Breast Lift in Denver

Name: Breast Lift
Brand: Colorado Plastic Surgery Center
Rating: 4.8 (1107 reviews)

Medically reviewed by Dr. Laura Roider & Dr. Nick Slenkovich

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What is a Breast Lift?

Breasts change shape over the years. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, weight change, genetics, and gravity can each cause the breasts to drop, sag, or feel deflated. A breast lift is one of the most personal procedures we perform. Most of our patients describe the result as the body they remembered before pregnancy, breastfeeding, weight change, or gravity.

Both Dr. Nick Slenkovich and Dr. Laura Roider perform breast lifts at Colorado Plastic Surgery Center in Littleton, CO. Our Denver breast lift, also known as a mastopexy, is intended to give you an elevated, more youthful breast contour and nipple position.

In one operation, a breast lift can:

Reposition the nipple and areola higher on the chest
Remove stretched skin
Lift, tighten, and reshape the underlying breast tissue
Reduce the size of the areolas
Correct nipple/areola asymmetry
Restore breast projection and a more youthful contour with minimal change to breast size

Why Patients Consider a Breast Lift (Mastopexy)

Our goal when performing a breast lift at Colorado Plastic Surgery Center is to restore a younger, more appealing breast contour. Common reasons patients consider a mastopexy include:

Sagging or drooping breasts after pregnancy or breastfeeding
Loss of breast shape and projection after weight loss or weight change
Breasts that feel deflated, flat, or wider than they used to be
Nipples that sit lower than the breast fold
Stretched skin
Stretched, enlarged, or asymmetric areolas
Breasts that rest low on the chest or hang over the breast crease

Explore all of our breast procedures

Our Approach to Breast Lift

A breast lift is one of the procedures where the surgical plan matters as much as the technique. Our approach is built on partnering with each patient through the full journey, walking together from the first consultation through your final follow-up appointment.

A few principles shape how we practice:

In many ways, the real work of your surgery takes place during the consultation. By the time you are in the operating room, every meaningful decision has already been made: the lift technique, the incision pattern, how much skin we plan to remove, the new nipple and areola position, and whether a small implant will be paired with the lift. We make those decisions together with you.
We are honest about scarring. Every breast lift technique leaves a visible scar pattern. The trade-off is a breast shape you are happy with for years, and for most patients, it is a trade-off they would make again. You should walk into the operating room with a clear picture of what the scars will look like.
We match the technique to the anatomy, not the other way around. A small amount of skin to tighten and a small repositioning of the nipple may call for a vertical or Donut incision. A larger amount of skin to remove or a larger nipple movement usually calls for an anchor incision. When significant skin needs to be removed or the nipple needs substantial repositioning, we recommend the anchor pattern even though it leaves a larger scar. Choosing a smaller-incision technique to minimize scarring at the cost of the final breast shape is a trade-off we walk patients through carefully and rarely recommend.

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The Breast Lift Consultation in Denver

If you are considering a breast lift, the consultation is the place to start. The conversation covers your goals, your medical history, and a physical examination of breast shape, skin quality, nipple position, and degree of ptosis (the medical term for breast sagging).

We use Vectra 3D imaging at the consultation to create a customized three-dimensional model of your chest. The 3D simulation lets us preview how different lift techniques and implant pairings would look on your specific body, and it gives you a way to compare options visually before making a decision. Most patients find the Vectra 3D session the single most useful part of the consultation.

From there, we walk through whether a breast lift is the right procedure for you, the technique we would recommend, whether a small implant should be paired with the lift, the expected shape and projection after surgery, the recovery timeline, and the cost. You leave the consultation with a clear surgical plan and a clear understanding of what to expect.

How the Breast Lift Procedure Works

In medical terminology, breast sagging is classified as ptosis. It refers to the position of the breast and nipple relative to the breast fold. The degree of ptosis (mild, moderate, or severe) is one of the factors we use to decide which lift technique is most appropriate for a given patient.

The right incision pattern depends on the degree of ptosis, the amount of skin we need to remove, and how much shape change is needed. Through the incisions, we remove the excess stretched skin, reshape the underlying breast tissue, reposition the nipple and areola higher on the chest, and reduce the areola size if appropriate. The three patterns we use most often are:

Vertical (lollipop) lift

An incision around the areola and vertically down to the breast fold. Used for mild ptosis or pseudoptosis. The vertical technique has limitations: it does not let the surgeon adjust the inframammary fold (the breast crease) or narrow the breast significantly. We discuss these trade-offs at the consultation.

