At Northstate Plastic Surgery Associates in Chico, CA, we pride ourselves in our ability to help our clients achieve their desired aesthetic. As we age, our skin’s production of collagen, elastin, and other supportive substances reduces. This can result in skin sagging in any region of the body, including the breasts. If you are experiencing breast ptosis, a breast lift may be right for you. Today, we’re taking a closer look at how long the results of this procedure last.
How Long Will a Breast Lift Last?
You can feel extremely confident that your breast lift results will last for at least a decade. Several factors affect the longevity of the results, including your age, diet, lifestyle, and skincare routine. If you are relatively young when you get your lift, your results may last for over 15 years. The reason why younger people tend to enjoy longer-lasting results is that they usually have a greater supply of supportive substances in the skin.
What Can I Do to Extend the Longevity of My Results?
Maintain a Stable Weight
One of the best things you can do to extend the longevity of your breast lift is to maintain a stable weight. When you gain weight, your skin stretches to accommodate the extra tissue volume. If you then lose weight, it can take your skin years to adjust to the smaller contours. If you lose too much weight too quickly, a follow-up procedure may be necessary to tighten and lift your breast skin.
Don’t Smoke
Not smoking is another very effective thing you can do to help your breast lift results last longer. Cigarettes contain a harmful chemical called nicotine that decreases the production rate of collagen and elastin, two of the most important substances for the health, appearance, and elasticity of the skin. Similarly, you should avoid the consumption of any other products that contain nicotine.
Wear Sunscreen
You also need to use adequate sun protection if you want your breasts to remain youthfully perky for as long as possible. Sun damage is the primary cause of premature skin aging because it damages your existing collagen significantly and reduces the rate at which your skin can produce more supportive collagen.
Keep Your Skin Hydrated
You will also help to maintain the integrity of your results by keeping your skin hydrated both inside and out. To keep the deepest layers of your skin hydrated, you should aim to drink at least half a gallon of hydrating fluids daily and eat lots of water-rich fruits and vegetables every day. To keep the superficial layer of your skin hydrated, you should moisturize once or twice per day depending on your skin type.
Eat Nutritiously
Eating lots of fruits and vegetables will do a lot more for your skin health than just helping to keep your skin hydrated. Fruits tend to be high in vitamin C and zinc: two of the most important micronutrients for collagen production.
Some of the best fruits to eat include citrus fruits and tropical fruits. Among the best vegetables for skin health are dark green leafy vegetables. For instance, kale and spinach are high in vitamin C.
How Long Does a Breast Lift Take?
Several factors influence the length of this procedure, including how much lift is required, the technique used, and whether other procedures, like a breast reduction or breast augmentation, will also be performed. As a general rule, you can expect your procedure to take between two and four hours. During your initial consultation, we will give you a better idea of how long you can expect your lift to take.
What Happens During Surgery?
Before your procedure begins, we will verify that your vitals are good enough for surgery and confirm that there is no skin irritation in the incision sites. Once that is done, we will sterilize the incision sites and administer anesthesia to keep you calm and comfortable. Once you have been prepared for surgery, we will make small incisions so that we can remove excess breast skin and tighten loose skin.
A small amount of fat can be excised during this procedure, and you can lose up to a full cup size depending on how much excess skin you have. However, you should understand that you will need a breast reduction in addition to your lift if you feel like you have too much breast tissue and want to drastically reduce your breast volume.
Schedule Your Initial Consultation Today
Breast lift results can be expected to last for at least a decade. Depending on your age and lifestyle, though, your results may last for over 15 years. To extend the longevity of your results, maintain your weight and keep your skin hydrated and protected from sun damage. If you believe your self-confidence could be improved with perkier breasts, contact us now at Northstate Plastic Surgery Associates in Chico, CA to schedule your initial consultation.