September 12, 2026 | Breast Implants, Breast Lift
Breast lift was the fourth most common cosmetic operation in the country last year, at 156,131 procedures, up 8 percent. It is also one of the most common operations in my practice, and the consultation almost always opens with the same set of questions.
My fees are published on the fee schedule. What follows is what actually moves that number, and the decisions behind it.
Lift alone, or lift with an implant
“The question often comes up whether they need a lift with an implant, without an implant, with mesh support, without mesh support, and whether fat transfer is an option as well. Really, this question has a lot to do with what the patient actually wants the outcomes to be.”
“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. Of course, if they want to be larger, we will need an implant or a fat transfer to the breast.”
“The biggest difference here is that an implant is very predictable, and fat transfer to the breast is going to be a slight change, 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.”
The thing patients are not told often enough
“If a patient just wants to have a breast lift, then they have to understand that 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. The breast will be perkier, but it’ll also be tighter, and it may appear smaller.”
A lift alone can make you smaller. If nobody says that in advance, it lands as a surprise afterward.
Why I use an internal bra
“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.”
Skin that has already stretched once is not a load-bearing structure. The mesh adds cost, and it is the part of the operation most directly aimed at how long the result lasts.
Implant sizes, and the range I actually see
“I still see a wide range of implants being used in my practice. It just really depends on what the patient’s ideal is and what they value cosmetically. I have an increased number of patients looking for slight changes using implants under three hundred CCs, and even using the Motiva Preserve procedure for a much faster recovery.”
“I think the bulk of patients still use the three hundred to four hundred CC implants, which give them one to two and a half cup sizes depending on their starting point.”
Some patients want considerably more than that, and for them I offer the Mentor MemoryGel Enhance line, the largest silicone gel implants available, which run up to 1,445cc.
“So really, I have a wide range of patients, and I like to help them achieve what they desire in a safe framework, and have a good conversation about how we can get them there.”
What actually changes the price
“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.”
So the drivers are: whether an implant is used, whether mesh is used, how long the operation takes, and what else is done at the same time. I would rather name those than bury them.
The two fears, and the one expectation that causes trouble
“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.”
Then the expectation problem, which is the single most common source of disappointment in this operation.
“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.”
A natural slope on top is the correct result, not a compromise. Anyone promising a lift plus a very high, very full upper pole in the same operation is promising something the tissue will not do.
Ready to talk?
Call my office at (915) 590-7900, text 1-866-814-0038, or request a consultation.
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#StayBeautiful
Source: Commentary from Dr. Agullo’s dictation of 2026-09-07, Q&A Transcriptions/Breast-Lift-Trends-Commentary.md. Volume figure from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, 2025 Procedural Statistics Report: breast lift 156,131 procedures, up 8 percent, fourth most common cosmetic surgical procedure. Mentor MemoryGel Enhance ceiling of 1,445cc confirmed by Dr. Agullo 2026-09-07.
