WHY DO BREASTS AGE PREMATURELY?

Despite the calendar age, breast tissue in women ages more quickly due to reasons such as weight gain, number of pregnancies, and length of the breastfeeding period.

The reason why even very young women face the problem of sagging breasts is due to hormonal changes. Of course, factors such as the structure of the connective tissue and skin elasticity brought by genetic inheritance also cause premature aging of the breasts.

During pregnancy and lactation, breasts increase in size and therefore in weight, as they are hormonally active and produce milk. With the effect of these changes, the breast tissue deteriorates and ages. Experiencing more than one pregnancy in women, prolonging the breastfeeding period, and the weight gain – loss cycles further accelerate aging. Although it is not possible to take measures to protect the breasts regarding processes such as pregnancy and breastfeeding, the fact that women pay attention to their nutrition and exercise regularly in order to stay at the ideal weight can somewhat slow down this aging process. Just below the breast tissue, the chest muscle is located. Regular exercise of the chest muscle, increased muscle tension, and strengthening of the connective structure extending from the muscle into the breast, contribute to the recovery of the breast tissue and its delayed sagging.

Even if women do sports regularly and pay attention to their nutrition, sagging breasts and tissue loss may occur. Surgical treatments, including lifting surgeries, are one of the most effective methods applied today to rejuvenate prematurely aging breasts. Putting a silicone prosthesis in place of the lost breast tissue and removing some of the breast tissue that has grown over time are among the most common surgical applications. Methods such as injection and radiofrequency, which can be done to tighten the tissues outside of surgery, and supportive treatments applied with devices based on energy transfer, and suspending stitches are other available options.

Excess weight is the main enemy of breasts

Breast tissue is the tissue most affected by the negativities caused by births and breastfeeding in female bodies. When women gain or lose weight, the adipose tissue in the breasts also increases. With the weight gained during pregnancy and the breastfeeding period afterwards, the breasts grow, so skin cracks and sagging occurs. We can say that excess weight is the biggest enemy of breasts. As women gain weight, sagging occurs because the fat tissue in the body rises above the normal rate and the ligaments in the breasts loosen. As a result, the nipples turn downwards, instead of normally facing forward. Suspension ligaments that hang the breast to the chest wall allow the breast to stand upright. However, these bonds loosen due to reasons such as weight gain, giving birth, and breastfeeding, and it is not possible to return to their original state after they are loosened. In this case, it is necessary to perform a surgical operation to reshape the breast and bring it to the anatomically normal place.

Breasts sagging also leads to posture disorder

Breasts begin to pull the body forward over time, and as the breasts grow, the possibility of the body to lean forward and to walk in a hunchback position increases. Back, shoulder and waist pains appear. No matter how thick the straps of the bras are, they put pressure on the shoulders due to the size of the breast tissue, and neck and arm pains occur. Since the bone density decreases with the menopause period, the severity of these pains also increases. Apart from all these pain problems, redness, rash and fungus are also seen under the breast. Women who deal with the multiple problems brought about by sagging breasts also experience aesthetic concerns. They cannot wear the clothes they want, cannot find the swimsuit they want, and experience psychological difficulties because they are not satisfied with the clothes they wear. Surgical methods are a therapeutic option to avoid both pain and sagging appearance.

Who is a good candidate for breast lifting?

There are various degrees of breast sagging. In the case of the first degree breast sagging, which is marked as slight sagging, the nipple is lowered to the level of the inframammary fold. In patients who are suitable for lifting breasts of this degree, breast prosthesis also provides an upright image while filling the breast. Thanks to the prosthesis application, the breast tissue is recovered without the need for large scars, but great attention should be paid to the balance of weight gain and loss. In second-degree sagging, which we call moderate sagging, the nipple level is below the inframammary fold. Most of the breast tissue is also sagging under the inframammary fold. In the third degree sagging case, the situation is even more serious. Due to the fact that the breast is completely drooping, it is empty and the nipple is facing towards the ground. Breast lift surgery is mandatory in both second and third degree breast tissue sagging, it is not possible to treat this degree of sagging breast tissue in any other way.

How is the breast lift surgery done?

The patient’s expectations and what the physician can do are revealed by the detailed examination and listening to the patient’s history before the breast lift surgery. It is important to perform these surgeries considering the anatomical structure of the person. It is of great importance to determine whether a person’s breast is healthy or not before all aesthetic procedures. For this purpose, ultrasound, MRI, mammography analyses should be done. As a result of all these examinations, it is determined that the breast tissue is healthy and breast lift surgery is performed. These surgeries are completed in approximately 2-4 hours. Breast lift surgeries are operations performed under general anesthesia, by aesthetic plastic surgeons and in full-fledged hospitals, in operating room conditions.

After breast surgery, it may be necessary to stay in the hospital for 1 or 2 days. There is pain on the first day, but these pains can be controlled with drugs. A drain is inserted into the breast tissue during the operation, and removal of these drains takes one day in some patients and two days in other patients. When the treatment in the hospital is over and the patient goes home, it is recommended to drink plenty of fluids. In addition, it is important to use the antibiotics and painkillers recommended by the physician correctly, and to wear the protective bras recommended for this process without removing them day and night. It is recommended to take a bath 3-4 days after the operation, and it is possible to return to daily life in about a week. After breast surgery, one of the most curious subjects of patients is how much scar will be left in the breast tissue. The scars that occur during breast reduction or lift completely fade in about 6 months to 1 year.