This Article Has Been Medically Approved By Dr. Timothy Connall
Breast lift surgery can give your breasts a more beautiful and youthful appearance. However, our Portland patients are rightly curious about the degree of scarring they may see after their procedure.
At Esprit® Cosmetic Surgeons we perform variations on three common types of breast lifts. Each has its own incision pattern and can serve different needs:
- A circumareolar lift uses a “doughnut” excision of skin around the areola. The result is a scar at the entire edge of the areola.
- The vertical breast lift utilizes a keyhole pattern with an incision around the areola and down the middle of the lower breast. This technique leaves Portland patients with a scar that has a lollipop shape.
- The traditional approach to breast lift is known as a “anchor” style or inverted “T.” The scar goes around the areola, down the middle of the breast, and along the base of the breast at the chest.
Based on its design, the circumareolar lift uses the smallest incision and creates the least noticeable scarring since it only goes around the areola. Still, this does not necessarily mean it will give you the most aesthetically appealing and natural-looking outcome, as the circumareolar lift is the least powerful lift in terms of areolar repositioning and breast shaping.
The Limitations of Circumareolar and Traditional Breast Lifts
While the circumareolar technique leaves the least visible scars, it may not deliver the best results for all Portland breast lift patients:
- This approach allows for the smallest improvement in breast shape because it removes the least amount of tissue and does not provide access for internal breast tissue re-shaping.
- A circumareolar breast lift may provide unreliable results in the amount of lift it offers and in the symmetry between the two breasts.
- While the circumareolar scar is short in length , it can be irregularly shaped and have poor quality–it may become thick raised over time. Indeed, the circumareolar scar is the most unpredictable breast scar in terms of shape and appearance.
The Anchor Lift
A traditional breast lift delivers more predictable results than a circumareolar approach. However, it requires an additional incision along the entire fold of the breast, and its benefits are generally less favorable than what we can achieve with a vertical breast lift.
Real Patient Results
The Advantages of a Vertical Approach
We prefer to use a vertical breast lift for most of our Portland patients. It provides significant lift and creates an attractive shape while minimizing the prominence of resulting scars. This approach also allows us to position the areola properly, creating a beautiful aesthetic and symmetry. Also, the vertical lift is perfect for shaping the breast tissue internally enabling us to sculpt the breast tissue into a projecting, cone-like shape. For patients who need slightly more lift than the vertical approach provides, we may recommend a modification using an incision with the shape of a letter “L” or “J”, or even a “T”.
While it is good to think about issues such as scarring when exploring surgery, we encourage you to consider other important factors, such as the improvement you can expect in the lift and shape of your breasts. We will work with you to determine the technique that best suits your goals. And, we will support you with post-operative care, including recommendations for reducing the visibility of scars. As a result, you can expect breasts with a perky, youthful appearance.
Learn more about Esprit® Cosmetic Surgeons and the benefits of breast lift surgery with our practice. Contact our Portland office online or by phone at (503) 783-0544.
