Breast Augmentation vs. Breast Lift: What’s Right for You? (Updated 2024)

There’s no shortage of choice when it comes to breast enhancement, but for many patients, their journey starts by comparing breast augmentation vs breast lift surgery. These popular procedures address different needs and often work synergistically to produce the best results. How do you know which one to choose (and when to combine surgeries)? Keep reading to find out!

Breast Augmentation Benefits

Breast augmentation surgery typically uses synthetic implants to add volume to the breasts. These implants are placed either beneath the chest muscle or directly behind the breast tissue, depending on your existing level of tissue, implant material, and other preferences. Implants come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and materials, so you can choose the perfect combination for your ideal look. 

Breast augmentation is an excellent procedure for a variety of reasons. You may be a good candidate if you wish to:

• Increase breast size
• Correct breast asymmetry
• Reverse an inverted nipple
• Enhance cleavage (upper pole fullness)

Although breast augmentation offers many appealing benefits, it may not be suitable for everyone. For example, it cannot lift a severely sagging breast nor repair skin that has been stretched out. Adding implants under these conditions can exacerbate the issue.

Breast Lift Benefits

Breast lift surgery (also known as mastopexy) fixes sagging breasts and creates a more youthful, lifted appearance. This is achieved by removing loose skin and repositioning the breast tissue higher along the chest wall. Many women turn to breast lift surgery after breastfeeding, significant weight loss, or age. 

A breast lift is a good option to:

• Remove excess skin
• Relieve neck or back pain caused by sagging
• Correct drooping nipples
• Resize the areolas

For women who have their breast implants removed or who have had a breast reduction surgery, a breast lift can create a more flattering, proportionate result by removing excess skin and fat and reshaping the remaining tissue. You can read more about breast lift surgery following breast implant removal (explant surgery) in our related blog post.

Combining Breast Procedures

The breasts can change in many ways after body-changing life events. For example, women who have experienced pregnancy often struggle with both saggy skin and loss of volume. Similarly, those who have experienced significant weight loss often have excess breast skin and deflated-looking breasts. Combining a breast lift with implants can correct both concerns for more noticeable results.

When a breast lift and breast augmentation are used together, they create more lifted, fuller breasts. You get the benefits of both procedures with a single surgery and a single recovery period, making it a popular choice for many patients.

Breast shape before a breast lift, breast shape with incision outlines after breast lift, and breast shape with incision outlines after breast lift with implants.

Take the Next Step

Start your aesthetic transformation by meeting with a board-certified plastic surgeon. Your consultation will shed light on which procedure is right for you or whether a combined approach can give you your desired look. We encourage you to browse our breast augmentation before-and-after gallery to see real results from our patients, including the difference between breast augmentation alone and a breast augmentation combined with a breast lift.

Please request a consultation online or call us at (847) 504-2333 today to get started.