This 24 year old woman had a breast lift or mastopexy to correct sagging of her breasts that occurred as a result of changes related to pregnancy.  I used a short scar breast lift or mastopexy technique which leaves behind scars shaped like a “lollipop.”  Some breast lifts or mastopexies are performed using a technique that results in scars that look like an “anchor,” but I prefer to use this shorter scar technique because scars are never visible in the cleavage nor on the side of the body beneath the arm.  This makes swimsuit selection much easier.

How the breasts will change as a result of pregnancy varies from one woman to the next.  Some women’s breasts look very similar after pregnancy.  Others change drastically in their appearance after even a single pregnancy.

This woman was fortunate to have enough breast tissue to rearrange into a relatively full and natural appearing breast without the need for an implant. 

Skin elasticity, which refers to the ability of skin to “snap back” after being stretched, also varies from one woman to the next.  In people who have poor elasticity, surgical results do not last as long.  In such people, using an implant to replace volume can predispose that individual to an earlier recurrence of the initial problem because the implant has weight and taxes already compromised skin.  Commercially available skin substitutes can provide the strength needed for successful use of implants in such cases.  Use of such substitutes adds expense and complexity to the surgery, however.

This 39 year old woman underwent breast reduction in which approximately one and a half pounds of tissue was removed from each breast. 

I view breast reduction as a two part process:  first, tissue is removed to decrease the size and weight of the breasts; second, the remaining tissue is rearranged to create a new breast that has an aesthetically appropriate appearance.  This rearranging process is very similar to what is done in a breast lift. 

In this individual’s case, the incisions used to perform the breast reduction were of the “anchor” type and the incisions healed well. 

The following photographs depict an 18 year old woman who wished to have a larger and fuller bust. She underwent breast augmentation with smooth, round 330 cc saline implants.The implants were placed beneath her pectoralis muscles using incisions placed within the areolas.

The post-operative photographs depict her at approximately 6 months after her surgery. Peri-areolar incisions can heal nearly imperceptibly. They are hidden in virtually all fashions and swimwear. Dr. Belsley can place either saline or silicone implants through this type of incision.

This 31 year old woman underwent breast reduction in which approximately one and one third pounds of tissue was removed from the right breast and almost two pounds of tissue was removed from the left breast. 

In this individual’s case, the incisions used to perform the breast reduction were of the “lollipop” or short scar type.  This method of breast reduction avoids any incisions in the cleavage and in most instances along the lower fold of the breast.

This woman, like many others, had noticeably asymmetric breasts.  In her case, the left breast was noticeably larger than the right breast.  I make every effort to correct this during surgery, but ultimately, no two sides look identical after surgery- just as they did not before surgery.

Also very visible in this individual are the "shoulder grooves" from her bra straps.  This is a common issue in women who have extremely large breasts or "macromastia."  The pressure from the bra straps typically cause pain, open wounds and sometimes even numbness and tingling in one or both hands from compression of the underlying nerves.  Breast reduction can alleviate these symptoms almost instantaneously.

This case depicts a 56 year old woman who wished to improve the appearance of sagging skin that she had developed as a result of age and dramatic weight loss.

She underwent an endoscopic brow lift, upper and lower eyelid lifts, a short scar face lift and a neck lift. Her post-operative photographs depict her appearance at approximately 4 months after surgery.

Although a properly executed short scar face lift can effect some improvement in the appearance of sagging skin in the neck with no incisions behind the ears, individuals with an extensive amount of skin and muscle descent require longer incisions and a formal neck lift to achieve dramatic results.

This case depicts a 44 year old woman who had borne four children and was most concerned with excess skin, which was severely affected with stretch marks, on her abdomen. Such individuals are optimal candidates for an abdominoplasty or "tummy tuck."  While many of the stretch marks can be removed during this surgery, even those that remain are less noticeable when the skin is taught. An abdominoplasty is also designed to tighten the abdominal musculature, which may also be stretched or malpositioned as a result of pregnancy.

The post-operative photographs depict this woman's appearance approximately one month after surgery.

This case depicts a 29 year old woman who after bearing three children had become concerned with the protuberance of her abdomen. In this case, both stretching of the abdominal wall and excess fat beneath the abdominal skin were contributing to the unfavorable contour of her abdomen.

She had moderate but not severe stretch marks over her abdomen, the majority of which were removed in the surgery.

This 39 year old woman had a breast lift or mastopexy using a short scar technique which leaves behind scars in the shape of a “lollipop.”  This technique, which I prefer to use, avoids any scars in the cleavage or on the side of the body beneath the arm.  This makes swimsuit selection much easier if avoiding visible scars while wearing the swimsuit is a goal.

Candidates for a breast lift or mastopexy must have enough breast tissue to rearrange into a new breast shape that is typically shorter and rounder.  If there is not enough breast tissue to rearrange and only excess skin, a situation that can occur when breasts involute following pregnancy, then an implant will be necessary to achieve a natural breast shape following surgery.

This individual underwent a breast reduction in which just over two pounds of weight was removed from the breasts. The breasts were shortened in length and lifted to give a rounder appearance. This photograph was taken at approximately four months following surgery.

Liposuction of the tissue that lies between the upper outer quadrant of the breast and the upper arm can decompress the density of tissue between the breast and the arm and improve the fit of certain types of clothing.

This case depicts a 58 year old woman who wished to achieve a more youthful facial appearance.She underwent upper and lower eyelid lifts and a short scar face lift which addressed the skin and fat beneath the chin, the jowls and elevated the midface.

Her post-operative photographs depict her appearance at approximately nine months after surgery.

I try to perform a "mid-face lift" or "cheek lift" as a routine part of a short scar facial rejuvenation procedure.  In individuals who have full cheeks that have descended over time, this portion of the procedure complements an aggressive correction of the jowls.