mastopexy Archives - DeLuca Plastic Surgery - Albany NY

Do I Really Need A Breast Lift?

The decision to do a breast augmentation without lift versus a breast augmentation with a breast lift, however, is less based on patient preference and more dictated the saginess, the nipple position, and the ratio between the breast volume and the amount of excess skin that is present.

How Ptotic Are My Breasts?

The gold-standard method of assessing the need for a breast lift is the “pencil test.” Standing in front of a mirror, lift the breast and lay a pencil in the fold under the breast and allow the breast to settle over the pencil. Look at the position of the nipple in relation to the pencil.

Pencil Test For Determining Degree of Breast Ptosis
Pencil Test For Breast Ptosis

The lower the nipples and breast are below the pencil and the more excess skin you have, the greater the chance you will need a breast lift and the more of a breast lift you will need. If your nipple and a majority of your breast are at or above the pencil (Normal), you will likely get a great result from a breast augmentation alone. Larger implants can shift this equation slightly for patients that have borderline ptosis (Grade 1).

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Breast Q&A: What’s the Best Way to Correct Grade 1 Breast Ptosis (Sagging)? Implant, Lift or Both?

Question – What is the best way to correct breast ptosis, high or moderate profile implants, a breast lift or both?

Stage I Breast Ptosis

Breast sagging after pregnancy

I am 36 years old, breastfed 2 kids, and have lost volume in my breasts. I have some sagging but my nipple is still over the fold. I weigh 130 pounds and am very fit and toned.

I am 5″4″ and my breast size is a 34B. Before my kids I was a 34C cup. When I was breastfeeding I was a 34D cup. I would like to be a D cup and wonder what type of procedure would be best to correct my ptosis?


Answer – Since you have a small amount of glandular ptosis (pseudoptosis), you not only want to fill-OUT, but lift-UP a little as well. Therefore, my approach would be a dual plane breast augmentation, which would fill out the inferior/lower pole nicely, give you muscle coverage across the upper two thirds of the breast and a nice, slightly lifted appearance.

More specifically, given your body measurements and photo (which shows pseudoptosis with mild Grade 1 ptosis), I suspect that 450cc moderate plus profile implants are needed to give you both the breast size (D cup) and breast lift you desire.

How To Classify/Grade Breast Ptosis

Simply put, grade 1, 2 or 3 glandular ptosis, which refers to how far the areola is sagging below the inframammary fold beneath the breast, the lower attachment point of the breast to the chest wall.

  • Grade 1: Mild Ptosis – The nipple is at the level of the inframammary fold, but most of the breast tissue is below the nipple.
  • Grade 2: Moderate Ptosis – The nipple is located below the inframammary fold and below the majority of the bottom breast tissue.
  • Grade 3: Advanced Ptosis – The nipple is far below the inframammary fold and points towards the floor.
  • Pseudoptosis – The nipple lies above or at the level of the inframammary fold while the majority of the breast has descended below the level of the fold. This is not true ptosis, or sagging.

Diagram of breast ptosis (drooping/sagging) degrees/stages

The degrees/stages of breast ptosis (drooping/sagging)

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