October 07, 2026 | Breast Augmentation, Breast Lift, Plastic Surgery News
“In my practice, I have seen breast lifts as one of the most common procedures performed.”
That is from a dictation I recorded in September. Then on September 29 the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery put out its 2025 global survey, which is built from 2,900 surgeons in 51 countries, and the breast chapter said the same thing with numbers:
| ISAPS 2025, worldwide | 2025 count | One-year change |
|---|---|---|
| Breast lift | 1,143,862 | plus 48.1 percent |
| Breast augmentation | 1,622,639 | minus 2.2 percent (and 3.7 percent below 2021) |
| Breast implant removal | 360,594 | plus 5.4 percent (plus 42 percent since 2021) |
| Secondary breast surgery (new line) | 592,965 | 28 percent ended with no implant |
Eighth most common operation in the world in 2024. Fourth in 2025.
The Exam That Decides It
From a RealSelf answer I gave this spring: “Where the nipple sits relative to the IMF is the entire question. Above the fold leans aug alone, or aug plus a small doughnut lift for better symmetry and perkiness. BodyTite if skin is borderline. At or below the fold leans an honest mastopexy, and an implant alone in that setup will make the heaviness worse.”
The IMF is the inframammary fold, the crease under the breast. For years the implant was sold as a way around that exam. The chart above says fewer women are buying the shortcut.
What the Lift Decision Really Looks Like
“So when a patient comes in for a lift, usually they do need a full breast lift, unless the nipple areolar complex is above the inframammary fold, in which case we can offer a circumareolar, or donut, lift. Once we’ve identified that a lift is necessary, we ask the patient whether they want to stay the same size or slightly smaller, or if they want to be larger.”
| What she wants | What I do | In my words |
|---|---|---|
| Perkier, same size or a little smaller | Breast lift alone | “they may be the same size or slightly smaller, maybe half a cup size to a cup size, because we are removing that excess skin” |
| Perkier and larger, predictable | Lift plus implant | “an implant is very predictable” |
| Perkier and a little larger, nothing foreign | Lift plus fat transfer | “very natural, and a little bit unpredictable in terms of how much of the fat actually stays, but we can usually count on about a cup size increase” |
ISAPS reports that 54 percent of surgeons worldwide now offer fat-transfer augmentation.
Why the Lift Got Better
“Regardless of the combination of procedures we perform, I do recommend using an internal bra with mesh support, with GalaFLEX or DuraSorb, to give us that support of the breast weight, so that we’re not just relying on skin, which has lost all its elastin and is not reliable long term.”
From my dictation on the internal bra this week:
“In a breast lift and a breast reduction, it actually helps reshape the breast tissue and support it, just like a push-up bra, to gain more upper pole fullness and avoid bottoming out and lateral displacement.”
“The mesh supports the tissues for a period of up to two years. As it dissolves, it leaves behind collagen deposits, so the support remains there even well after the mesh has gone.”
The Fear That Kept Patients Away
“I think a lot of patients are afraid of this surgery because they feel like they’re going to need the full anchor type incision. By offering the circumareolar, or donut, lift for patients whose nipple and areola are above the inframammary fold, this can be a game changer.”
“A lot of patients having a breast lift with implants are expecting a lot of upper fullness and a very high implant placement, which is just not possible at the same time as a breast lift. A breast lift will always give a perkier look, more upper fullness, and cleavage, but it’s going to have usually a natural slope on top.”
Where the Implant Still Wins
ISAPS still counts 1.6 million augmentations, and in the United States augmentation is the second most common cosmetic operation. The patient it fits is the one I answered on RealSelf in June: “it looks like your nipple is above your inframammary fold. This means that you could get away with a breast augmentation without a lift, but would probably do better with a small circumareolar (donut) lift.”
“An implant is very predictable”, and for that breast, with good skin and little tissue of its own, I often use the Motiva Preserve technique, which I wrote about after the Forbes piece.
What It Costs
As of this writing, a breast lift in my practice runs from $10,000 to $14,000 depending on whether the internal bra mesh is used, and a lift with implants from $13,500 to $17,500.
“The prices on a breast lift are going to change depending on what other procedures we perform at the same time. Using an implant and/or internal bra support mesh will increase the cost. If a procedure is going to take longer, that can increase the surgical and operative time cost. And any other procedures that we add on, like sometimes liposuction of the lateral chest with Renuvion J-Plasma, or the axilla and upper back, can increase the cost as well.”
The current numbers are on my fees page, and I went through the drivers line by line in the breast lift with implants cost post. An exact quote can only be provided after a consultation.
Why Choose Dr. Agullo
I am double board-certified, by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Surgery, trained in plastic surgery at the Mayo Clinic, and I teach as Clinical Associate Professor of Plastic Surgery at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. Castle Connolly has listed me as a Top Doctor for 13 consecutive years. I do lifts with and without implants, with fat transfer, and with the internal bra, which is the only way the choice gets made by your breast rather than by the one operation a surgeon happens to offer.
Ready to Talk?
Stand in front of a mirror and find your fold. If the nipple sits at it or below it, the conversation starts with a lift.
Call the office at (915) 590-7900, text us at 1-866-814-0038, or book a consultation at agulloplasticsurgery.com/appointments. #StayBeautiful
@RealDrWorldWide on Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat, @Agullo on X, or @AgulloPlasticSurgery on Facebook.
Statistics: International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, ISAPS International Survey on Aesthetic/Cosmetic Procedures Performed in 2025.
