Every woman knows that the effects of gravity, weight loss, pregnancy and breastfeeding can wreak havoc on your breasts, causing them to droop and deflate over time. The natural aging process can also affect the shape and positioning of the breasts, as sun damage and loss of skin elasticity weaken skin tissues and reduce breast support.

Breast lift surgery, or mastopexy, is designed to lift sagging breasts by removing stretched, loose skin. Oftentimes, breast lift surgery also involves repositioning the nipples and areolas so they are in a higher, more central location on each breast.

Many patients choose this procedure in combination with breast augmentation or breast reduction to increase or decrease the size of their breasts in addition to restoring youthful perkiness.

The primary goal of breast lift surgery is to improve breast support by removing stretched, excess skin and to enhance upper body contours so they are more flattering and shapely. A breast lift will not affect breast size unless breast implants are added or natural breast tissue is removed during the procedure.

In general, women wishing to correct any of the following problems will be ideal candidates for breast lift surgery:

. Excess sagging or breast ptosis

. Lack of breast firmness

. Descended, droopy nipples

. Breast asymmetry

. Large areolas

In order to undergo a breast lift or any cosmetic surgery procedure, it is important that patients be non-smokers in good health and at a stable weight.

Breast lift surgery is performed while patients are under general or sedation anesthesia. It can take up to three or more hours to perform this procedure, however the length of the surgery depends on the amount of correction needed, whether the breast lift is being performed with or without implants and the types of incisions used.

Three types of incisions are used during breast lift surgery: One incision follows the horizontal curve of the natural breast fold, or inframammary fold. Another incision travels vertically from the bottom of the areola to the breast fold, and the third travels around the edge of the areola (periareolar).

These incisions are typically used in combination to remove excess skin and reposition breast tissues, the most common being a lollipop incision, which combines the periareolar incision with the vertical incision from the areola to the breast fold.

Because the procedure typically involves only the manipulation of skin tissues, the breast lift recovery period tends to be brief and minimally uncomfortable. Most patients can shower within 24-48 hours, are back to work within five days and can resume exercise and strenuous activity within 2-3 weeks.

You will be advised to wear a special bra for about the first 2-4 weeks after surgery, during which time your breasts need additional support to maintain their new, uplifted position.

Breast lift scars will fade and lighten over several months after your procedure provided you protect surgical scars from sun exposure. Within 6-8 weeks, you can start to appreciate your final breast lift results and your improved upper body silhouette.

Breast lift results are long-lasting, and provided you do not experience new pregnancies or major weight fluctuations, you can expect your breasts to maintain a more youthful, uplifted position for many years to come.