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A breast lift with implants, clinically known as an augmentation-mastopexy, can provide one of the most comprehensive transformations of one’s breast contours. While surgery may be performed all at once or in stages, this dual treatment plan addresses two distinct concerns simultaneously: restoring lost volume with implants while lifting and reshaping sagging tissue affected by aging, pregnancy, breastfeeding, or significant weight loss.

While the body continues to change after the procedure, prolonging the rejuvenation achieved with augmentation-mastopexy is possible without any extreme or invasive measures. As a board-certified plastic surgeon in Salt Lake City who is one of few providers to complete a prestigious fellowship in aesthetic surgery, Dr. Jared Garlick breaks down how patients can maintain their results and protect their investment for years, and even decades, to come.

Overview of Breast Augmentation-Mastopexy

Augmentation-mastopexy is a combination of two distinct surgical techniques performed either in tandem, or in staged sessions. Breast lift surgery (or mastopexy) removes excess skin and reshapes the underlying breast tissue to elevate the breast mound while repositioning the nipple-areola complex to a more youthful location. Breast augmentation, on the other hand, introduces a silicone, saline, or Motiva^® implant — placed either behind the breast tissue or beneath the pectoral muscle — to restore or enhance volume.

Dr. Garlick specializes in the Preservé™ technique for breast augmentation patients, which places an implant behind the breast tissue while leaving the pectoral muscle intact. In turn, he avoids extensive disruption of one’s natural anatomy, reduces the likelihood of rippling and animation deformity, and generally helps protect the integrity of the implant and breast sensation simultaneously. As a procedure that has two distinct objectives, augmentation-mastopexy is one of the more technically demanding procedures in aesthetic surgery. For this reason, choosing a board-certified and fellowship-trained aesthetic plastic surgeon with specialized experience in this combination is essential.

Tips to Maximize the Longevity of a Breast Lift with Implants

Follow Dr. Garlick’s Post-Operative Instructions

This may sound obvious, but the most important thing you can do in the initial healing period is to follow Dr. Garlick’s recovery protocol to the letter. These instructions are calibrated to your needs, unique treatment plan, and anatomy, factoring in everything from your implant choice to the specific techniques utilized during surgery.

Common post-operative directives that apply to all breast surgery patients often include wearing a surgical support bra or compression garment as directed, avoiding lifting anything heavier than a few pounds for the first several weeks, sleeping on your back with your torso slightly elevated, and attending all scheduled follow-up appointments.

Maintain a Stable, Healthy Body Weight

Weight fluctuation is one of the most significant factors that affect the longevity of a breast lift. The breasts contain fatty tissue, which means they are directly affected by changes in body weight. Therefore, when you gain weight, the breasts tend to enlarge and stretch the skin. When you lose this weight, the skin may not fully retract and leave you with reduced firmness when compared to your initial result. Repeated cycles of weight gain and loss can compound this effect over time.

Protect Your Skin and Post-Op Scars

The quality of your skin can directly affect the quality of your long-term results. Sun protection is critical, as fresh surgical scars can be hypersensitive to UV radiation and sun exposure during the healing process can cause them to darken. Keep incision sites covered, or apply broad-spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen or higher whenever they will be exposed to sunlight. Daily moisturizing can also go a long way, as well-hydrated skin maintains its elasticity more effectively than dry skin. For scar management specifically, Dr. Garlick may recommend silicone-based gels or sheets, which have the strongest evidence base for improving scar texture and appearance over time.

Avoid Smoking

Smoking can have a significant negative impact on both surgical healing and long-term results. Nicotine constricts blood vessels, impairing circulation to healing tissues. This dramatically increases the risk of complications including delayed wound healing, implant exposure, and poor scarring. Most surgeons require patients to stop smoking for a minimum of several weeks before and after surgery. Chronic smoking, however, accelerates collagen breakdown throughout the body, meaning the skin loses elasticity faster. This can directly undermine the longevity of your surgical results. Quitting smoking entirely is one of the most powerful things you can do not just for the quality of the final outcome, but for your overall health.

Pursue Surgery Only Once Your Family is Complete

If you’re planning to have children or breastfeed in the future, consider waiting until your family is complete before undergoing a breast augmentation-mastopexy. Pregnancy causes the breasts to enlarge significantly as glandular tissue expands in preparation for milk production, frequently undoing the very changes a lift plus augmentation are designed to correct. The skin re-stretches, Cooper’s ligaments are placed under sustained tension, and the breast can descend again, altering implant position and your overall breast contours. Timing your procedure after your final pregnancy gives your results the strongest possible foundation for long-term durability.

Dr. Garlick — A Specialist in Internal Scaffolding and the Preservé™ Method

When it comes to augmentation-mastopexy, your choice of plastic surgeon is critical. Dr. Garlick has distinguished himself in this space through his specialized expertise in the Preservé™ Method — an approach to breast augmentation surgery that prioritizes not just immediate aesthetic outcomes, but the long-term health, feel, and durability of results. Rather than relying heavily on skin tightening alone to achieve a breast lift — a technique that places the burden of long-term support on the skin, which will inevitably stretch again — Dr. Garlick focuses on reshaping and securing the deeper glandular tissue to create an internal support structure. This internal scaffolding does the work that skin alone cannot sustain indefinitely, which translates directly into results that hold up better over the months and years following surgery.

As one of the most acclaimed plastic surgeons in Salt Lake City with specialized training in aesthetic breast and body contouring techniques, Dr. Jared Garlick can provide you with long-term rejuvenation of your breast contours. For more information on what you can expect from the dual breast augmentation-mastopexy procedure, don’t hesitate to contact Dr. Garlick today.