Pregnancy, breastfeeding, weight fluctuations, and the aging process may cause dramatic changes in the appearance of your breasts and may cause them to head south. Many women are unhappy with their sagging breasts and turn to Dr. Max of MP Plastic Surgery for a breast lift procedure to reposition them.
But how are the nipple and areola affected by a breast lift? The answer is – GREATLY!
Your Degree of Breast Sagging Is All Dependent on the Position of your Nipple to your Breast Crease
The medical term for breast sagging is breast ptosis. Plastic surgeons like Dr. Max measure your degree of breast ptosis by performing what they call “the ruler test.”
During a consultation, Dr. Max will examine your breasts and then ask you to place a ruler in your breast crease. This ruler is used to classify the degree of breast sagging you’re experiencing.
Here are the breast ptosis classifications:
- Grade 1, or mild ptosis, occurs when your nipple is just slightly above or directly on top of the ruler placed in your breast crease
- Grade 2, or mild to moderate ptosis, is diagnosed when a woman’s nipple is 1 to 3 cm below the top of her breast crease
- Grade 3, or severe ptosis, takes place when a woman’s nipple and areola sag more than 3 cms below the ruler placed under her breast crease
A Breast Lift Surgery Can Reposition Your Nipple and Areola
In addition to surgically lifting the breast tissue to a more youthful and perkier position, this procedure also involves surgically repositioning your nipple and areola. Keep in mind, because all breasts are slightly asymmetrical, to begin with, and each individual breast sags at a different rate, you may have a specific degree of ptosis on one breast, and a different degree on the other. This just means it’s possible that the surgical incisions Dr. Max will make on your breasts to lift them may be different from breast to breast.
Different Incisions Help Women Achieve Perkier Breasts Depending on Their Degree of Breast Sagging
While all breast lift incisions allow Dr. Max to lift a woman’s breasts and reposition her nipples and areolas, more invasive incisions are required for higher severities of breast sagging.
The 4 breast lift incision options, starting from least invasive to most invasive, are:
- The crescent incision, which is made along the upper arch of the areola
- The donut incision, which is made entirely around the areola
- The lollipop incision, which is a donut incision plus a vertical incision on the lower part of the breast – centered at the middle of the areola and forming a lollipop shape
- The anchor incision, which is a lollipop incision plus a smiley face arch along the lower breast, forming an anchor-like scar
Learning More About The Best Options for Your Unique Anatomy
While you can perform the ruler test at home, the best thing to do is consult directly with Dr. Max to get his medical advice and opinion.
To schedule a consultation with him at MP Plastic Surgery, call (817) 529-9199.
