In some cases, a breast lift is the truly necessary treatment

Many patients who are concerned about sagging breasts wonder,

“Would breast implants alone lift the breasts?”

In some cases, mild ptosis can be partially improved with silicone implant breast augmentation.

By adding volume to the upper pole and lower pole, the breast may appear fuller and the sagging may look less noticeable.

However, when there is true ptosis, meaning that the nipple position itself has dropped, adding volume alone is often not enough.

In these cases, a mastopexy (breast lift) may be necessary.

At AVAN TOKYO, we carefully evaluate not only breast volume, but also:

• nipple position
• excess skin
• breast shape
• long-term appearance

This allows us to determine whether the breast can be improved with implants alone, or whether an excisional lift is truly needed.

Mild ptosis may sometimes be covered with implants

There are different degrees of breast ptosis.

If the nipple has not dropped significantly, and the main issue is loss of upper fullness or skin tension, silicone implants may help improve the appearance.

In this kind of case, adding volume can restore fullness and reduce the impression of mild sagging.

However, it is important to understand that

making the breast bigger is not the same as lifting the breast.

Implants can add fullness, but they cannot truly move the nipple to a significantly higher position.

That is why implants alone have limits when the breast is truly sagging.

In true ptosis, an excisional breast lift is often necessary

When breast sagging is more advanced, the solution is not simply more volume.

What is often needed is:

• lifting the nipple-areola complex to a more appropriate position
• removing excess skin
• reshaping the breast itself

This is the role of a mastopexy.

A breast lift is especially useful when:

• the nipple is below the inframammary fold
• there is a large amount of excess skin
• the breasts have sagged after pregnancy, breastfeeding, or weight change
• implants alone would look unnatural

In other words:

• if the goal is only to enlarge the breast, augmentation may be enough
• if the goal is to correct sagging, a lift may be necessary
• if both are needed, a lift and augmentation may be combined

What kind of scars will remain?

One of the most common questions about mastopexy is:

“What kind of scars will I have?”

The scar pattern depends on the degree of ptosis and how much lifting is required.

In milder cases, the scar may be limited to around the areola only.

If more lifting is needed, the scar may include:

• around the areola
• plus a vertical scar below the areola
  This is often called a lollipop scar.

In more severe ptosis, an additional horizontal scar along the breast fold may be necessary.

This is commonly called an anchor scar or inverted-T scar.

In general, the more severe the ptosis, the longer the scar may need to be.

At the same time, stronger ptosis usually requires more skin removal in order to achieve a better shape.

Scars do remain

The question is what should be prioritized

This point is very important.

A breast lift can create a strong improvement in shape, but it does leave scars.

Over time, redness and firmness usually improve, but the scars do not disappear completely.

That is why mastopexy is not the best procedure for someone who wants absolutely no scar.

It is a procedure for patients who are willing to accept some scarring in exchange for a meaningful improvement in breast ptosis.

At AVAN TOKYO, we believe it is essential to discuss this honestly.

The important question is not whether scars exist, but:

• how much scar is acceptable
• how much improvement in shape can be achieved in return

A lift is not always the only answer

The key is identifying what the breast truly needs

Not every sagging breast needs the same treatment.

For example:

• Mild ptosis with mainly volume loss
  → silicone implant augmentation may be the first option
• Moderate to severe ptosis with low nipple position
  → a breast lift is more likely to be necessary
• Both volume loss and ptosis
  → a combination of lift and augmentation may be the best choice

What matters most is not simply deciding what procedure sounds appealing.

It is understanding what is actually missing in the current breast, and what truly needs to be corrected.

What AVAN TOKYO values

Not simply lifting the breast, but shaping it beautifully and naturally

At AVAN TOKYO, we do not think of mastopexy as just

“a procedure to raise the breast.”

What matters to us is the overall result, including:

• nipple and areola position
• upper-pole smoothness
• lower-pole fullness
• symmetry
• scar placement
• long-term shape stability

Our goal is not just to raise the breast, but to create a breast that looks natural, elegant, and balanced.

That is why, when appropriate, we may combine a lift with implants or fat grafting to create the most suitable result for each patient.

Conclusion

Some cases of breast sagging can be improved with implants alone, especially when the ptosis is mild.

However, in true ptosis, where the nipple has clearly descended, an excisional procedure such as a mastopexy may be necessary.

The scar pattern depends on the severity of the sagging:

• around the areola only
• around the areola plus vertical
• around the areola plus vertical and inframammary fold

At AVAN TOKYO, we do not simply choose implants or a lift automatically.

We focus on identifying what each breast truly needs and creating a result that is as natural and beautiful as possible.