Can I Have a Breast Lift Without Surgery?

Technically, you can have a breast lift without surgery. That said, the results may not be as long-lasting or aesthetically pleasing as those seen with traditional breast lift surgery.
Lately, there has been some buzz surrounding the Botox breast lift, which is essentially breast lift without surgery.

Here's how a Botox breast lift works:

Your plastic surgeon injects the wrinkle-relaxing neurotoxin Botox into your pectoralis minor chest muscle, allowing the back muscles to compensate by lifting the breast. The lifting effect lasts only as long as the Botox — roughly three to four months. Botox breast lift involves an off-label use of this injectable. As such, Botox has not been approved by the FDA for breast lifts.

Other options for a non-surgical breast lift may include body contouring procedures, such as Thermage. This technique uses radio waves to tighten collagen layers in the skin, which has the effect of lifting and firming the sagging skin in this area.

When considering alternative, surgery-free breast lift procedures, it's important to understand what breast lift surgery does for ptotic or "droopy" breasts.

Breasts may begin to sag due to the effects of gravity, massive weight loss (such as that resulting from gastric bypass), pregnancy and/or breast-feeding. A breast lift reverses this by raising and firming the breasts, It can be performed with or without breast implants and may be performed under local anesthesia (conscious) or general anesthesia (unconscious), in a hospital or office surgical suite.

Breast lift surgery takes about two to three-and-a-half hours to perform. As a general rule, the nipple and areola are moved to a higher point on the breast. Next, the underlying breast tissue is tightened and the sagging breast skin is reduced. The degree of lift needed generally will determine how many incisions are required, and how long these incisions should be.

If you are considering a breast lift, talk with your plastic surgeon about your options and your goals. He or she can help you make an informed decision, and understand why breast lift without surgery may fall short.

[page updated November 2009]