. Bonillas can perform a collection of body contouring procedures in addition to your breast enhancement procedure to address multiple areas of concern at once. Some of these include:

  • Tummy Tuck: This procedure removes excess skin from the abdomen to create a smooth, toned torso.
  • Arm Lift: If you also have droopy, excess skin along the upper arms, Dr. Bonillas can address it with a thin incision along the underside of the arm and tighten the skin.
  • Body Lift: Also known as a belt lipectomy, this procedure creates a smooth torso by addressing loose skin around the entire midsection.

We will personalize your treatment plan to contour your figure to your ideal look. To learn more about the customizable treatments we offer, explore our blog!

Cost of Breast Augmentation or Breast Lifts in Scottsdale

The cost of your breast enhancement treatment will depend on whether you receive breast augmentation, a breast lift, or both. The scale of each procedure, the price of implants, and any additional procedures will all affect the price. During your consultation, Dr. Bonillas will provide you with a comprehensive price quote. We also offer financing options to help you better access treatment. Contact our office online or call (480) 245-6380 to learn how Dr. Bonillas can sculpt your breasts to your desired image.

FAQ

What is the difference between saline and silicone implants?

Saline implants are filled with sterile salt water, whereas silicone implants use a thicker gel that mimics the natural appearance, feel, and movement of breast tissue. If you are considering implants, we will help you explore your preferences during your consultation.

How long do breast implants last?

On average, breast implants last for 10-20 years, making them ideal for patients looking for a long-term solution.

Can I breastfeed after breast enhancement?

Most patients can breastfeed after undergoing a breast enhancement procedure. However, if you are planning to have children, we usually recommend that you wait to undergo breast enhancement since pregnancy can affect your results.

Will there be visible scarring from a breast enhancement procedure?

Because incisions are required to perform these procedures, some scars will form. However, we place incisions in inconspicuous areas and use refined, innovative techniques to minimize their formation.

References

  1. American Society of Plastic Surgeons ® Endorsed Partner. https://www.plasticsurgery.org/documents/news/statistics/2023/plastic-surgery-statistics-report-2023.pdf
  2. Ramachandran K. Breast augmentation. Indian Journal of Plastic Surgery: Official Publication of the Association of Plastic Surgeons of India. 2008;41(Suppl):S41-S47. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2825138/
  3. Seth I, Hunter-Smith DJ, Rozen WM. Hybrid breast augmentation: a surgical approach and formula for preoperative assessment of fat graft volume. Gland surgery. 2023;12(1):5-10. doi:https://doi.org/10.21037/gs-22-686
  • Share: