Targeted Treatments for a Drooping, Sagging, Heavy Chest

Newport Beach, Calif. – Today, more than ever, women have a lot to love about their mature years. The career achievements, the financial stability and the overall sense of confidence, yes. The sagging, drooping, heavy chest? Not so much.

“Breasts don’t just lose their shape with age,” says plastic surgeon, Dr. Tenley Lawton. “They can grow, drooping and sagging to such an extent that women experience discomfort and back pain.”

The remedy in years past? Breast implants to restore fullness and shape. “But,” says Dr. Lawton, “the implant approach can leave women a little too, ahem, perky.”

“The breast implant is so ubiquitous in our culture that women, as they age and experience their breasts changing, see it as their only solution,” Dr. Lawton says. “And, with some surgeons, this may truly be the case. Doctors fully adept with implants may lack the experience and skill with reshaping a woman’s natural breast tissue into a beautiful, youthful-looking chest. And that’s a shame. Because, oftentimes, a breast lift or breast reduction creates the most natural-looking results for women dealing with sagging breasts as a result of aging. It’s important to work with a surgeon who can walk you through all the options and deliver the results you want.”

A breast lift (mastopexy) is the proper approach for breasts that sag, and not just as a result of aging. Breast lifts are also effective for restoring breast shape following pregnancy or weight loss. Using a series of small incisions, surgeons remove the excess skin that’s causing the breast to hang lower than desired. This returns the breast to a higher place on the chest and also creates the need to reposition the nipple and areola, which is accomplished during the same procedure.

A breast reduction (mammoplasty) utilizes the same techniques, including repositioning the nipple and areola, as a breast lift while removing more of the breast tissue that has caused heaviness and discomfort.

After either a breast lift or breast reduction, women typically spend a night or two in the hospital and then either return to work or recuperate at home for an additional one to two weeks. Wearing a special bra is part of the recovery process for anywhere from a few weeks to a few months.

“It makes sense that working with a woman’s natural breast tissue to reshape and possibly reduce it creates a more natural-looking result,” says Dr. Lawton. “But there’s also an art to the process. The shape isn’t coming from a pre-defined implant. It’s coming from the skill of your surgeon’s hands, and, with the right doctor, it’s that personal touch that makes all the difference.”