Breast Lift Incision Types & Scars: What To Expect (Updated 2024)

Women considering breast lift surgery often have questions about breast lift incision types and the kinds of scars they can expect. Breast lifts offer dramatic rejuvenation, especially for women who have experienced pregnancy, weight loss, and other causes of stretched skin and sagging. With the help of a meticulous surgeon, scarring is minimal, but it’s important to know where breast lift scars are located and how they typically look once healed.

In this blog post, I’ll explain the different types of breast lift incisions and share tips for helping scars heal quickly and beautifully.

Types of Breast Lift Incisions

I perform several different types of breast lift (mastopexy) procedures, each involving a different incision. Options include:

Concentric or “donut”

This incision traces all the way around the areola and is nearly invisible when healed. This approach leaves the least noticeable scar but also creates the least amount of lift and projection.

Circumvertical or “lollipop”

Like the concentric incision, this incision traces all the way around the areola but adds a vertical line down toward the bottom of the breast. This provides a moderate lift in smaller-breasted women.

Inverted T or “anchor”

The anchor incision is one of the most commonly used breast list incisions. It traces all the way around the areola, down vertically to the bottom of the breast, and horizontally along the inframammary crease where the breast meets the chest wall. Ideal for significant sagging or inelastic skin, this approach provides the most dramatic lift.

In all cases, incisions are created and closed with careful precision to minimize scar visibility. Review my Types of Breast Lifts blog post for before-and-after pictures of some of my patients.

What Is the Best Incision for a Breast Lift?

It depends. The best breast lift incision depends on how much existing breast tissue you have, the elasticity of your breast skin, and the amount of lift you are looking for.

Your incision type may also depend on whether you plan to combine your breast lift with a breast reduction or breast augmentation. Learn more about combining a breast lift with breast implants in this related blog post.

Choosing a breast lift technique is not a decision you have to make on your own, of course. I will provide personalized guidance during your consultation and recommend the approach that benefits you most while leaving the least visible scarring.

Do Scars From a Breast Lift Go Away?

As your incisions heal after surgery, your scars will initially appear as raised, red lines. They will eventually fade, flatten, and lighten to become even less visible. Everyone heals differently, but it’s important to know that you may have some faint remaining scarring on your breast. Whether that is worth it to achieve perkier, more lifted and youthful breasts is your decision to make. However, most women are happy with their decision to undergo a breast lift—the procedure earns a 95% “Worth It” rating on the medical review site RealSelf.

Breast Lift Before and After: Scars

One of the best ways to understand potential breast lift scarring is to see real breast lift patients’ before and after photos. Scars are visible in most early before and after pictures, but they will continue to fade for a year or two after surgery. To see more examples of the results you can expect from a breast lift, please visit our before-and-after photo gallery.

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Tips for Minimizing Scarring After a Breast Lift

While I make every effort to minimize your incisions during breast lift surgery, you can take proactive steps post-op to reduce visible scarring, including:

• Wearing SPF and limiting direct sun exposure
• Avoiding vigorous exercise until cleared after surgery
• Wearing bras that don’t irritate your skin

Silicone sheets or scar gels may also be helpful. You can learn more about breast lift scar healing from Healthline.

Schedule Your Consultation

If you would like to learn more about your options for breast lift surgery in Northbrook, IL, please contact us online or call us at (847) 504-2333.