What Is a Breast Lift?
Breasts change with time. Pregnancy, gravity, weight loss, and age can all leave them lower than they used to be — in both position and confidence. A breast lift, or mastopexy, is a surgical procedure that restores shape and firmness by repositioning the breast tissue and lifting the nipple to a more youthful place. It doesn’t increase size — it simply brings the breast back to where it once was.
A breast lift can help you feel more aligned with your body again — and more at ease in your clothes, your lingerie, and your skin.
A breast lift reshapes and elevates the breasts by removing excess skin, tightening surrounding tissue, and moving the nipple to a natural, centered position. It can restore projection, correct asymmetry, and reshape breasts that appear flat, wide, or deflated.
It is a popular procedure on its own, but it’s also frequently combined with breast implants (for added volume) or fat transfer (for subtle upper fullness).
What Causes Breast Sagging?
Breast sagging, or ptosis, is often caused by:
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding (stretching of ligaments and skin)
- Aging and gravity (loss of collagen and elasticity)
- Significant weight loss (deflation of breast volume)
- Large, heavy breasts
- Genetic factors (some women develop sagging earlier)
- Removal of implants or poorly supported augmentation
Even women who’ve never had children may experience sagging over time. The amount and pace vary depending on your body type, skin, and lifestyle.
How Do Surgeons Measure Ptosis?
Doctors use the Regnault classification to determine the severity of sagging:
- Grade I (mild): Nipple is level with the breast crease
- Grade II (moderate): Nipple falls below the crease, but still above the bottom of the breast
- Grade III (severe): Nipple sits at or below the bottom curve of the breast
- Pseudoptosis: Nipple remains high, but the lower breast tissue droops below it
This classification helps your surgeon choose the right technique — some lift types are better suited for mild cases, others for major reshaping.
Breast Lift Techniques
There are several surgical approaches, each designed for a specific degree of sagging and aesthetic goal. The more skin that needs to be removed, the more extensive the incisions — but also the more dramatic and long-lasting the result.
Crescent Lift
- Incision: small crescent at the top of the areola
- Best for: very mild ptosis or minor nipple repositioning
- Scar: almost invisible
- Limitation: minimal lift effect
Periareolar (Donut) Lift
- Incision: full circle around the areola
- Best for: mild sagging or stretched areolas
- Scar: blends into the pigment border
- Limitation: not ideal for moderate or heavy sagging
Vertical (Lollipop) Lift
- Incision: around the areola + vertical line to the breast crease
- Best for: moderate sagging, deflation
- Scar: more visible, but powerful reshaping
- Bonus: allows good elevation and contour without full anchor scar
Wise Pattern (Anchor) Lift
- Incision: around the areola + vertical line + horizontal crease
- Best for: severe sagging or large, heavy breasts
- Scar: more extensive, but offers full correction
- Often used in combination with a reduction or implant exchange
Breast lift surgery is highly personalized. The right technique depends on your breast shape, skin, and vision for yourself.
Find a certified plastic surgeon in Belgium who understands your needs and can guide you safely from consultation to final result.
Can a Breast Lift Be Combined With Implants?
Yes. A lift with augmentation restores both shape and volume. It’s often chosen after pregnancy, significant weight loss, or implant deflation. This combination is known as augmentation-mastopexy.
Not everyone needs implants — if you still have good volume and want a natural result, a lift alone may be enough. But if you’ve lost upper pole fullness, combining both procedures can enhance roundness and restore a more youthful contour.
What About Fat Grafting (Fat Breast Augmentation)?
Fat transfer breast augmentation can be added to a breast lift for subtle volume enhancement. It involves liposuction from areas like the abdomen or thighs, followed by injection into the breast.
Fat grafting can:
- Add natural cleavage
- Improve upper pole volume
- Soften contour transitions
It’s not a substitute for implants, but it’s a good option if you want a small boost or refinement.
Am I Too Young or Too Old?
Most women get a breast lift between their 30s and 50s, but there’s no official age limit.
- In your 30s: often after pregnancy or breastfeeding
- In your 40s–50s: common after implant removal or weight loss
- After 50: safe with good health and realistic expectations
A multi-center study confirms that outcomes in women over 50 are just as successful as those in younger patients.
What to Expect: Surgery and Recovery
- Anesthesia: General
- Duration: 1.5 to 3 hours
- Hospital stay: Usually outpatient
- Support bra: Worn day and night for 4–6 weeks
- Pain: Moderate for 2–5 days, managed with medication
- Return to work: 7–10 days (non-physical jobs)
- Exercise: Avoid heavy lifting for 4–6 weeks
- Final shape: Seen after 3–6 months
- Scar fading: Improves up to 18 months
A breast lift doesn’t make you someone new. It brings you back to you — comfortable, balanced, and lifted. If you’ve been waiting for the right time, this might be it. Start exploring what’s possible.
How Long Do Breast Lift Results Last?
Most lifts last 10–15 years, especially if you:
- Maintain stable weight
- Avoid smoking
- Wear supportive bras
- Don’t plan future pregnancies
Natural aging continues, and mild settling is expected over time — but the benefits remain visible for many years.
Will My Bra Size Change?
Yes — but not always in the way you might think.
According to a study published by the ASPS, most women drop about one cup size after a breast lift, even though no breast tissue is removed. This is because the lifted breast sits higher and fits into bras more naturally, without sagging tissue filling space.
This should be discussed during your consultation to avoid unexpected disappointment about sizing.
How Safe Is Breast Lift Surgery?
A large NSQIP study (over 3,600 cases) found:
- Complication rate: 2.37%
- Reoperation within 30 days: 1.58%
- Life-threatening events: None
Mastopexy is a safe elective surgery when performed by a board-certified plastic surgeon.
However, risks include:
- Temporary or permanent changes in nipple sensation
- Asymmetry
- Poor wound healing or scarring
- Bleeding or infection (rare)
- Fat necrosis or delayed healing (especially with smoking)
Women with high BMI or underlying health conditions may have a slightly higher risk.
Price of Breast Lift in Belgium
Private clinics in Belgium typically charge:
- Standard breast lift: €4,500 – €6,000
- Lift with implants: €6,500 – €8,500
- Lift with fat transfer or reduction: €5,500 – €7,500
These prices are cosmetic and usually not covered by insurance unless the surgery is reconstructive (e.g. after cancer or trauma).
Not sure if you need a lift, implants, or both? A good surgeon will never push you toward something unnecessary. They’ll listen to your goals, assess your anatomy, and explain your options honestly.
Take the time to ask, compare, and decide with confidence.
How Do I Know If I Need a Breast Lift?
Try the “pencil test”: place a pencil in your natural crease under the breast. If it holds, and your nipple is at or below the crease, you likely have ptosis.
Another sign is downward-facing nipples or loose skin below the nipple. In these cases, a lift — not just implants — is usually the correct solution.
You Don’t Need Bigger. You Just Want Higher.
A breast lift isn’t about changing your body — it’s about bringing it back into balance. Whether you’ve finished having children, removed implants, or simply want to feel better in your own skin, mastopexy offers a way to restore what gravity took away.
And for many women, that change is emotional as much as it is physical.
Find trusted plastic surgeons offering breast lifts in Belgium.