Donut (peri-areolar) lift

A single circular incision around the areola. Used for very mild ptosis, small repositioning, or asymmetries between the two sides. The least visible scar pattern is limited to smaller corrections.

Anchor (Wise-pattern) lift

An incision around the areola, vertically down the center of the breast, and along the fold under the breast. The most powerful breast lift technique and our standard for moderate-to-severe ptosis or when significant skin needs to be removed. The anchor incision gives Dr. Slenkovich or Dr. Roider the most control over the final outcome, due to the ability to shape the breast in multiple dimensions: vertical projection, lateral width, and the position of the inframammary fold.

Combining a Breast Lift with Augmentation

Many patients pair a breast lift with a small breast augmentation to restore upper-pole fullness. Some women have lost both projection and volume after pregnancy, breastfeeding, or weight change, and addressing both at the same time produces a better result than either procedure alone. Other patients are satisfied with a lift alone, in which we reshape the existing breast tissue without adding volume. We discuss whether a combined procedure is appropriate at the consultation based on your goals and anatomy.

Patient Stories

I can’t believe how quickly eight weeks flew by. If I could speak with women contemplating having a breast lift I would immediately say, do it. … This gift I gave myself ranks number one in my life.

Breast Lift Recovery Timeline

Breast lift recovery follows a predictable pattern. Here is the timeline our patients follow:

Week one. Rest. You go home the same day of surgery in a surgical bra with light gauze over the incisions. Most patients describe the first few days as soreness and tightness rather than sharp pain, and the discomfort is well controlled with oral medication. Short walks at home are encouraged. Activity is limited.
Weeks two and three. You will start to feel substantially better. Many patients return to desk work or non-physical jobs in this window. We start range-of-motion exercises for the upper extremities, but exercise and any strenuous activity remain off-limits.
Weeks four and five. Lower body activity gradually increases. You will continue to wear a supportive surgical bra. Anything that involves the chest or upper body remains gentle.
Week six and beyond. Most patients return to normal activity and exercise. We continue regular follow-up through the first six months and beyond. The full recovery, including final scar appearance and final breast shape, plays out over the first six to twelve months.

Follow-up is built into the recovery plan. We see you in the office through the first six months to monitor your healing, perform lymphatic massage therapy, manage your scars, and answer questions as they come up. Your specific follow-up schedule is set and confirmed before the operating room so you know what to expect.

Every breast lift patient receives lymphatic massage at no additional cost. The massage helps reduce swelling and supports tissue healing, and it is performed during your follow-up appointments at our office. Scars from the incisions fade gradually over the first six to twelve months. We use refined surgical technique, closure technique, and tension management to make the scars as favorable as possible, and every breast lift patient also receives post-operative scar-management care.

Meet Your Colorado Breast Lift Surgeons

At Colorado Plastic Surgery Center, Dr. Slenkovich and Dr. Roider combine their extensive training with a proven, evidence-based approach to guide you smoothly through your breast lift procedure.

Dr. Nick Slenkovich, MD

Dr. Slenkovich is a board-certified plastic surgeon with over 20 years of experience and multiple published medical articles on breast procedures. His patients describe his consultation style as unhurried and deeply collaborative. He believes in a patient-centered partnership, empowering you to play an active role in decision-making on the journey to becoming your personal best.

Meet Dr. Slenkovich

Dr. Laura Roider, MD

Dr. Roider is a board-eligible plastic surgeon specializing in restoring breast shape and proportion after pregnancy, breastfeeding, or weight loss. Patients trust her thorough, compassionate consultations, which feature detailed discussions on how technique choices affect your final shape, nipple position, areola symmetry, and long-term durability. Dedicated to your success, Dr. Roider is committed to educating, supporting, and empowering you every step of the way.

Meet Dr. Roider

Breast Lift FAQs

Am I a candidate for a breast lift?

Candidates for a breast lift are usually patients who have lost breast projection and shape after pregnancy, breastfeeding, weight change, or time. Often, these patients describe their breasts as flat, droopy, saggy, or deflated, and typically, the nipple position has dropped below the breast fold. Stable weight, general good health, and a clear sense of what you are hoping to change are all helpful.

