Achieving significant weight loss is a transformative journey toward better health, increased energy, and improved confidence. However, one area many women notice changes in is their breasts. Reshaping the breasts after massive weight loss is a common concern, as significant weight loss can lead to sagging and loss of volume in the breasts. Fortunately, there are surgical and non-surgical options available to help restore firmness and shape.
Why Breasts Change After Weight Loss
Your breasts are primarily made up of fat and glandular tissue. When you lose weight, especially in large amounts or at a fast pace, the fat within the breasts decreases. This leads to breast volume loss and a change in shape, often resulting in sagging or a deflated appearance.
A major reason for sagging breasts after weight loss is the skin’s ability to bounce back-or lack thereof. Skin elasticity weakens over time due to age, sun exposure, and poor hydration. Skin that once expanded to accommodate larger volumes may not snap back perfectly around smaller volumes after weight loss, leaving behind loose skin that cannot fit snugly against the reduced size. Such decreased elasticity results in creased and less supple breast skin, contributing to the appearance of drooping breasts. Nipples tend not only to lose elevation but also take on a downward orientation owing to diminished support from vanishing underlying breast tissue.
The extent of breast size reduction depends on how much weight you lose and the proportion of fatty tissue in your breasts. Women with higher fat content may experience a drop of one or more cup sizes. However, genetics, age, skin quality, and lifestyle habits play key roles, meaning that some women may maintain firm breasts even after major weight loss, while others may notice sagging even with a modest weight change.
Non-Surgical Options
For individuals who are hesitant or disinclined to opt for surgery, alternatives like ThermiBra provide a feasible option that does not require going under the knife. By utilizing radiofrequency energy, ThermiBra is designed to induce collagen production within the breast tissue, resulting in a moderate elevation and enhancement of firmness in the breasts. Observations post-ThermiBra usually manifest around three months following treatment and typically sustain for approximately two years.
Read also: Support for Saggy Breasts
Lifestyle changes and non-surgical options generally don’t produce significant results, and you’ll need to accept this to avoid disappointment. However, there are a few ways to try and minimise the effects of weight loss on breast volume, such as:
- Investing in a well-fitted bra that provides strong support during workouts and everyday activities.
- Skin elasticity relies on hydration and collagen.
- LightWave LED Therapy, available at our spa, enhances natural breast firming after weight loss by increasing collagen production and improving skin texture.
- Radiofrequency (RF) treatments and other body contouring methods work to tighten loose skin and sculpt areas affected by fat loss.
Losing Weight Slowly and Steadily
Crash dieting is never a great idea, as it can negatively affect your weight loss efforts and your health. The issue with crash dieting is that it makes your body think you’re in starvation mode. Then, when you return to a normal eating pattern, your body tries to hold on to as much fat as possible to avoid starvation again, potentially making you regain all your lost weight. Crash dieting is also associated with nutrient deficiencies, muscle loss, and certain health issues, and rapid weight loss and frequent weight fluctuations can stretch your skin, making it lose elasticity, potentially causing breast sagging.
Rather than crash dieting, losing weight slowly and sustainably can give your body more time to adjust to the changes, possibly reducing the chance of sagging. Aim for a sustainable weight loss of 0.5-1kg per week.
Strengthening Chest Muscles
Building muscle in your chest area may also help to prevent saggy breasts, as it provides a firmer foundation beneath your breast tissue. Strength training exercises that target the chest include push-ups, bench presses, chest flies, and dips.
Maintaining Hydration and a Balanced Diet
Keeping your skin supple and elastic could also be a good way to reduce the risk of sagging. Adequate hydration is key - it helps ensure your skin stays plump and firm.
Read also: What to Expect: Breast Changes Post-Bariatric Surgery
A healthy diet is also important, not only for supporting overall weight loss but for maintaining skin elasticity. Make sure to include plenty of protein, which is essential for muscle repair and skin maintenance, as well as collagen-rich foods (such as bone broth, chicken skin, and organ meats) and vitamin C, which has been found to support collagen production and preserve skin health.
Wearing the Right Bra
The right bra should fit well and offer plenty of support while you’re exercising. It may also help to prevent sagging, as it minimises strain on the ligaments and skin around your breasts. Sports bras are the best option for exercising, as they reduce breast movement. Getting properly fitted will also ensure you get the correct bra for your size and activity level.
