Breast Lift Surgery
in Beverly Hills, CA

How old do you have to be for breast lift surgery?

The misconception is that only older women can benefit from a breast lift. Any adult woman unhappy with their sagging breasts may qualify for a breast lift, and this is because aging is not the only cause of breast sagging. Younger women may experience drooping breasts due to genetics, weight loss, or breastfeeding.

Additionally, younger women opting for a breast reduction benefit from combining their reduction with a lift.

Schedule a consultation with Dr. Linder to see if you are a candidate for this surgery.

What is the normal recovery time for a breast lift?

Most patients find that their lift recovery takes around four to six weeks. During this time, patients should avoid heavy lifting and other activities that could place unnecessary stress on the healing incisions.

What types of medications will I be given after my surgery?

Prescribed medications will depend on the patient. One of two antibiotics, Ciprofloxacin or Keflex (not ideal for patients allergic to penicillin), will be provided. For pain management, Dr. Linder may recommend Norco or Vicodin. Zofran may be prescribed to prevent nausea and vomiting.

Will there be scarring after lift surgery?

Breast lift scarring will develop at all incision sites.

Scarring is the most important risk and tradeoff associated with mastopexy. Even with excellent surgical technique, scar healing is not 100% predictable and varies based on genetics, skin quality, and individual healing response.

Fortunately, Dr. Linder makes these incisions as small as possible and limits them to areas that can be easily hidden under undergarments, such as bras and bathing suits. He also takes care to use absorbable sutures where possible to allow for the smallest scars possible. The resulting scars will fade over time.

What can I do to help minimize scarring after surgery?

The darker skin of the areola can hide some breast scars; however, patients with more significant breast ptosis will also have a vertical scar at the lower pole of the breast and a horizontal scar across the breast crease.

Patients can help minimize the visibility of their scars by:

• Avoiding sun exposure on the incisions for up to one year
• Keeping the incisions clean for at least two to three weeks postoperatively to help prevent infection
• Keeping incisions dry for at least 14 days
• Avoiding getting the incisions wet and sweating to prevent bacterial infections

Patients with darker skin tones, including African-American, Korean, or Middle Eastern patients, may have a higher predisposition to hyperpigmentation, hypertrophic scarring, or keloid formation.

Using silicone gel, silicone strips, or other physician-directed scar therapy for two to three months may help improve scar maturation.

When can I return to normal activities after breast lift surgery?

Most patients return to work and their daily activities within one to two weeks; however, patients must continue to avoid strenuous activity and heavy lifting for six weeks or longer. Dr. Linder will give you specific guidelines to follow after the procedure to ensure the safest and most effective recovery.

How long will the results of breast lift surgery last?

The effects of breast lift surgery are considered permanent. However, the natural aging process and subsequent weight fluctuations or pregnancies may alter the results. Also, it depends on the type of lift performed and the patients’ activities and behaviors.

How can I best maintain the results of my breast lift?

While your breasts will naturally age as time goes on, Dr. Linder has a few tips for making your lift last as long as possible:

• Wear an underwire bra as soon as you are cleared to do so after recovery. This type of bra provides the extra support your breasts need, as the skin can become stretched again due to the natural pull of gravity.

• A sports bra is an excellent option during exercise and sleep.

• Avoid going braless as much as possible.

Dr. Linder strongly emphasizes wearing underwire support during the day once healed and a supportive bra at night to reduce gravitational descent and recurrent skin laxity over time.

How many cup sizes will I go down after my breast lift?

Normally, after a full formal mastopexy, patients will be downsized by approximately one cup size. This can vary depending upon the patient’s size, height, weight, breast base diameter, and preoperative breast size.

What’s the difference between a breast lift and a breast reduction?

A breast lift deals primarily with excess skin, downturned nipples, and deflated breasts. A breast reduction is for women who have very large, pendulous breasts. Both procedures remove tissue and skin and reposition the breasts and the nipple-areolar complex, but a breast reduction is aimed at removing and reshaping a larger amount of tissue.

Do I need a breast lift or a combination breast lift with augmentation?

A breast lift is needed when you have sagging issues; a breast augmentation is best for volume issues.

Although a mastopexy corrects breast laxity and repositions the nipple-areolar complex, it cannot create true upper pole fullness. Patients with significant existing breast tissue who undergo a lift alone may still lack upper-pole fullness unless an implant is placed. Patients desiring fuller cleavage and superior breast volume typically require saline or silicone implants in addition to mastopexy.

Patients with significant Grade 3 ptosis and upper pole deflation—often seen after pregnancy, breastfeeding, significant weight loss, or GLP-1 medication use (sometimes referred to as “Ozempic breast”)—frequently benefit from a combined augmentation-mastopexy procedure.

What is the “pencil test” for breast sagging?

The pencil test is a simple way to evaluate breast sagging at home.

If you place a pencil underneath your breast and it stays in place without falling, that typically indicates significant skin laxity. A positive pencil test (sometimes called the “pen test”) often correlates with more advanced ptosis, most commonly consistent with Grade 3 laxity, where a full formal mastopexy using an inferior pedicle Wise-pattern (anchor incision) technique may be recommended.

The pencil test isn’t a formal diagnosis, but it’s a helpful starting point. Dr. Linder will also measure the nipple’s position relative to the breast fold. If the nipple sits more than a few centimeters below the fold, that’s considered more advanced sagging. During your consultation, Dr. Linder will perform precise measurements to determine whether a breast lift alone—or a lift combined with implants—will best achieve your goals.

What are the most important risks of breast lift surgery?

Scarring is the most significant and unavoidable tradeoff of breast lift surgery. In addition, other risks include bleeding, infection, asymmetry, fat necrosis, skin necrosis, delayed wound healing, and—rarely—partial or complete loss of the nipple-areolar complex due to blood supply compromise. Dr. Linder will discuss these risks thoroughly during your consultation.

Will a breast lift affect nipple sensitivity or breastfeeding?

There is approximately an 8–11% risk nationally of reduced nipple-areolar complex sensitivity following mastopexy due to potential nerve involvement (including the fourth lateral intercostal nerve). Larger lifts or reductions that require narrowing of the inferior pedicle may carry a higher risk of reduced sensation or breastfeeding capability. Most patients retain good sensation, but temporary or permanent numbness can occur. Breastfeeding ability may also be reduced depending on the extent of tissue rearrangement and pedicle thickness.