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Breast Lift vs. Augmentation: Which One Is Right for Me?

Woman wearing overalls (model) with a hand behind her head standing indoors.

When considering breast enhancement surgery, it’s important to understand which procedure(s) will give you the results you want. Many patients often debate whether a breast lift vs. augmentation is the better choice for them. To help guide this important decision, we break down both procedures below.

How do you know if you need a breast lift?

As part of our routine breast enhancement consultations, our plastic surgeons look closely at your breasts to determine if a breast lift is needed. In general, this begins by evaluating the position of the nipple. As the breast tissue drops over time, the nipple can sometimes fall below the breast fold. A breast lift can correct this by repositioning the nipple higher on the breast mound to a more youthful position.

The second factor the surgeon looks at is the overall breast skin quality and laxity. If you have noticeable stretch marks or very loose breast skin, then a breast lift can help the appearance of both of these problems.

The third factor considered is the position of the breast fold. If the breast tissue is mostly above the fold, then we usually don’t need a lift. However, some patients can have a condition called pseudo-ptosis, where the fold needs to be adjusted as most of the breast tissue has fallen below the nipple, making it seem too high. Patients with drooping breasts are often good candidates for a breast lift.

How do you know if you need breast augmentation?

Candidacy for breast augmentation is often more straightforward. Patients with noticeable breast asymmetry or who want to enhance the volume of their breasts (particularly in the cleavage-creating upper pole area) can usually benefit from this procedure.

However, if you have size or shape concerns in addition to sagging and loose skin, a breast augmentation on its own may not be enough. Implants add weight and can further exacerbate sagging breasts, rather than “filling out” the loose skin.

In these cases, a combined breast lift with augmentation offers the best of both worlds, as we wrote in a related blog post. Because breast lifts sometimes result in slight volume loss as excess skin is removed and the remaining breast tissue is consolidated, adding implants can help patients restore the lost volume or go up to the size desired by patients.

Breast Lift and Augmentation Cost

The cost of these procedures (whether performed separately or together) will vary based on multiple factors, including your surgeon’s experience, geographic location, the extent of the surgery, and more. Our pricing page has the most current estimates, which include office visits, the surgeon’s fees, and costs associated with anesthesia and surgical facilities. We will provide you with a personalized quote after your consultation and can discuss patient financing options with you.

Breast Lift and Augmentation Recovery

Recovery times for these procedures are comparable, with both requiring about a week of downtime before returning to non-strenuous work. Patients will need to wear a surgical compression bra during the first few weeks to manage swelling and support the breasts as they heal.

Your results will develop over several months as residual swelling subsides and your implants (if applicable) soften and settle into their new position. If you’ve chosen to have a combination surgery, you can learn more about what to expect after your breast lift with implants in our related blog post.

Breast Lift and Augmentation Before and After Photos

Our before-and-after photo gallery showcases real patient transformations to help you see what types of results are possible with each procedure. Let’s look at breast lift, breast augmentation, and combination surgery results in more detail below.

Breast Lift Before and After Photos

These patients chose to have a standalone breast lift to correct their breast ptosis (sagging). The before photos show how their nipples were downturned, and most of their breast volume fell below the breast fold. A breast lift restored their nipples to a more youthful position, raised the breasts higher on the chest wall, and created more pleasing contours.

Before & After Breast Lift (Mastopexy) Case 39 View #1 View in Austin, TX
Before & After Breast Lift
Before & After Breast Lift (Mastopexy) Case 39 View #3 View in Austin, TX
Before & After Breast Lift
Before & After Breast Lift (Mastopexy) Case 396 View #1 View in Austin, TX
Before & After Breast Lift
Before & After Breast Lift (Mastopexy) Case 396 View #2 View in Austin, TX
Before & After Breast Lift

Breast Augmentation Before and After Photos

This next set of patient transformations shows how breast implants can enhance the shape of the breast, add fullness to the upper pole of the breasts, and create more balanced proportions. These women had sufficient skin elasticity and enough volume above the breast fold to make an augmentation-only procedure the better choice for their needs.

Before & After Breast Augmentation Case 546 View #1 View in Austin, TX
Before and After Breast Augmentation
Before & After Breast Augmentation Case 117 View #1 View in Austin, TX
Before and After Breast Augmentation
Before & After Breast Augmentation Case 222 View #3 View in Austin, TX
Before and After Breast Augmentation
Before & After Breast Augmentation Case 477 View #5 View in Austin, TX
Before and After Breast Augmentation

Breast Lift & Breast Augmentation Before and After Photos

Lastly, we see how combining these procedures creates beautiful results. For these patients, a breast lift helped elevate sagging breasts and downturned nipples, while implants corrected the “deflated” look and added more shape and support. This tandem approach allowed these patients to comprehensively address issues and rejuvenate their breasts.

Before & After Breast Lift & Breast Augmentation Case 463 View #5 View in Austin, TX
Before and After Breast Augmentation with Lift
Before & After Breast Lift & Breast Augmentation Case 440 View #1 View in Austin, TX
Before and After Breast Augmentation with Lift
Before & After Breast Lift & Breast Augmentation Case 548 View #5 View in Austin, TX
Before and After Breast Augmentation with Lift
Before & After Breast Lift & Breast Augmentation Case 454 View #4 View in Austin, TX
Before and After Breast Augmentation with Lift

Explore Your Breast Enhancement Options

The best way to learn more about how breast enhancement surgery can improve your appearance is to schedule a consultation with one of our respected board-certified plastic surgeons. During your consultation we can sit down and discuss your options and perform an examination. For more information, call us at (512) 244-1439 or request a consultation using our online contact form.

This post was originally written in June 2014 and has been updated for 2024.

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