Boosting Skin Elasticity
Another way to firm up your skin is to use creams and serums designed to improve skin elasticity. Look for products that contain ingredients like hyaluronic acid, peptides and ceramides, all of which may help enhance skin firmness and texture. Doing gentle breast massage with moisturising oils could also be useful, as it stimulates blood flow to the area and may support skin elasticity.
Surgical Options
Many women undergo breast surgery to reclaim the look of their breasts following a significant reduction in weight. The optimal surgery for an individual is influenced by various elements, including loss of volume in the breasts, surplus skin present after weight loss, and personal tastes.
Mastopexy (Breast Lift)
Mastopexy, commonly known as a breast lift, is designed to raise and rejuvenate breasts that have begun to sag, granting them a youthful and buoyant look. During the surgery, any excess skin is carefully removed, and the breast tissue is reshaped for improved positioning and contouring. The procedure targets the restoration of breasts to their natural appearance by making them tauter and more visually appealing.
Read also: Breast Augmentation After Weight Loss
During a breast lift surgery, extra skin is removed, the breast tissue is tightened, and the nipple is moved into a more elevated, youthful posture. Unlike breast augmentation, which increases the size of the breasts, a breast lift focuses on improving shape and contour. The result is a firmer, perkier appearance that complements your slimmer figure after weight loss. Doctors can customize the surgery based on the degree of sagging and your desired outcome.
There are several types of breast lift surgeries, including:
- Crescent Lift: For mild sagging, a crescent lift is often the most appropriate breast lift surgery. Dr. Tillo makes a small incision along the upper border of the areola, then brings the resulting gap together, firming up the skin of the breasts.
- Periareolar Lift: For more moderate sagging, a periareolar lift consists of an incision around the full circumference of the areola, after which Dr. Tillo brings the resulting gap back together, thereby providing an uplift to the breast.
- Vertical Lift: For moderate sagging and more extensive shaping of the breast, a vertical lift may be the most appropriate breast lift surgery option.
- Inverted-T Technique: The inverted-T technique is designed to address the most severe sagging of the breasts. Three incisions are made: one around the areola, then vertically down to the breast fold, then an additional incision across the breast fold itself.
Breast Augmentation
Breast augmentation enhances the size, shape, and fullness of a woman’s breasts through the insertion of breast implants or by transferring fat. There are multiple implant options available for this surgery, such as silicone implants or saline solutions.
To add volume to the breasts as well as additional perkiness, breast augmentation can be highly effective surgery. A more prominent, higher position on the chest can be a natural-looking solution to sagging.
- Saline Implants: Saline implants are the original type of breast implants that add volume to the breasts and add perkiness.
- Silicone Gel Implants: The more modern of the two implant types, silicone gel implants offer augmentation that looks and feels natural - its gel is designed to mimic the feel of natural breasts.
Fat Grafting
Another alternative to breast implants is augmentation via fat transfer. A fat transfer breast augmentation corrects asymmetry while providing a moderate breast volume enlargement. The ideal candidate for a fat grafting breast augmentation are women seeking only modest enhancements to their breasts and looking for alternatives to breast implants.
Combined Breast Lift and Augmentation
A breast lift combined with augmentation is a comprehensive solution for patients who have experienced volume loss and skin laxity due to weight loss. By utilizing a single incision site, the procedure simultaneously tightens the skin and inserts implants, offering an integrated method of treatment. Patients choosing this combined approach can attain superior outcomes by enhancing their breast size while also elevating its shape in one surgical session.
Composite breast augmentation is a breast augmentation procedure that combines both implants and fat transfer to improve the size, shape, and symmetry of your breasts. This advanced method of breast augmentation uses transferred fatty tissue to create breasts with a natural feel and allows Dr. Tillo to create a completely bespoke augmentation.
Upper Body Lift
The upper body lift is a reverse abdominoplasty that ends along the IMF scar of the Wise-pattern mastopexy and extends laterally with excision of the back rolls. Planning for the upper body lift begins after the lower lift/abdominoplasty is drawn or previously performed. If a single-stage procedure is planned, then the anticipated inferior torso skin closure tensions are considered.
With the patient upright, the existing IMF, which has descended toward the costal margin, is identified, marked, and registered transversely over the sternum. The reverse abdominoplasty removes the excess upper abdominal skin transversely, followed by undermining and advancement of the inferiorly based flap. To judge the excision, the excess upper abdominal skin is pushed upward and laterally until the umbilicus is pulled.
