More and more people are looking to get perkier, higher breasts. Breast lift surgery is one of the top cosmetic procedures in the UK that helps to restore your breasts to their former height and perkiness. Depending on your primary concern, there are different breast lift techniques your surgeon can use. One way to perform a breast lift is using the doughnut technique; let’s explore.
What is a Doughnut Breast Lift?
A doughnut breast lift is for patients with mild sagging. During this procedure, your doctor will make only one incision. Because of this, the scarring is relatively minimal. The incision will be made along the circumference of the areola.
With a doughnut breast lift, your surgeon will remove a small amount of excess skin and reposition the breast shape and position into a perkier, more youthful appearance. Because of the placement of the scar, it’s one of the top techniques for a breast lift if you’re after an almost undetectable scar.
Doughnut Breast Lift Scars: What to Expect
The aim of the doughnut lift is to deliver the same results as a traditional breast lift with minimal scarring and a less intensive surgery. A doughnut breast lift uses an incision pattern called periareolar. The incision is in a circular shape around the nipple. It’s this incision placement that helps to create a very minimal scar.
As the name suggests, a doughnut breast lift scar is circular or “doughnut” shaped. So, the scar traces around the areola and hugs the edges. A doughnut breast lift is somewhere between an anchor lift and a crescent lift.
Breast Lift Before and After
The Difference Between a Doughnut and Traditional Breast Lift
A doughnut breast lift requires fewer incisions than a standard breast lift. Normally, a breast lift uses 2 incisions. It’s through these incisions that your surgeon is able to pull the skin and lift the breasts into a perkier position. So, with a doughnut breast lift, you won’t have the vertical scar down the breast.
To get the most out of this type of breast lift technique, you need to be the right candidate. A good candidate for a doughnut breast lift has small to medium breasts with only mild sagging. If you have larger breasts with severe sagging, you may not be a good candidate for a doughnut breast lift.
Because there are fewer incisions and the technique is more suited to mild sagging, you won’t see hugely dramatic results. As there is less accessibility, it can help treat mild sagging. So, it’s important to go into your procedure with realistic expectations.
As a doughnut breast lift is a less intensive procedure, it’s commonly performed alongside breast augmentation to lift breast implants into a more youthful position. The implant would normally be inserted at the same time as the doughnut breast lift.
Naturally, the fewer incisions your surgeon has to make, the less access they have to the breast tissue. An almost scar-free breast lift sounds ideal, but there are limitations. That’s why it’s so important to have a cosmetic surgery consultation with an expert breast surgeon before you commit to any treatment plan. Your plastic surgeon will be able to determine the right breast lift approach based on your concerns and individual case.
Doughnut Breast Lift Recovery
You can expect doughnut breast lift recovery to take about 6 weeks. Because this breast lift technique doesn’t need a vertical scar, some patients experience a more comfortable recovery. Typically, you may feel sore for the first few days. Your doctor will advise you on how to manage any pain or discomfort.
Most patients need 1-2 weeks of downtime to recover. Follow a healthy diet, avoid smoking, and get moving after your surgery. You should start to resume normal activities over the next few weeks as your doctor gives you the all-clear. It’s important to hold off strenuous exercise for at least 6 weeks as you don’t want to pull your incisions. For more information, you can read our breast lift recovery guide.
Breast Lift Types
There are several types of breast lift techniques. The best method really depends on the individual case and the kind of results you’re looking to achieve. Before your procedure, your surgeon will talk you through the technique they will be using. Here are some of the main methods for a breast lift.
Anchor Breast Lift
This method incurs the most scarring but is for the most severe sagging. It generates dramatic results and changes to the breast. An anchor breast lift requires 3 incisions:
- One incision around the outer edge of the areola.
- One incision from the bottom of the areola down the natural breast crease (inframammary fold).
- One horizontal incision along the breast crease.
Lollipop Breast Lift
This is for patients who want to change the shape and fix some sagging at the same time. It’s one of the more popular techniques and requires 2 incisions. Also known as a vertical breast lift, one incision is around the areola and the other runs from the areola down the natural crease of the breast fold.
Crescent Breast Lift
This is a less common technique where the incision resembles a crescent shape. It’s suitable for mild sagging and uses one incision that runs on the top outer part of the areola. The scar is usually hidden within the part of the areola with naturally darker pigment.
Breast Lift Surgery at The Harley Clinic
Like a lot of cosmetic procedures, there are usually several ways to perform the surgery. There are different techniques that can achieve varying results. While you may be suitable for one, you might not be a good candidate for another. That’s why it’s so important to choose a plastic surgeon you are 100% confident in.
To determine which breast lift technique is most suitable for you, your plastic surgeon will evaluate your concerns and the severity of breast sagging. Based on your individual case, your surgeon will recommend the technique they believe will produce the best results.
If you’re considering a breast lift, book a consultation today at the Harley Clinic.
