Am I Too Old for a Breast Lift?

The population in the United States is aging, which may account for the 70% increase in breast lift surgeries over the past 20 years, as reported by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. To give you an idea of the numbers, plastic surgeons performed almost 147,000 breast lift procedures in 2019 alone.

At McHugh Plastic Surgery, Dr. Thomas McHugh specializes in breast surgeries, including augmentation, reduction, and lifts. All of these services are designed to help women achieve their breast goals, and each surgery is performed for reasons that are unique to our patients. 

As you review your options, here’s a look at what you should consider when thinking about a breast lift, including your age.

The goals of a breast lift

As we mentioned, there are multiple reasons why women seek a breast lift, including:

While aging is one of the primary reasons why women seek a breast lift, pregnancy, weight loss, and genetics also drive many of our patients to seek our help.

Health over age

When it comes to factoring in your age when you’re considering a breast lift surgery, there’s no single answer or cut-off point. As we all know, many 80-year-olds enjoy the health of a 50-year-old, and vice versa.

Our first concern is to determine whether you’re healthy enough to undergo an elective surgery such as a breast lift, at any age. For example, if you’re struggling with a cardiovascular issue that affects your ability to heal or clot, obviously this has a direct impact on whether you should undergo a breast lift surgery. 

The bottom line is that while Dr. McHugh uses the latest surgical techniques available for your breast lift surgery, it’s still surgery, and we want to make sure that you don’t run into any complications. To that end, he does preoperative- checks to confirm that you’re in good health before he performs any of his procedures.

Realistic results

Age can also play a role in your results, namely how long you’ll be able to maintain them. Dr. McHugh can do his part in repositioning your breasts and areolas, but this tissue will continue to lose elasticity and support as you age because of diminishing collagen.

A breast lift surgery can certainly hit the reset button on the sagging and drooping that comes with age, which allows you to enjoy your results for years. We just want to ensure that you understand that a breast lift won’t avoid the inevitable aging process, but it can delay it significantly.

If you’d like to explore further what you can expect from your breast lift, please contact our office in The Woodlands, Texas, to set up an appointment.

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