What is the difference between a breast lift and a breast reduction?

A breast lift reshapes the breast and repositions the nipple with minimal change to breast size. The breast often appears slightly smaller after a lift because tissue is repositioned and lifted, but reducing volume is not the goal. A breast reduction does the heavy lifting on size: it primarily reduces breast volume and reshapes the breast at the same time. The two procedures use similar incision patterns. Which one is right for you depends on whether you want a smaller breast or simply a different shape and a higher nipple position. The breast lift before-and-after gallery and the breast reduction before-and-after gallery make the visual difference clear.

Should I get a breast lift, an augmentation, or both?

A breast lift addresses sagging and nipple position; a breast augmentation addresses volume. Patients whose primary concern is shape and nipple position usually choose a lift alone. Patients who want more upper-pole volume in addition to a lift often choose a combined lift with augmentation. For patients who arrive undecided, we use Vectra 3D imaging during the consultation to preview both options side by side, which often makes the right choice clearer. Three galleries help patients see the differences: the breast lift gallery, the breast augmentation gallery, and the combined breast augmentation and lift gallery.

Where is a breast lift performed and how long does it take?

A breast lift at Colorado Plastic Surgery Center is performed under general anesthesia in our private, QUAD A-accredited and state-licensed surgery center, which is adjacent to the clinic. The procedure typically takes two to three hours, and patients go home the same day.

Is it safe to combine a breast lift with a breast augmentation?

Yes, when performed in a single procedure by an experienced surgeon. Combining a lift with a breast augmentation is a routine combination in plastic surgery and has been performed for decades. The two procedures are coordinated to manage blood supply to the nipple, tension on the incisions, and the final position and projection of the breast. Some patients are better served by staging the procedures (lift first, augmentation later); we make that call based on individual anatomy, the amount of skin to remove, and the size of the implant being considered. We talk through the trade-offs in detail before the operating room.

Will a breast lift leave a visible scar?

Yes. Every breast lift technique leaves a scar pattern. The Donut (peri-areolar) technique leaves a scar around the areola only. The vertical (lollipop) technique adds a vertical scar down the center of the lower breast. The anchor (Wise-pattern) technique adds a horizontal scar along the fold under the breast. We use refined closure techniques, careful tension management, and post-operative scar care to make the scars as favorable as possible. The scars fade over the first six to twelve months, but do not disappear entirely.

Will a breast lift affect my ability to breastfeed?

It can. A breast lift repositions the nipple and reshapes the underlying breast tissue, both of which can affect milk production and milk ducts. The pedicle techniques used in modern breast lifts are designed to preserve the connections between the nipple, the milk ducts, and the underlying breast tissue, but we cannot guarantee you will be able to breastfeed following breast surgery. If breastfeeding is important to you and you are planning to have children, we can discuss the risk at the consultation, and it may be best to wait until after you have children to have surgery.

Will I lose nipple sensation?

Most patients retain nipple sensation after a breast lift. Some patients experience temporary numbness that resolves over the following six to twelve months. A small number of patients experience a permanent change in sensation.

How long do breast lift results last?

A breast lift produces a meaningful and long-lasting change in breast shape and nipple position. Most patients enjoy their results for many years. However, the breast continues to age along with the rest of the body: the skin can stretch over time and some sagging can reoccur. Pregnancy, significant weight change, and gravity can each affect long-term results. Most patients who have completed their family and are at a stable weight see results that hold up well.

Does insurance cover a breast lift?

No. A breast lift is considered a cosmetic procedure and typically is not covered by health insurance.

What does a breast lift cost?

Cost depends on which technique we use, whether a small implant is paired with the lift, and the surgical time and anesthesia requirements of the specific plan. Our website price estimator gives you a current cost estimate for a breast lift at the practice. We walk through the specific cost for your plan at the consultation. We also work with established financing partners for patients who prefer to pay over time; financing options can be explained at the consultation.

How long is the recovery from a breast lift?

Recovery follows a predictable pattern. Week one is for rest, with activity limited. By weeks two and three, most patients feel substantially better and can return to desk work or non-physical jobs. Exercise and strenuous activity remain limited through weeks four to six. At weeks four and five, activity gradually increases while you continue to wear a supportive surgical bra. By week six, most patients return to normal activity and exercise. The full recovery, including final scar appearance and final breast shape, plays out over the first six to twelve months.