QUICK ANSWER
A breast augmentation increases breast size using implants or fat transfer. A breast lift (mastopexy) corrects sagging by removing excess skin and repositioning the nipple without significantly changing size. Many patients need both. The right choice depends on whether the primary concern is volume, position, or both.
What Does Breast Augmentation Do?
Breast augmentation (augmentation mammoplasty) increases breast size and improves shape using silicone implants, saline implants, or fat transfer from another part of the body. It is the right procedure when breast volume is the primary concern and the breasts maintain a relatively upright, well-positioned shape.
At Evolve Your Life in Chicago, Dr. Amir Dorafshar — a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon — evaluates each patient’s anatomy to recommend implant type, size, and placement. Modern silicone implants are FDA-approved for patients 22 and older; saline implants are approved at 18.
What Does a Breast Lift Do?
A breast lift (mastopexy) removes excess, stretched skin and reshapes the breast tissue to restore a firmer, more elevated contour. The nipple-areola complex is repositioned to a more youthful height. A breast lift does not meaningfully increase cup size — it improves position and shape.
Breast ptosis (sagging) is graded on a three-level scale. Grade I ptosis (mild) may respond to augmentation alone. Grade II and Grade III ptosis (moderate to severe) typically require a lift. The key clinical marker: if the nipple sits at or below the inframammary fold, a lift is needed.
How Do I Know Which Procedure I Need?
The nipple position test
Locate the crease beneath your breast (the inframammary fold). If your nipple sits above this line, augmentation may be sufficient. If your nipple sits at or below this line, a lift is likely necessary. This is a self-assessment guide only; formal clinical evaluation by Dr. Dorafshar is required for an accurate recommendation.
Choosing augmentation alone
If your breasts have lost fullness but maintain a relatively upright position, and your nipple sits above the inframammary fold, breast augmentation alone can restore a fuller, youthful profile.
Choosing a lift alone
If your breasts are adequately sized but have significant sagging — drooping, elongated, or with the nipple pointing downward — a lift is the right procedure. Adding implants is not required.
Choosing augmentation plus lift
This combined procedure (augmentation mastopexy) is ideal for patients who have both volume loss and sagging — the most common presentation after pregnancy and breastfeeding. It is one of the most frequently performed combinations in the mommy makeover category.
What Are the Key Differences Between Augmentation and a Lift?
- Goal: Augmentation adds volume | Lift corrects position and shape
- Implants: Augmentation requires implants or fat | Lift does not
- Scars: Augmentation scars are minimal and hidden | Lift creates anchor or lollipop-shaped scars around the areola
- Size change: Augmentation changes cup size | Lift does not significantly
- Recovery: Similar timelines — 2 to 4 weeks for light activity
What Is Recovery Like for Each Procedure?
Both procedures are performed under general anesthesia as outpatient procedures. Most patients return to desk work within one to two weeks. Exercise and strenuous activity resume at four to six weeks. When both procedures are combined, recovery is managed as a single healing period — not two separate ones.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will breast implants lift my breasts?
Implants add volume and can create the visual impression of a slight lift in mild cases, but they do not correct true ptosis. If the nipple sits at or below the fold, implants alone will worsen the appearance by adding weight to already-sagging tissue.
Are the scars from a breast lift visible?
Scars are present but placed strategically around the areola and, in some cases, vertically below it and along the inframammary fold. They fade significantly over 12 to 18 months and are not visible in clothing or swimwear.
Can I breastfeed after augmentation or a lift?
Most women retain breastfeeding ability after both procedures, depending on surgical technique. If preserving this option is important, discuss it with Dr. Dorafshar at your consultation.
How long do breast augmentation results last?
Modern implants are highly durable and have no set expiration date. Many patients keep their implants for 10 to 20 years or longer. Lift results are maintained best when weight is stable and future pregnancies are avoided.
Is it more expensive to combine augmentation and a lift?
Combining both procedures in one surgery is typically less expensive than staging them separately, because you incur a single anesthesia and facility fee. Financing is available at Evolve Your Life through Cherry, CareCredit and PatientFi.
NEXT STEP FOR PATIENTS
Schedule a breast consultation with Dr. Amir Dorafshar at any of the Evolve Your Life locations, Chicago, Oak Brook, and Peoria. Call (312) 278-9000, or book here https://www.evolveyourlife.com/contact/book-consultation/.
