Breast Lift (Mastopexy)

If you’re happy with the size of your boobs, but they’re starting to sag, consider a breast lift, known as a mastopexy, as a solution. Breast lift surgery also repositions your nipples. New York Breast Surgery Center, with locations in Long Island and Manhattan, offers exceptional breast procedures when you’re seeking to improve your profile. They even offer a minimally invasive scarless breast lift procedure that stimulates tissue growth to lift your breasts. Call on the accomplished breast surgeons for an objective assessment.

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    What Is a Breast Lift?

    A breast lift, technically called mastopexy, is a common plastic surgery procedure designed to raise, reshape and tighten your breast tissue. A mastopexy helps you recapture your younger shape after natural life experiences caused your breasts to sag or become misshapen, such as:

    • After giving birth
    • After losing weight
    • From the natural effects of gravity and aging
    • After years without the support of a bra
    • From your genetics

    For guidance on how to reach your aesthetic goals, consult with knowledgeable breast surgeons in New York City. Call the experts at New York Breast Surgery Center, with locations in Midtown Manhattan and Great Neck, Long Island. Dr. David Shokrian and Dr. Mohamed Soliman Ahmed Elfar talk with you and examine you before recommending the boob lift surgery that’s just right for you.

    “Many women who consider breast lift surgery want it to boost their confidence and self-esteem,” says Dr. Shokrian. “Others choose the breast procedure for health reasons, since floppy boobs can interfere with exercising and result in skin infections and rashes.”

    Am I a Good Candidate for a Breast Lift?

    You’re a good candidate for a breast lift must if you’re in good physical and mental health — you maintain your weight and don’t have any major health issues that could interfere with healing. You must also have reasonable expectations about the breast lift results, understanding that:

    • A breast lift doesn’t add volume to your breasts.
    • A lift is simply a way to correct sagging.
    • The procedure reshapes your breasts when necessary.
    • A well-done boob lift surgery positions your nipples to enhance your appearance.

    At New York Breast Surgery Center, your plastic surgeon ensures that you have all the information you need to make the potentially life-changing decision to have a breast lift. The surgery is one of the fastest growing cosmetic procedures in the country, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. From 2019 to 2022, demand for dramatic breast lift results grew by more than 30 percent, and that growth is expected to continue as baby boomers look for ways to reclaim their youthful figures.

    Why Would I Want a Mastopexy?

    If you don’t like the way you look out of your bra, consider a boob lift. A breast lift at New York Breast Surgery Center isn’t a panacea, but it can help you feel better about your body and improve your self-esteem by creating a more youthful profile. Common considerations include:

    • Your nipples hang below your breast crease.
    • Your nipples point down instead of up.
    • Your breasts aren’t the same size and shape as they used to be.
    • Your clothes don’t seem to hang properly.
    • You don’t like your existing silhouette.

    “While culture and media preferences change over time, influencing what breast shapes are popular, we as experts hear many reasons for wanting a breast lift. Don’t get the procedure for anyone but yourself, since you’re the one who has to undergo the surgery.” — Dr. Shokrian

    What Incisions Are Required for Breast Lifts?

    Your NYC plastic surgeon can use a variety of approaches when performing your breast lift. The chosen option is designed to suit your specific needs. The best breast lift surgeon at New York Breast Surgery Center describes your choices during your consultation, explaining the pros and cons of each, before you both agree on a technique. The goal, as always, is to safely help you be the best version of yourself you can be. Incision types include:

    • Crescent lift. This procedure is ideal if you have very little sagging. It involves making a small cut around the top half of your areola. This breast lift surgery is usually the choice if you’re alsohaving breast enlargement surgery.
    • Vertical or lollipop lift. The lollipop lift addresses moderate sagging. This is a popular lift that involves only two incisions, one around the areola and another from the areola to the bottom of your breast, creating a lollipop shape. This procedure leaves very little scarring, which fades to become remarkably hidden.
    • Inverted-T or anchor lift. This surgery provides a more involved lift to fix severe sagging. It’s frequently combined with a breast reduction. The technique uses three incisions that resemble an anchor shape.
    • Donut or peri-areolar lift. This lift involves one incision running around your areola. This procedure is common if you’re also getting an augmentation at the same time., but it’s mostly for mild sagging or for reducing the size of the areola. The resulting faint scar runs around the outside of your areola.

    “We provide a comprehensive range of breast plastic surgery procedures to enhance, restore and refine your chest aesthetics,” says Dr. Shokrian. “I develop your treatment plan to achieve natural-looking results that are beautifully balanced with your frame and align with your overall health and beauty goals. Breast lift results can leave little-to-no visible scarring.”

    What Do Breast Lift Scars Look Like?

    Scars vary from person to person, depending on the technique used to achieve your goals and how much skin needed to be removed. Most breast lift scars are initially raised purple or red lines. After six to 12 months, they flatten out and become lighter-colored, blending into your skin tone.

    “As an experienced plastic surgeon,” says Dr. Shokrian, “I always place the incisions so the scars are as inconspicuous as possible and the results match your expectations.”

