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The Benelli Breast Lift for Smaller Boobs

By Sarah Matthews | Published on July 2, 2009 | 0 Comments

Most people assume that only large-chested women can suffer from breasts that droop and sag as the result of heredity, age, weight fluctuations or breastfeeding. The truth is far from that. Women with smaller breasts can also suffer from breast ptosis, or Boobs-Gone-South-Syndrome, which is why clever plastic surgeon Dr Louis Benelli pioneered a new type of breast uplift he (modestly) dubbed the “Benelli Lift”.

If the thought of having your nipple raised several centimeters higher on your chest so that other people will think you have higher breasts is appealing, then the Benelli lift may be exactly what you need. The beauty part, as they say, is that the scars are placed around the areola area, so they are practically invisible. The Benelli breast lift, also known as the concentric or peri-areolar lift, is also less invasive than most other types of breast uplifts, and can cost considerably less.

Benelli Breast Lift Basics

The Benelli breast lift (“doughnut mastopexy”) is basically cosmetic surgery in which the skin “brassiere” is reshaped. It involves having a small doughnut-shaped piece of tissue removed from around the border of the areola. The surrounding tissue is then stitched to the areola itself using small purse-string like sutures, so that the nipple appears raised.

If you think this all sounds a bit nasty, you’re right! In some cases, the surgeon may also want to give the breasts an extra lift by removing another crescent-shaped piece of tissue from the top bit of the areola (nastier still). Some women may also choose to have implants inserted at the same time while they are under the knife to have not only perkier breasts but bigger ones as well. Please note that most surgeons think an implant is the only way to achieve fullness in the breast’s upper quadrant – this cannot be done through mastopexy alone.

The operation as a whole should take anywhere from two to three hours and is performed under local anesthesia, although sedation is also used at the same time – so you won’t see your nipple being sliced. Women can normally return to work within a week although some bruising is to be expected, as well as some redness and feeling of numbness in the breastal area. In some cases there is an accompanying loss of sensitivity, which may be permanent, and there is always the risk of infection and skin necrosis.

Be advised that the tightening of the purse-strings in this procedure can cause a wrinkling or even pleating of the skin, which in some cases can be permanent. That is why it works best in women who have smaller breasts – also because it can give the breasts a more rounded shape.

If you are considering this op, it is imperative that you get professional surgical advice to make sure that it is really the right procedure for you. Don’t choose it simply because it is less invasive or can cost less – that will hardly matter if the outcome is far from what you desire.

Benelli Lollipop

This type of op is for people whose breasts sag that little bit more, when the skin elasticity is slightly more stretched. In this case, the nipple will have to be raised more to achieve the perkier look. It is good for women who have larger breasts compared to those who would require only a simple, stream-lined Benelli, but is not suitable for very large-breasted gals.

The surgeon will make an incision around the entire areola, not just on the top bit, as well as making a vertical scar, down the front of the breast. Obviously, scars will be more noticeable with a lollipop lift, although there will be a lot less scarring than that of a complete mastopexy, which would involve an anchor incision and corresponding anchor-like scar. The two incisions in this lift are thought to resemble a lollipop on a stick, which is how it gets its name.

Cautionary Advice

Breast lifts are only realistic options for some people. You are a potentially good candidate for a breast lift of any sort if you have breasts which are:

• saggy and/or droopy
• elongated and/or flat
• have lost shape and/or volume

Health considerations should also be taken into account. Only have a mastopexy if you:

• are not a smoker
• are not prone to keloid scarring
• maintain a reasonable weight
• are not planning to lose a lot of weight in the near future
• have realistic expectation about what cosmetic surgery can do for you
• are in good overall health
• are free of certain pre-existing health conditions
• are in good mental health

Having any type of cosmetic surgery is a difficult to decision to make, and one that you should only have carried out after thinking long and hard about what you really, really want. While cosmetic surgery often can enhance a person’s self-esteem, there are other ways to achieve a better self-image than by re-shaping your body through costly and often dangerous surgical means.

Remember, having a breast uplift means trading in droopiness for scars – so make sure you will be happy with the trade-off before having anything done. The type of mastopexy you will have will depend on the amount of droop as well as the cause, and you will also need to choose whether you also are interested in having breast augmentation or reduction done at the same time.

If you are considering having plastic surgery of any kind, do your homework first and have an in-depth consultation with a qualified, Board-certified surgeon who is experienced in performing exactly the type of operation you want done. Alternatively, if gravity has really taken its toll on your breasts, you could always consider moving to another planet. Uranus is supposed to be nice this time of year…

*Disclaimer: The information on this website is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.

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