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Unlike a breast reduction or augmentation (implant), Dean says a lift does not change the size of the breast, rather it just alters its shape and position on the body.
“The benefit is that it’s all still your own tissue, there’s no foreign material there. That certainly appeals to many women,” Dean says, noting a slight shift away from implants due to increasing fears around potential long-term risks such as hardening, tightness and silicone leakage.
However, lifts are still a relatively significant procedure, Sanki says. “The operation takes about two hours, and it requires a full general anesthetic. It results in a scar that goes around the pink part of the areola, down the lower pole of the breast, and sometimes also in the fold of the breast.”
How common is it in Australia?
Vice-president of the Australasian Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons Dr Amir Sanki says her practice would usually perform 400 to 500 operations a year, 200 of which are breast-related. Of that 200, about 25 per cent are breast lifts.
“About one-third are young patients, who may have been born with very weak skin or breast tissue. About two-thirds are mothers who have finished breastfeeding, who hope to restore their bodies to the way they were before having kids.”
Sanki says the procedure generally costs between $10,000 and $20,000. In most cases, lifts are considered an elective, aesthetic surgery, meaning they must be self-funded.
Mothers who breastfeed may notice their breasts become saggier over time.Credit: iStock
However, private health insurers and Medicare occasionally offer rebates to those who can prove their breasts were severely impacting their day-to-day life, such as extreme rashes or back pain.
Before committing to a lift, Dean says people should consider whether they plan to breastfeed in the future, as the feeding process can alter the breast tissue pattern. She also notes the risk of complications during surgery is heightened for smokers and diabetics.
Motherhood and body-image
For 35-year-old Sarah Plant, her breast lift and reduction, which she underwent in November, was “life-changing”. “My breasts would basically be able to have a conversation with my belly button,” she says. “I always felt top-heavy and ended having terrible neck and back pain … After I decided to stop breastfeeding my daughter, they started to hang even lower and were even bigger. They caused a lot of mental and physical issues.”
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Though Plant was open with friends and family about her procedure throughout the process, she says many others decide to keep it private for fear of what others may think.
“Talking about women’s health is still quite taboo. We were taught not to speak about those personal things while growing up,” she says. “Since it’s a cosmetic procedure, people may worry that others will judge them. But for reductions and lifts, it’s often also health-related, not just cosmetic.”
Body-image researcher Dr Sarah Bonell says much of the judgement against mothers who elect to have breast lifts likely stems from outdated misogynistic beliefs that place women primarily as caregivers.
“It’s almost like if you’re vain enough to care about fixing your breasts afterwards, that means you don’t care enough about your baby. Priorities should be motherhood, not vanity,” Bonell says.
Though commentary from high-profile celebrities like Rihanna can help normalise conversations around women’s bodies – particularly postpartum bodies – and their freedom to do what they wish with them, it can also push unhealthy narratives like the “yummy mummy body”.
“There’s no allowance for the body to change and shift,” Bonell says. “Bodies [after pregnancy] are treated almost like a deformity – the saggy stomach and saggy boobs. There’s nowhere for mothers to go and hear that whatever they look like is normal, and they don’t have to be ashamed.”
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