What worries women after 30: the five main questions about breasts to a plastic surgeon

Are your breasts suffering from stress? How do you know if you need a lift? Can you take a home test for ptosis using a regular pencil? And what surgery should you choose to restore your breasts' shape and elasticity?

These are the most common questions women ask a plastic surgeon. We have collected the TOP-5 popular queries that help you understand when to consult a specialist, what surgical methods exist, and how daily habits affect the condition of the breasts. Professional plastic surgeon Oleksandr Bebykh answers them, especially for LIGA.Life , about stress, heredity, proper underwear, and real ways to preserve or restore breast aesthetics.

How to prevent sagging breasts?

— Breast sagging, or breast ptosis, can occur for various reasons. The main one is age-related changes. Every year, the skin and ligaments that support a woman's breasts lose their elasticity and firmness. Sometimes this process is accelerated by genetics: hereditary factors have a very significant influence. Genetics and the aging process are difficult to counteract without the help of plastic surgery, but a woman can influence other reasons. For example, give up bad habits and start wearing the right underwear.

It has been proven that alcohol and smoking destroy the structure of collagen and elastin, which are responsible for the elasticity of the skin. It loses elasticity not only on the chest, but also on the face. Therefore, it is better to forget about cigarettes and alcohol.

Comfortable underwear in your wardrobe is another important point. The larger the breast size, the stronger and more comfortable the bra should be. It should be the right size and prevent sagging breasts. Girls who go to the gym almost always choose a thin top instead of a comfortable bra. Yes, it is stylish and sexy. But unfortunately, the top cannot hold the weight of the breasts well. They can get injured during workouts on the treadmill or jumping rope.

Do weight fluctuations and stress really affect the beauty of breasts?

— It really is. A stable weight is the basis for your breasts to keep their shape. A sharp gain of extra pounds or rapid weight loss is a guaranteed stretching of the skin of the breasts and a change in their fat volume. Simply put, breasts can lose volume and elasticity not only after pregnancy and breastfeeding – this fact is well known to everyone – but also after diets or overeating.

Another enemy of female beauty is stress. In moments of crisis, the human body produces the hormone cortisol, which increases blood glucose levels and destroys collagen and elastin. It is therefore not surprising that regular stress can reduce breast tone, or even worse, disrupt the hormonal balance of the body. In addition, stress can cause blood vessels to narrow. This reduces blood microcirculation in the breast tissues and worsens cell nutrition. In addition, chronic stress weakens the immune system, which increases the risk of inflammatory processes in the mammary glands.

Although my advice may sound strange in our difficult times, but still. Stress as little as possible. Avoid any stress. Give yourself positive emotions more often. They definitely won't harm your beauty.

How do you know if you need a breast lift?

— Every woman is able to quickly notice changes in her body. Especially those that she doesn't like. This applies to her face, figure, and, of course, her breasts.

If you didn't have significant weight fluctuations before the age of 30, you didn't give birth, and you didn't have hormonal problems or a genetic predisposition to ptosis, your breasts will most likely retain their beauty and elasticity.

The process of sagging usually starts after 30, when the body's production of collagen and elastin decreases. At first, the breasts look less elastic and lose their usual shape. Wrinkles may appear. The skin will appear stretched. Gradually, the upper part of the breast will become less full, as the bulk of the breast will drop down. The nipples and areolas (pigmented areas of skin surrounding the nipples – Note) will fall into place.

Another symptom: irritation or rash in the folds under the breasts, which occur due to friction of the skin. The subtle signs of ptosis can be more or less corrected with care cosmetics, exercise or massage. But in the second and third degree, when the nipple drops below the fold or is on the lower contour of the breast and looks down, only surgical correction will help.

Is there really a breast sagging test that you can do yourself?

— Yes, there is a popular pencil test that you can do at home. Just take a pencil or pen, take off your underwear and stand in front of a mirror. Place the pencil under the lower part of the breast. Where it touches the rib cage. Let go of the pencil. If it falls to the floor, the breast is quite elastic. If it is held in place, but the nipple is above the inframammary fold — the natural curve under the base of the breast — this may indicate the first degree of ptosis. If the nipple is at the level of or slightly below the inframammary fold, and the pencil is held confidently — this may indicate the second degree of ptosis. If the nipple is lowered below the inframammary fold, and the breast fully supports the pencil — this may be a pronounced ptosis.

Of course, this test is not an accurate diagnostic method, but it will help you understand the approximate state of affairs. In any case, after the test, it is better to consult a specialist.

I would add that the normal shape of the bust is considered to be one in which the nipples do not cross the visual inframammary fold. When they are raised up and in a "standing position" relative to the center.

What are the surgical methods of breast lift?

— The breast lift procedure is called mastopexy. There are several surgical mastopexy techniques, which are chosen according to the degree of ptosis.

For example, if the breasts are slightly drooping, a periareolar (circular) lift is suitable. During the operation, the surgeon excises a strip of skin around the areola and tightens the drooping tissues. The disadvantage of this technique is that the shape of the breasts becomes flatter. Sometimes it is better to do classic lipofilling. If the patient can take fat and fill it into the lower pole of the breast, it is better to choose this option.

For moderate ptosis, a vertical lift is recommended, where incisions are made around the areola and vertically down to the inframammary fold, and then the surgeon creates a new breast shape. In the case of pronounced ptosis, an anchor (T-shaped) lift may be used. Several incisions are made: around the areola, vertically down, and horizontally in the fold under the breast.

Women who want not only to lift, but also to increase the size of their breasts, can be offered a combined operation – a breast lift and implant placement. The first month after the operation, the breasts may be slightly raised, but then they will take the correct position and will look aesthetically pleasing and beautiful.

"Don't chase big sizes – choose the natural shape of your breasts. The larger the volume of your breasts you make, the faster they will start to sag again," concludes plastic surgeon Oleksandr Bebykh.