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Creating Beautiful Results
There are many reasons a patient might choose to get a breast lift at Naperville’s John Bull Center for Cosmetic Surgery & Laser Medispa. We strive to deliver the best breast lifts Naperville has to offer. Breasts can lose their shape, volume, and firmness for a variety of reasons, including pregnancy (and especially multiple pregnancies), breastfeeding, age, changes in weight, and even the effects of time itself, as gravity constantly pulls tissues downward year after year. A breast lift aims to resolve these issues and help women feel more confident about their breasts again by restoring the breasts to a higher position on the chest and ensuring the nipples “aim” somewhere other than the floor by moving them to a carefully selected, more aesthetically correct position.
In short, a breast lift—otherwise known as a mastopexy—is a surgical procedure to reshape and reposition breasts that sag, whether that means your breasts have become “bottom-heavy” or your nipples have “migrated” to sit below the crease or now point toward your feet. From mild to significant cases, Dr. John Bull is prepared to not only create beautiful results, but to employ advanced techniques that can shorten recovery time.
Set Your Goals
While numerous factors play a role in causing sagging breasts, a primary culprit is loss of elasticity in the ligaments that keep the breasts looking full and elevated, as well as in the skin itself. Ligaments stretch out over time, like rubber bands that gradually lose their ability to fit snugly against what they’re holding. Once these ligaments loosen, they don’t tend to tighten up again on their own.
Likewise, elastin—a valuable molecule in the skin—dwindles due to natural aging, ultraviolet radiation exposure, and damage from cigarette smoke and other environmental pollutants. This change causes the skin to lose its ability to “hold up” breasts as well as younger, more elastic skin can. The combined effect of this loss of skin and ligament elasticity means the breasts can begin to sag (move downward on the chest) or droop (point downward). Breast lifts address both of these problems, which can also occur due to fluctuations in breast size throughout pregnancy and breastfeeding. As breasts swell in size in order to feed a growing baby, the supporting skin stretches to accommodate the increase. Breasts heavy with milk also pull down more due to the added weight.
After milk production stops, breasts typically shrink back down again—but their supportive ligaments and skin may stay stretched out. This can lead to a deflated look, which is also something a breast lift can address. A breast lift can be a very gratifying procedure for patients if their expectations are realistic in terms of what the surgery can achieve. Dr. Bull will listen to your goals and talk about any concerns you may have during the consultation process. As you discuss the breast lift, you will better understand what can be achieved with this surgical procedure. Although a breast lift can be a transformative surgery, it is important to note that it does not add any volume to the breasts.
In other words, even though a breast lift can make breasts perkier and more prominent, it does not make them larger. Patients who want to increase their projection and size should instead choose breast augmentation, which involves inserting breast implants into the tissue. Dr. John Bull can combine an augmentation with a breast lift by placing a breast implant at the same time as the lift to enlarge the lifted breasts and help maintain a patient’s desired size and shape. A breast lift may also be paired with liposuction to remove excess fat. Patients who want to significantly reduce their breast volume—whether as a standalone procedure or to enjoy the effects of a breast lift along with smaller breasts that will no longer pull down so much—can choose a breast reduction. Combining a breast lift with multiple other procedures designed to restore “pre-baby” contours is known as a Mommy Makeover.
The Right Fit For You
While the goal of every breast lift surgery is the same—to literally raise the breasts—there are numerous different techniques Dr. John Bull may choose from when working with a specific patient. Details depend on the degree of lift needed, whether the areola and nipple need to be repositioned, and more. The procedure can be done with a local anesthetic, but may require general anesthesia depending on the extent of the surgery.
Once this is administered, Dr. Bull will make an incision that will allow him to remove skin and tissue to shape the breast and position it higher on the chest. There are three types of incisions used for breast lifts: a circular line around the outer edge of the areola (making a ring), a circle connected to a line that runs vertically downward on the breast itself (making a lollipop shape), and the circle-and-vertical-line incision combined with another incision running horizontally along the breast crease (making an anchor shape). The resulting scars usually fade within the first year after breast lift surgery and become even less noticeable as time goes on. Faint scars around the areola are typically camouflaged by the line where the pigment changes from dark to light, while horizontal scars farther down are hidden in the breast crease.
Contact us today to schedule your appointment for a breast lift for Naperville and all of Western Chicago. Call (630) 339-4555, or send a message online.
“I am very happy with Dr. Bull’s office and staff. Dr. Bull gave me a breast lift 7 years ago, and I am still very happy with my results. I would highly recommend Dr. Bull.”*
- Anne, Patient
*Individual Results May Vary
Realistic Goals
Ideal breast lift candidates are those who aim to improve their figure—not perfect it—and have realistic expectations when it comes to what the surgery can do. It also helps to be generally healthy, as well as able to maintain a stable body weight that is at or within 20 pounds of their goal.
This is because gaining or losing a significant amount of weight after surgery can “undo” the results of a lift by causing skin and tissues to stretch or grow lax anew. It is also important that breast lift candidates be mentally healthy and approaching the procedure with a positive mindset. While a breast lift can have a great impact on self-esteem, it will not “fix” relationship problems or cure depression.
Following a breast lift procedure, discomfort is usually minimal and can be controlled with pain medication prescribed by Dr. Bull. After the first few days, NSAIDS are all that is needed. Bruising, swelling, and soreness will improve daily, and most patients are feeling well enough to return to work in five to seven days. Our Naperville breast lift patients can resume more strenuous activity about four weeks after their procedure. Numbness may occasionally occur, but this sensation usually resolves in a matter of a few weeks. Other breast lift risks and potential complications can be discussed with Dr. Bull during your consultation. Such effects are rare, but include mild asymmetry, scars that may not heal well, bleeding, infection, and long-lasting sensation changes in the nipple.
Patients will see results shortly after their breast lift procedure is complete, since removing excess skin pulls the breast higher on the chest right away. With that in mind, it can take about six to 12 weeks for the initial swelling to subside and the scars to begin to lighten. For this reason, patients should expect to see the long-term results “settle” about three months after their breast lift surgery.
Board-certified and highly accomplished plastic surgeon Dr. John Bull is not just committed to providing beautiful cosmetic surgery results in a safe and comforting environment. He also wants every patient to feel heard, understood, and confident in their choice.
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To schedule your consultation and learn more about breast lift cost, results, and other details in Naperville and the Western suburbs of Chicago, please contact us online or call The John Bull Center for Cosmetic Surgery & Laser Medispa at (630) 339-4555.
Patients who want to get a visual concept of what a breast lift could do for their silhouette can get a high-resolution “preview” of their potential results. Using advanced Vectra® 3D imaging, Dr. Bull can create a virtual model of your body, then demonstrate the effects of a successful breast lift. He can also show what adding volume with implants would do, so you can be sure a lift is what you are truly seeking, as opposed to augmentation.
Some women have a modest amount of sagging skin on their breasts—something they want to address, but that does not yet warrant a breast lift. Western Chicago-area patients who find themselves in this position have a non-surgical option at the John Bull Center: ThermiTight. This minimally invasive treatment tightens and firms lax skin and other tissues with radiofrequency energy.
We’re looking forward to hearing from you! Call us, send an online message, or stop by our offices to talk to a member of our team and arrange a consultation.
1307 Macom Drive, Naperville, IL 60564