Some women who come in for a breast lift in Sydney have expressed concerns about breastfeeding or the gradual effects of aging after the surgery. If you think that things like breastfeeding or bra-wearing can affect the outcome of a breast lift because it may result in breast sagging, then you might want to get things straightened out. Incorrect information in this respect is not only trivial, but it could also be depriving you of your necessary functions as a woman. In the same vein, knowing the facts can also help you control or manage breast sagging.
If you want to know what the true culprits are behind breast sagging, here is a list of causes.
Aging
As one gets older, it is natural for the structure and tissue of your breasts to change. It may lose firmness, change shape, change in size, or even become prone to abnormal lumps. The skin and connective tissues, which provides flexibility to the breasts, becomes stretched out resulting in saggy breasts. Even breast implants are impervious to aging and sagging. This is one of the reasons why some women request a breast lift and/or a breast augmentation procedure to improve the appearance and protrusion of the breasts.
Estrogen Deficiency
In relation to getting older, many of the breast changes that occur as one advances in age are caused by hormonal fluctuations. One of the notable hormonal change is the natural decline of the female reproductive hormone, estrogen. It plays a key role in maintaining female sex characteristics, such as breast formation. Estrogen levels usually drop at the time of menopause but may also do so because of certain diseases or if the ovaries are removed. When estrogen levels drop it results in the loss of skin elasticity, adversely affecting the connective tissues of the breasts. As a result, breast sagging occurs because it no longer has the same support both from the skin and internally.
Collagen Deficiency
At birth, our body already has an abundant supply of collagen, which causes our skin to be plump and smooth. Unfortunately, our body stops producing less collagen when we reach our late 20s, and once we hit our 30s, collagen production goes into an unyielding decline. This process is directly linked to the changes in estrogen levels. The female hormone is shown to influence skin thickness by stimulating collagen synthesis. When estrogen levels decline, collagen production also follows resulting in your skin becoming more prone to sagging.
Larger Breast Size
Women with larger breasts size have more weight and pressure to their skin and breast tissue. With prolonged stretching, collagen and elastin wears out which eventually results in breast sagging.
Gravity
Ladies don’t have to fret simply because, just like aging, gravity is a reality we face every day. Gravity’s pull affects women with larger breasts more than smaller breasts simply because of its weight. Over time, this causes the former to take on a more sagging appearance. It is for this reason that you give your breasts proper support to combat the effects of gravity.
High Body Mass Index
A woman’s Body Mass Index (BMI) demonstrates a strong relationship to their breast mass. As mentioned earlier, breasts also contain fat tissue, and some have it more than others. This can be linked to the effects of the gravitational pull and the eventual wear of the structural support of the breasts in women who are heavier.
Menopause
Your breasts were at its fullest and perkiest during your 20s and 30s. However, the most significant changes to the appearance of your breasts occur once you hit menopause. During the transitional stage that leads to menopause, or perimenopause, estrogen levels start declining. More fat is deposited in your breasts which further contributes to the gradual sag.
During menopause, the breasts not only gets fattier, they also shrink because women no longer need the milk-producing glands. So, you are left with breast skin which has been stretched over the years. As the tissues inside shrink the skin which surrounds it doesn’t, which makes the breasts appear empty or saggy.
Multiple Pregnancies
Pregnancy causes your hormones to fluctuate, your weight to increase rapidly in a few months, and stretch out your skin in response to the extra pounds you are packing. All these increase your risk for breast sagging.
During pregnancy, the ovaries and the placenta produce estrogen and progesterone. These hormones stimulate the milk-secreting glands, which results in an increase in breast size. After delivery, your body returns to its pre-pregnant state and some women can have difficulty shedding the pounds right away, stretching the skin further. Multiple pregnancies only increase the chance of breast sagging as your body is repeatedly subjected to all the necessary changes, hence, resulting in breast sagging.
Rapid Weight Loss
The breasts are sensitive to weight changes since it is primarily composed of fat tissue, in addition to lobule and duct tissue. When you pack on some pounds, the cells within the breast tissue expand. On the other hand, weight loss causes the fat cells to shrink. For women who have a high proportion of fat tissues in their breasts, this change will be more noticeable, and this may give the appearance that your breasts are saggy.
The skin around your breasts are also made up of proteins (collagen and elastin). Weight loss may seem exciting but resorting to extreme and sudden measures to lose the weight quickly can be stressful to these proteins. As a result, the compounds that make up the skin proteins wear out causing the skin to stretch permanently.
Smoking
Tobacco smoke contains thousands of substances that damage the skin. Nicotine and other dangerous substances found in one cigarette stick is not only detrimental to smokers but passive smokers as well. In relation to breast sagging, tobacco smoke hastens the natural process of skin aging. Studies have shown that the skin of smokers at age 40 resembles that of non-smokers at 70 years of age. Unfortunately, skin damage due to smoking is irreversible, and you can only prevent further damage if you stop smoking. If you want to maintain natural breast support kick the habit as early as possible.
It is a concern that some women believe that breastfeeding can cause their breasts to sag. This is why some bottle feed their children in the hopes of preventing saggy breasts. However, this could not be more farther than the truth. Studies have shown that, “the risk of breast ptosis increases with each pregnancy, but breastfeeding does not seem to worsen these effects”. Therefore, it is important to reassure expectant mothers that doing so will not have an adverse effect on the appearance of their breasts.
Breast Lift Sydney
Aside from getting structural support from your trusty brassieres, a breast lift is also another option which provides long-lasting results. The procedure is designed to address volume loss and skin sagging from breasts.
Clinics offer different methods or techniques in performing the surgery and finding what is appropriate for you will be based on your desired results. The procedure can be done in a way that is less traumatic to the patient and the scars more inconspicuous. A breast lift in Sydney today has already made strides in terms of techniques so that a natural-looking result is a achievable.
If you have more questions about this treatment, book a consultation with Dr. Daood today. We advise that you bring all your concerns to the table and educate yourself on the necessary information before you decide. With a personal appointment, you can be assessed and advised on the appropriate course of action to take.