Time, gravity, pregnancy, and breast-feeding all take their toll on the female breast. The youthful and natural shape of the breast loses volume and begins to sag. In fact, for each additional baby a woman has, her breasts will become less full and firm. Over time, many women can even develop flat, or empty breasts.
For many years plastic surgeons have lifted breasts (referred to as a mastopexy). The most common breast lift involves creating incisions on the breast, removing extra skin, and re-suturing the remaining skin tighter. This leaves what is known as an anchor scar, so called because the pattern of incisions that are made resemble the shape of an anchor. There is a circular scar around the areola, a vertical scar down the middle of the breasts from the areola to the breast fold, and a horizontal scar in the breast fold.
In the mid-1980s a French doctor named Dr. Louis Benelli developed a Circular Scar Lift which eliminated all the scars except the circle. I was fortunate enough to be studying in France at the time and learned this technique directly from Dr. Benelli himself. Basically, a circle or doughnut of skin—and only skin—is removed from around the nipple. The nipple always stays attached. The breast is then both lifted and tightened underneath the skin. A pursestring suture is then placed in the doughnut incision and tightened. This lifts the breast and tightens the skin all in one move. Since most women lose volume with age and breast-feeding, an implant is also often used with this particular breast lift technique, returning the breast to its more natural volume, as well as position and shape.
The Benelli Breast Lift is revolutionary because it eliminates 90% of the scarring resulting from previous techniques. Those older, and more scarring procedures understandably discouraged many women from ever getting a breast lift. The scarring from the Benelli Breast Lift is so very minor, and as a result, so much more discreet. The procedure also allows alterations to the areola if desired. During the surgery the areola can be made smaller, or reshaped, or even moved to the left or right. For those who are candidates, the Benelli Breast Lift is an almost ideal operation: minimal scarring for maximum lift and fullness, all done in one simple procedure.
