Cosmetic Plastic Surgeon San Francisco Blog

Serving San Francisco, San Jose, & Walnut Creek, California

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Time and Sagging Breasts

Sagging breasts are a natural and inevitable fact of life that happens to almost every woman at some point in her lifetime.

Cosmetic surgeons define sagging (ptotic) or drooping as when the nipple falls below the crease of your breast. To help determine whether you have a ptotic breast, examine them from the front and side angles. Look at which direction your nipples are pointing and see if they droop below the fold.

Breasts can start to droop at any age, since they are made up of fat, ligaments and connective tissue. When gravity tugs at your breasts, those ligaments can stretch and cause a sagging appearance. Your diet, genes and skin's elasticity are all factors that determine the amount of drooping you may experience.

One of the most common reasons that breasts sag is after a woman has lost weight. Once some of the fat in your breasts disappears, the skin and ligaments inside do not retract.

Another cause is breast involution - a process where the milk-making system inside your breast shrinks because it is no longer needed. This can happen after pregnancy if you don't breastfeed or during menopause. When the tissues inside your breast shrink and your skin does not, you breasts can look deflated.

Cosmetic procedures, such as a breast lift or breast implant surgery can restore your youthful looking breasts and with them - your self-confidence.

To learn more about plastic surgery and which procedures and treatments are available to you today, please contact Dr. Weil today to schedule your initial consultation.

posted by Patti at 3:01 PM