What Is the Difference Between a Breast Lift and a Breast Reduction?
Posted November 25, 2025 in Breast Lift, Breast Reduction
Plastic surgery is never a one-size-fits-all situation; Many women will benefit from custom and combined breast procedures to create the right fit for their needs. One example is combining a breast lift and breast reduction into one procedure. This blog discusses the benefits and candidates of each procedure separately and together.
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Choosing the Right Breast Procedure
For most, the first cosmetic procedure that jumps to mind when someone mentions cosmetic surgery is breast augmentation. However, breast enhancement procedures cover more than enlarging or reshaping the breasts. Many women have more complex desires and needs when it comes to the cosmetic improvements of their natural breasts.
In fact, most women at some point in their lives will experience breast ptosis or sagging, either caused by lifestyle experiences like pregnancy and breastfeeding, or simply due to the natural aging process. As the breasts sag, they begin to lose their shape and perkiness, dropping the lower poles. This is exacerbated when a woman has larger breasts — natural or otherwise — as the added weight speeds up the sagging process.
In cases like these, a breast lift or breast reduction may be much more fitting, but which is right for you?
What Is a Breast Lift?
A breast lift, or mastopexy, is a cosmetic procedure aimed at lifting breasts to a higher position on the chest, reshaping drooping breasts, and removing excess skin. The result is youthful, perky breasts. Candidates for a breast lift might:
- Have drooping, downward-pointing nipples
- Have tubular, malshaped breasts
- Have sagging breasts
- Have excess breast skin
- Have a lack of structure in the breasts
Not every candidate will have each of these concerns, but they are common. Many women experience these changes after breastfeeding, as skin and nipples are stretched, and the breasts lose volume. Additionally, it is a natural part of life that the body changes and loses some structure and elasticity, making breast ptosis incredibly common.
While breast lifts lift and reshape the breasts, they do not restore or change volume. Your plastic surgeon can moderately reshape the breasts to a more attractive shape, but the volume stays primarily the same.
What Is Breast Reduction?
A breast reduction, or reduction mammoplasty, is a cosmetic procedure designed to reduce the size of the breasts. A breast reduction is a unique procedure in that it can also be considered medically necessary for women whose breasts are so large and heavy that they cause back and neck pain. In these unique cases, insurance may choose to cover all or part of the procedure.
In any case, breast reductions are somewhat similar to breast lifts, except that they do affect volume. During a breast reduction, your surgeon removes excess fat and breast tissue (glandular tissue), in addition to removing redundant skin caused by the weight of the breasts. The breast mound is also lifted to a more natural, youthful position higher on the chest, and the nipples are similarly corrected. Candidates for a breast lift might:
- Have large, heavy, pendulous breasts
- Have downward-pointing nipples
- Have misshapen breasts
- Experience neck and back pain, or trouble breathing and sleeping
The result of a successful breast reduction is that the patient has smaller, more attractive breasts that sit naturally higher on the chest and have typically shaped nipples.
Which Procedure Is Better: Breast Lift or Breast Reduction?
This depends on your specific needs: for women with large breasts, a breast reduction might be ideal. For those with primarily sagging breasts, a breast lift alone might suffice.
However, many women see the benefit in combining the two procedures to address shape, size, and lift. Combining these two procedures has the added benefit of treating loose skin and sagging for women with large breasts, as they are more likely to have ptosis due to the weight of their breasts. A breast lift alone does not address excess fat and tissue, while a breast reduction does not address sagging skin sufficiently, so combining the two is ideal.
Want to Learn More About Breast Lift and Reduction Surgery in NYC?
Call Dr. Eric K. Cha at Fifth Ave Plastic Surgery today at (212) 717-2222 or fill out the contact form to learn how combining a breast lift and a reduction can give you the physical and aesthetic benefits you’ve always wanted.