What Happens If You Put an Implant in Sagging Breasts?

If you classify breast surgery,

you might naturally think that

small breasts get augmentation surgery

and large breasts get reduction surgery.

However, there are also cases

that are difficult to classify

so simply.

In other words, the breasts may not seem large,

but they are sagging.

To improve breast sagging,

a breast lift is usually performed.

A breast lift is a surgery that

raises the nipple position upward

and removes the lower tissue

and stretched skin of the sagging breast.

However, some people may feel

unfamiliar with breast lift surgery.

That is because when people think of breast surgery,

they often only think of

augmentation or reduction.

Among people whose breasts are not very large

but do have sagging,

many choose augmentation surgery

rather than considering a lift.

From the patient's point of view,

the augmentation surgery they often see

on TV or online may seem simple,

so they go ahead with it lightly.

If you undergo the relatively unfamiliar

lift surgery,

you may feel that it must be a dangerous operation,

or hesitate because of concerns about pain

or scarring.

And some people think that if they fill

their sagging breasts with implants,

remembering the firm, full breasts they had before,

the skin will stretch and the breasts will become

firm and beautiful again like before.

However, putting in an implant simply to improve sagging,

rather than size alone,

is not a good method.

The first reason is that once the skin has stretched,

it is hard for it to return to the same firmness as before.

The second is that even if your breasts are not large,

the tissue below the nipple tends to be abundant and heavy.

If you do not remove the tissue in this area

and only place an implant in the upper area,

the upper breast may become fuller,

but the lower part will remain sagging.

So, in what cases should you have

a breast augmentation with implants,

and in what cases should you

have a lift?

In 1976, someone named Regnault

presented a classification system

that divides the degree of breast sagging.

This classification system has been used

with only minor modifications up to now.

The key point in Regnault's system

is the relationship between the nipple

and the inframammary fold.

If the nipple is above the inframammary fold,

it is considered normal;

if it is at the same height,

it is classified as stage 1 sagging;

and if it is below that level,

it is classified as stage 2.

If the breasts are normal or stage 1 sagging,

augmentation surgery alone may improve them,

and you may even expect the nipple position

to rise slightly by about less than 2 cm.

However, if the sagging has progressed a lot

and the nipple is positioned below the inframammary fold,

good results are difficult to expect with augmentation alone.

If an implant is placed in this case,

only the upper part becomes fuller while the sagging remains,

and it may actually look even more sagging.

Therefore, in such cases,

a breast lift is necessary.

If you ignore these standards

and undergo augmentation surgery without considering them,

there are many cases that end up requiring revision surgery.

People who undergo augmentation surgery because of sagging

rarely have had small breasts to begin with,

and the purpose of surgery is often unrelated

to simply making the breasts larger.

However, because they do not have information

about the criteria for surgery,

many people undergo augmentation with vague expectations.

But after surgery,

they often regret it because the result is somehow

different from what they wanted.

In such cases, only after removing the awkward implant

and receiving a lift to improve sagging

do they feel that it is the surgery they originally wanted.

I hope this helps answer your question

about whether you should have augmentation

or a lift.