Lollipop Breast Lift

A variety of factors contribute to a patient wanting to have a breast lift. The aging process and having children are just a few of the reasons women desire to have work performed on their breasts. A popular breast lift procedure that leaves a patient with shorter scars is the Lollipop breast lift technique.

OVERVIEW

One of the main problems women complain about is the shape of their breasts so they want to have a breast lift. Think of it as the woman having breast volume but the volume is not where she wants it to be. By doing a breast lift, a doctor reshapes the breast but maintains the volume. The Lollipop technique is a technique where a doctor uses a scar that runs up, down, and around the nipples to give it the configuration of a lollipop.

It is a reshaping breast augmentation procedure. A breast can become droopy from having children, or the passage of time, leaving a sagging-looking shape. The lift is going to change the breast to have more of that round shape that most women prefer. It is about taking that volume, moving it up on the chest and then taking the loose, excess skin and removing it. 

IDEAL CANDIDATE

The Lollipop breast lift technique is best suited for women that have mild to moderate sagging of the breast. A doctor looks at the nipple position relative to the chest. If it has not dropped too much then this kind of technique works really well.  But if somebody has a lot of sagging of the breast, or the nipple is even pointing to the floor, this technique will not help much.

It is definitely a better procedure for people that have had some sagging to their breasts earlier in life. It definitely falls into that group of people in their 30s-40s who might have had children.

ADVANTAGES 

The main advantages of the Lollipop breast lift are in a couple of areas. One is the scars tend to be less noticeable and shorter. Also, the recovery with this procedure is faster since there is not as much of an external wound to heal. This is in comparison to the recovery time of patients that need the anchor lift or the Benelli lift. With the Benelli, the scar tends to be just around the nipple. But those procedures sometimes do not get as much contour or shape improvement even though the scar is a little bit smaller.

COST

Total cost for the Lollipop breast lift procedure could range anywhere from $4,500 to $6,000 in the United States.

LIMITATIONS

One limitation with the Lollipop breast lift occurs if you apply this technique on a patient that needs the anchor lift. That patient will have a quicker recovery but the scar from the nipple can be too long or excessive in the area from the bottom of the nipple to the fold underneath the breast. The aesthetics, or the way the breast look afterwards, is not ideal.  If that does happen, a patient can convert over to the longer scar underneath the fold of the breast, which is a modification of the anchor technique. Also, some people are not symmetrical so sometimes they will have the lollipop on one side and the anchor around the other side, depending on the patient.

SIDE EFFECTS

When a Lollipop breast lift is performed, the patient is warned that scarring can be thick and cannot be controlled due to their body makeup. Also, nerve feeling to the nipple can be affected. All of these are side effects that are associated with other surgeries on the breast as well. 

RECOVERY TIME

With the Lollipop breast lift, the recovery time is a month after the surgery a patient will be back to doing everything they wanted to do without any limitations. Even as soon as a couple of weeks after the procedure, they can start to do some activities or exercise. That is one of the advantages of the technique. 

The scar does take six months to a year to heal and the end result may take a couple of months before it is visible.

RESULTS

The Lollipop breast lift might give a correction of 10 years but the patient still continues to age.  The need for a follow-up procedure is related to the size of the breast and whether an implant was placed in the patient.  Sometimes patients lose volume from having children so they need a lift, as well as an implant, and that can affect the longevity of the results.  The patient continues to age so they need to do a follow up to see how much change has happened.  A person that has a larger breast is more likely to need something sooner versus somebody that has a very small breast.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The most important thing for a person considering a Lollipop breast lift is deciding if they are happy with their breast volume. Are they happy with their breast volume and their shape? Even though it is convenient to do a procedure with a shorter scar, it is vital to focus on the shape of the breast. It is very important to get evaluated by an experienced board certified plastic surgeon on which procedure will give better results. The bottom line is focusing on the patient and giving them an individualized recommendation on a breast lift with a small volume reduction or a breast lift with a short or longer scar.  It is about setting expectations and knowing the right procedure for the patient.  This is something every patient should consider before committing to any breast enhancement procedure.

Written by Cosmetic Town Editorial Team- MA

Based on an exclusive interview with Dr. Jeffrey Hall in Austin, TX