The end of the flap is marked at the new IMF and continued laterally along the bra line. Because the lateral skin redundancy is more than medial and a transsternal scar under tension may hypertrophy, we rarely excise across the midline. The reverse abdominoplasty incision line continues laterally and inferior to the midtorso back roll. The excess back skin and fat is gathered and pinched and a superior transverse line of excision is drawn near the midback to the lateral limb of the Wise pattern. After the back roll is excised, a bra will cover the suture line.
Augmentation of the superior pole of the breast will be provided by a de-epithelialized lateral extension of the central breast pedicle that includes the lateral 50% of the back roll. With augmentation, the Wise pattern is modified according to the fill flaps, to improve projection and reduce skin tension.
The upper body lift consists of raising the IMF, a reverse abdominoplasty, excision of the midtorso back rolls, and reshaping the breasts. A total body lift consists of an upper body lift combined with a lower body lift and circumferential abdominoplasty. Due to the magnitude of the case, the total body lift is usually a two-staged procedure.
For reshaping large pancake breasts, vertical-pattern mastopexy is modified with two central de-epithelialized pedicles. The superior flap includes the nipple-areolar complex and is folded as the areola is sewn to its new position. The inferior tonguelike flap, extending from IMF to inferior areola, augments the breast as it is repositioned directly over the pectoralis muscle fascia and under the approximated medial and lateral parenchymal flaps.
Considerations Before Surgery
Women who are suitable for breast reshaping should be in sound health and possess a clear understanding of the possible results of surgery. It’s crucial for these women to maintain a consistent body weight since changes can impact the effectiveness and durability of surgical outcomes. As a general rule of thumb after a lot of weight loss, doctors like people to maintain their weight for about six months. This ensures that their weight is stable before considering breast augmentation.
It is advised that individuals should only contemplate surgery after maintaining their target weight for a minimum of six months.
Risks and Complications
Breast lift surgery can be greatly beneficial, yet it is not without possible risks and adverse outcomes. Complications from anesthesia, instances of bleeding, and infection are among the potential hazards associated with such procedures. A change in sensation within the breasts is another concern that could arise post-surgery, which may be either a transient issue or a long-lasting one. Post-operative differences in symmetry between the breasts or inconsistencies in their shape might occur in some individuals. Should healing at incision sites progress poorly, additional corrective surgery might become necessary.
The Consultation Process
The process starts with a preliminary meeting, where patients discuss their medical history and objectives with the surgeon. Patients considering surgery must undergo a comprehensive medical assessment, which entails examining their medical history and any previous surgical procedures.
A big part of the consultation is talking about how they've gotten to that point, how they feel, what their expectations are, and then their social support. Social support is critical when you talk about getting through a big surgery like that. And so we'll make sure that they've really thought through who needs to help them, someone to help with the children, someone to help with themselves and their work.
Some will have to really set realistic expectations, that you will not have a 20-year-old body after this, but you will have this and you won't have that.
Recovery
Recovery varies depending on the procedure. After surgery, patients should wear a surgical support bra and control pain as well as swelling. Swelling and bruising typically last around two weeks, while drainage tubes often come out within several days. It may take between six months to a full year for the ultimate aesthetic outcomes to become fully apparent. As any swelling subsides, the breasts will soften and adopt a more natural look.
- Breast lift: after a breast lift procedure, you may need between one to three weeks to recover.
- Breast implant surgery: after getting implants, it is best to limit your activity for the first few days to prevent bleeding.
- Fat grafting: recovery after a fat transfer breast augmentation is usually within two weeks. You may experience bruising and swelling of your breasts between one and three weeks before they fully heal.
After the procedure, it is best to follow the surgeon’s instructions for fast recovery. Furthermore, sleeping on your back, drinking plenty of water, and keeping your breasts above water are best. Submerging your breasts may lead to infection. In addition, avoid smoking and alcohol, as they can delay wound healing and cause dehydration.
Benefits of Breast Reshaping
Following significant weight loss, breast reshaping can offer profound benefits to both physical appearance and emotional well-being. Numerous women experience a boost in self-esteem and body image satisfaction following these surgical enhancements. The impact of such plastic surgery extends beyond cosmetic enhancement. It tackles practical concerns as well. By removing excess skin during the lift procedure, breasts can achieve a firmer texture and smoother outline, which may alleviate discomfort associated with excessive skin while promoting enhanced breast health.