Why Winter is the Best Time for a Breast Lift

A breast lift can be a great gift to yourself when aging, weight loss, previous pregnancies, and even heredity have caused sagging and drooping breasts that detract from your natural curves. When you choose the right surgeon, the procedure can reposition your breasts and give you a natural, more youthful appearance that leaves you looking as vibrant as you feel.   

Dr. Luis Vinas is a well-respected, board-certified plastic surgeon who is recognized as an expert at this increasingly popular surgery. He supervises a team of quality health care providers at L.A. Vinas M.D. Plastic Surgery, Med Spa & Skin Care Centers and has offices in West Palm Beach, Port St. Lucie, and Okeechobee, Florida for your convenience.  

This dedicated professional uses his extensive surgical skill to create a natural profile that enhances your shape and helps maximize your self-confidence. He can even recommend the best time for your breast lift and is happy to explain why winter fills that slot.

What is a breast lift?

During a breast lift, which is also known as a mastopexy, your surgeon raises your breasts by removing excess skin and tightening the surrounding tissue. This helps reshape and lift your breasts as the tighter skin supports the new breast contour.

When indicated, we can also reduce the size of the tissue surrounding your nipples (areolar) with a breast lift. The areolar tissue often enlarges over time and can appear out of proportion with your breast size. Correcting the areolar creates a more natural appearance that helps enhance the overall positive results of a breast lift.

Other results from a breast lift include restoring symmetry to your breasts and repositioning downward-facing nipples, which are often encountered when your breasts begin to sag or droop. As a bonus, the surgery also reduces the appearance of stretch marks on your breasts.

Many women who are happy with their breast size overall are opting for breast lifts rather than implants to restore the youthful lift of their breasts. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons notes that breast lifts now outnumber breast implant procedures by a 2 to 1 ratio, which is a 70% increase since 2000.

If you’re unhappy with your breast size, we can perform breast reduction along with a breast lift to decrease fullness or increase the size of your breasts by combining implants with a breast lift. We can also use a surgical technique (the vertical breast lift) that gives your breasts a larger, fuller appearance without implants.

What are the different types of breast lifts?

Any breast lift procedure focuses on removing sagging breast skin and raising the nipples, which results in a lifting of your breasts.

Depending on the severity of your issue, I may recommend a vertical breast lift. Using this surgical technique allows me to forgo the typical horizontal or anchor scar and use what we call a lollipop incision. It’s a smaller incision that allows me to pull the sides of your breasts in and up. A vertical breast lift creates rounder, fuller-appearing breasts. The smaller incision helps reduce healing time as well as scarring risks.

I may also suggest you consider a periareolar breast lift. This modified version of the traditional breast lift requires small incisions around the border of the areolar. It won’t work in cases where sagging is significant, but a periareolar lift is much less invasive and therefore less traumatic than a full breast lift. And it offers stellar results for women experiencing milder sagging and drooping.   

Before scheduling a breast lift procedure, regardless of the type you select, I ask my patients to undergo a thorough health screening and evaluation. This includes a detailed discussion of the results you can expect from breast lift surgery and instructions regarding the recovery phase.

Why is winter the best time for a breast lift?

While you will notice positive results immediately following surgery, it can take several weeks for your incision lines to heal completely after a breast lift. Your breasts also need time for the swelling and minimal bruising experienced after surgery to resolve as they “settle” into their new shape and position. Scheduling your procedure during the winter means you’ll be ready for the beach just in time for swimsuit season.

Your incision sites will normally fade significantly over time, but it’s important to protect these sites from sun exposure to help speed healing as well as reduce the risk of scarring. When you choose to have your breast lift during the cooler winter weather, it’s easier to cover the area with sun-blocking clothing.

The cooler temps and decreased humidity experienced during Florida winters also reduce the potential of sweating and other irritating, heat-related factors that can interfere with the healing process.