As you age, your breasts undergo changes that can change their shape, size, and appearance. The ligaments that hold up breast tissue (Cooper’s ligaments) get weaker and stretch out. The tissue in your breasts changes from mostly lobes and ducts to mostly fat, even if you don’t gain weight.
Over time, these changes can leave your breasts looking saggy or deflated. Other life events, like pregnancy, can also change your breasts. Pregnancy causes breasts to grow, but after birth or breastfeeding, breasts begin to shrink again but may not return to their original shape.
While some aspects of breast sagging aren’t preventable, there are some steps you can take to maintain your breast’s appearance over time.
Exercise Regularly
Although breasts don’t contain muscle tissue, strengthening the chest and back muscles can improve the way they sit on your body. Exercises like push-ups, chest presses, and planks target the pectoral muscles beneath the breasts, helping them look naturally lifted. Core and back exercises improve posture, which also enhances breast appearance.
Regular exercise is also key for maintaining a stable, healthy weight. Rapid weight gain and loss can stretch the breast skin, making sagging more likely.
Don’t Yo-Yo Diet
Yo-yo dieting, or repeatedly gaining and losing weight, can cause permanent changes in breast skin elasticity. Each cycle of weight fluctuation stretches breast tissue, and over time, the skin may not tighten back. A steady, balanced diet and consistent exercise can help protect against these effects.
Avoid Smoking
Smoking negatively impacts skin health by reducing collagen production and restricting blood flow. This leads to premature aging, loss of skin elasticity, and sagging breasts. If you smoke, quitting is one of the best things you can do for both your overall health and your appearance.
Sleep on Your Back
Your sleeping position can also play a role. Sleeping on your stomach or side places extra strain on breast ligaments, pulling tissue downward over time. By sleeping on your back, your breasts are better supported, reducing stress on the skin and connective tissue.
When Prevention Isn’t Enough: Breast Lift Surgery
Even with the best lifestyle habits, sagging breasts may eventually occur. For women who want a more youthful, perky contour, a breast lift in Virginia Beach is often the most effective solution. During breast lift surgery, our surgeons remove excess skin, tighten surrounding tissue, and reposition the breasts higher on the chest wall. This restores a firmer, more youthful look.
A breast lift can be performed on its own or combined with other procedures. Many women choose to pair a breast lift with breast augmentation for added fullness, or with breast reduction if they want smaller, lifted breasts. At Galardi | Bowen Plastic Surgery, our board-certified surgeons customize every procedure to align with your body type, goals, and natural proportions.
Why Choose Galardi | Bowen Plastic Surgery in Virginia Beach?
Choosing the right practice is an important step in your plastic surgery journey. At Galardi | Bowen Plastic Surgery, our team is dedicated to delivering safe, natural-looking results tailored to each patient. We specialize in breast procedures, including breast lifts, breast augmentations, and breast reductions, giving women renewed confidence in their appearance.
From your first consultation to your recovery, we provide personalized care in a supportive environment. If sagging breasts are affecting your confidence, we can help you explore whether a breast lift in Virginia Beach is the right solution for you.
Schedule Your Breast Lift Consultation in Virginia Beach
While sagging breasts are a normal part of aging, you don’t have to live with changes that make you feel less confident. With healthy lifestyle habits, you can slow the process—but when you’re ready for a lasting solution, breast lift surgery in Virginia Beach can restore the perky, youthful look you desire.
Contact Galardi | Bowen Plastic Surgery in Virginia Beach today at (757) 496-5556 to schedule your private consultation and learn more about how a breast lift can help you feel more confident in your body.
For a great guide on “How to Prepare for a Breast Lift Surgery”, please see this guide from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