    You can reduce the appearance of your scars over time by using generous sunscreen any time your breasts are exposed to the sun. Refrain from lying under tanning lamps and apply special scar creams as recommended by your New York City plastic surgeons, who provide detailed after-care instructions.

    What’s the “Internal Bra” Technique?

    One of the latest additions to breast surgery techniques is called the internal bra. It’s a procedure to provide added support to your new breast profile. Board-certified plastic surgeons like Dr. Elfar always use the most appropriate technique for the best breast lift results. Dr. Elfar chooses this soft tissue supplementary technique to achieve the ideal look and feel.

    It’s not a procedure to undertake without consideration, as your breast lift recovery may cause you additional pain. It’s also possible that you’ll feel the additional sutures and soft tissue scaffold that constitute the internal bra for anywhere from six months to two years after your procedure.

    Dr. Shokrian, a talented breast lift surgeon, says: “I can include the internal bra technique during a breast implant surgery, a breast lift by itself or a breast lift with augmentation. It’s even helpful during breast reduction procedures to add support to your breasts. The internal bra scaffolding, made with GalaFLEX mesh, stimulates your breast’s collagen to strengthen the support. It’s bioabsorbable and prevents sagging better than a lift alone, providing stronger, more stable and longer-lasting breast lift results.”

    Does a No-Scar Breast Lift Really Leave No Scars?

    A scarless breast lift, also called a no-scar breast lift, leaves such tiny marks that they’re virtually invisible. The no-scar breast lift, used for mild to moderate ptosis, is much less invasive than a surgical mastopexy. It tightens your breasts 25 to 45 percent, making them firmer and look lifted with virtually no scarring.

    This FDA-approved method requires only local anesthetics. It takes less than an hour to complete, and it costs much less than a surgical lift. Although the procedure isn’t truly scarless, the scars are minor and well hidden. You have fewer risks to face and a much shorter recovery time. But it’s not as effective as traditional breast lift surgery, with limitations that include:

    • Very little nipple repositioning capability
    • Not useful for heavy boobs
    • No removal of excess skin
    • Breasts can’t be reshaped

    What Can a Breast Lift with Implants Accomplish?

    “As an experienced NYC plastic surgeon, I recommend a breast lift with implants to add volume to your breasts while at the same time, reshaping and lifting them for the best profile,” says Dr. Shokrian. “A breast lift alone can’t change the size of your breasts like a breast lift with implants can.”

    Breast augmentation with implants provides options to increase the size of your breasts. Many women add this procedure to breast lift surgery to achieve their aesthetic goals. Having a breast lift with implants, called an augmentation mastopexy, delivers additional fullness to your breasts while repositioning them on your chest and moving your nipples into proper position.

    A breast lift alone doesn’t increase the size of your boobs, while implants alone don’t improve sagging. In fact, augmentation — whether with silicone implants or through a fat transfer — may increase sagging over time because of the extra weight. To reach your ultimate profile goals and your plastic surgeon agrees, an augmentation mastopexy is an ideal solution.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Have questions about breast lift surgery? Find answers to some of the most common questions below.

    The cost of a breast lift varies by location, procedure and surgeon, since greater expertise requires a higher fee. You may get lucky with a cheaper, less experienced plastic surgeon, but do you want to take that risk? According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the average price is about $7,000. Additional fees associated with breast lift surgery include:

    • Anesthesia costs and anesthesiologist fees
    • Operating room expenses
    • Pre-op and post-op medical tests
    • Follow-up appointments with your surgeon
    • Medications

    When medically necessary, breast lifts may be covered by your insurance, but New York Breast Surgery Center is not in-network with any insurance carrier. The team helps you file claims and find alternative payment options if you need it.

    A true surgical breast lift can last 10 years or more, depending on your age and other factors, like weight gain or loss. A no-scar breast lift lasts one to five years.

    Stitches take up to a year or more to become nearly imperceptible. While your results are immediate, complete incision healing may take up to six weeks.

    Yes, but while you can breastfeed after a lift, there’s a chance you may produce less milk. Your risks are greatly reduced, however, when you rely on the best breast lift surgeon like Dr. Shokrian or Dr. Elfar.

    The surgery is usually performed on an out-patient basis, so you return home the same day to recuperate, wrapped in bandages. You’ll most likely experience some swelling, soreness and bruising. Recuperation after surgery is fairly simple if you heed your surgeon, who provides detailed post-op instructions, such as:

    • Wear a supportive elastic bandage or a bra
    • Care for the drainage tubes to prevent excess fluid or blood from accumulating in the surgery site
    • Take pain medication as directed
    • Prevent infections by keeping the incision sites clean
    • Sleep on your back until after your follow-up visit
    • Refrain from lifting your arms over your head
    • Avoid strenuous exercise for about a week or until approved by your surgeon

    To talk to the best breast lift surgeon, contact New York Breast Surgery Center in either Midtown Manhattan or Great Neck, Long Island. Dr. David Shokrian and Dr. Mohamed Elfar have years of experience and thousands of satisfied patients. Learn how a breast lift can transform your figure.

    Medically Reviewed on July 24, 2026 by Dr. Shokrian (Plastic Surgeon) of New York Breast Surgery Center of New York
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