Breast lift surgery with areola reduction is a common, two-step cosmetic procedure that seeks to enhance the overall aesthetic of the breast contour.
Oftentimes, women seeking breast lift surgery also request areola reduction to accompany the common breast enhancing procedure for a complete makeover of the entire breast contour. Let’s take a look at how it works, benefits, and what to expect.
What is Areola Reduction?
The areola is the slightly puffy, pigmented tissue that surrounds the nipple. Like the breasts, areolas vary in size, shape, color, and puffiness amongst both men and women. There are a number of reasons why areola reduction surgery may be desired. Areola reduction seeks to surgically reduce the diameter of the areola and correct unsightly sagging and/or stretching due to aging, breastfeeding, pregnancy, and significant weight loss/gain. A woman may seek an areola reduction simply due to her dissatisfaction with the size and/or shape of her areolas. Some women (and men) have completely two different sized areolas for which they seek asymmetry correction. Areola reduction surgery is most often performed during breast lift surgery, but can also be performed with breast augmentation or alone. Here is how the procedure typically works:
- A doughnut-shaped piece of tissue is cut from the areola
- The circular incision will be made along the border of the existing areola for imperceptibility of scarring or minimal scarring that can be easily hidden under a bikini top or lacy bra
- The new areola will be secured with a permanent suture strategically placed deep inside breast tissue to prevent areola from future stretching
Risks Associated with Areola Reduction
Though deemed completely safe, there are always potential risks to consider when undergoing any sort of invasive cosmetic surgery, including breast lift surgery with areola reduction:
- Loss of sensation during healing period that should return
- Scarring that may appear darker or lighter than surrounding skin
- Inability to breastfeed due to possible damage to milk ducts with the removal of a piece of the areola (very rare)
- Developing infection post-op
(SOURCE: https://www.healthline.com/health/areola-reduction)
Benefits of Breast Lift with Areola Reduction
If you’re seriously considering breast lift surgery with areola reduction, you’re probably wondering what the bust-boosting benefits are. You can expect to enjoy a bevy of benefits, including:
- Perkier, more youthful pair of breasts
- Improved confidence – both at the beach or in the bedroom
- Better-fitting clothing as well as unlimited options (a firmer, perkier bustline accentuates a women’s natural curves)
- The freedom to go braless without the dreaded fear of droopy breasts going on display
- Boosted nipple projection (breast lifts with areola reduction correct elongated, downward-facing nipples that give an aged appearance)
Depending on how much sagging your breasts have, an areola reduction surgery alone – without breast lift surgery – may be all the lift your breasts need for a desirable, rejuvenated appearance. Your surgeon will need to assess your current situation of sagginess as well as your aesthetic goals to best determine the most advantageous breast lift surgery trajectory to fit your needs. Usually, an areola reduction is part of a breast lift procedure, as implants, to achieve the perfect amount of lift and symmetry of a newly contoured bustline.
If you’d like to learn more about breast lift surgery with areola reduction, please be sure to contact our office to set up a consultation with a world-renowned breast specialist to the stars, Dr. Jaime Schwartz.
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