Your breast augmentation journey starts with the consultation. It’s during this time in which you can discuss how you would like your new breasts to look, the type of implant used, the shape, the procedure itself, risks and potential complications, your medical history and aftercare. We’ll also examine the breasts to get an idea of what we can achieve. 

Your surgeon will help you determine the best size for you by using a 3D simulation app to help you visualise how the size and shape of the implants may look.

At 111 Harley St., we also provide you with the opportunity to feel the implants and try the implants on to gage an idea of the weight, feel, and how they will look when wearing clothing.

A breast augmentation is performed under general anaesthesia and may require an overnight stay in hospital.

The surgeon will make an incision either below the breast, around the areola or under the armpit.

Working through the incision, the surgeon will lift the breast tissue and skin to create a pocket which is usually either directly behind the mammary tissue or underneath the chest wall muscle.

The surgeon places the implants centrally beneath the nipples and closes the incisions with stitches.

After around six weeks, the results of the breast augmentation surgery will begin to be visible. However, this varies from patient to patient, depending on the speed of healing. Over the next several months, the implants will begin to soften and settle into their final position.

If you’ve opted for under the muscle placement, the breasts may appear slightly higher due to the tension on the pectoralis muscle. The implants will ‘drop and fluff’ after around six weeks as the muscle starts to relax, and the implants shift from the upper portion of the breast to the lower pole.

Enhancing the appearance of your breasts doesn’t always require a breast augmentation. Depending on your aesthetic concerns, you may require a combination approach to breast enhancement or a single procedure. It’s important to remember that there is not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to breast enhancement, and each pair of breasts is unique and come in various shapes and sizes. Many factors may influence your decision, including, scarring options, implant types and side effects, and overall look and feel.

If you don’t like the idea of breast implants, fat injections are suitable for small breasts. A breast fat transfer can increase the size of the breasts by 1-2 cup sizes and uses the patient’s fat. However, the operation does come with its risks and side effects such as lumpiness, mammogram implications, and fat reabsorption.

Recovery varies from patient to patient, but we encourage patients to be as healthy as possible before surgery to accelerate the speed of healing.

You may wish to consider taking a week or so off work and arrange help with driving, childcare etc. The general recovery time is six-eight weeks.

The duration of the procedure varies on the extent of the surgery itself. If you require a breast lift in addition to breast implants, this will take longer. Typically, it takes around 1 ½ hours to 3 hours perform the procedure.

During the consultation, we will perform an analysis of the facial anatomy and the changes to the structure that signify ageing.  You may wish to combine this with a brow lift and neck lift to achieve optimal results.

We can perform a facelift as a day case procedure under general anaesthesia. However, we can administer a local anaesthetic for less extensive cases.

Generally, the operation aims to lift the skin by separating it from the fat and muscle below. The surgeon will tighten the underlying SMAS muscle and membrane, hoisting and trimming the excess skin. If the operation involves addressing neckbands, an incision is made under the chin, and the muscles may be tied together to smooth their appearance. Depending on the method adopted, the surgeon may staple the incision, and use non-dissolvable sutures to close the incision around the ears. The surgeon will remove the stitches and clips within two weeks after surgery, depending on how you are recovering.

Occasionally, we may place a temporary drain under the skin behind your ear following the surgery to remove excess fluid, though this is usually not necessary. Your head will be wrapped in bandages immediately after surgery to minimise bruising and swelling for 24 hours.

We may recommend minimally invasive submental liposuction around the neck and chin to improve the contour of the jawline. In other instances, you could combine the operation with a fat transfer to restore volume to the facial contours. Or, with a brow lift and blepharoplasty to address ageing around the eyes.

A mini facelift minimises scarring and dissection, concealing the incision site as much as possible. Usually, incisions are placed within the hairline or behind the earlobes, and the soft tissues (and occasionally muscle) and the surgeon lifts and trims the excess sagging skin. Dissolvable sutures secure the skin in place. As the incisions are much shorter, the results of a mini-lift are less dramatic.

Many patients can benefit from a facelift as young as their thirties and as old as their eighties. It’s important to remember that a facelift does not stop, reverse or slow down ageing. Performing a second and third facelift later on in life is a possibility.

A facelift works by lifting the skin to smooth its appearance but will not prevent external forces from affecting the skin’s elasticity, bone loss, and muscle weakening. It also cannot prevent wrinkles and lines from forming or address other age-related concerns such as pigmentation.

A good candidate might be someone who has (but is not limited to) neck banding, fat accumulation around the neck, loss of jawline structure and deep lines around the mouth. A facelift patient will achieve the best results when they have treated their skin in the years leading up to their procedure, as collagen and elasticity will be enhanced.

Improvements will be visible upon the removal of your cast. Over six months to a year, your nose will continue to change shape. During this time, swelling should reduce and you should start to see the final results towards the end of 1 year.

Most patients return to work between 1-2 weeks after the operation. Swelling, bruising and numbness after a traditional facelift typically last for 6-8 weeks which will subside gradually. Significant swelling should subside within 10-14 days. We will require you to wear a facial support garment for 24 hours. Numbness may take 4-6 weeks to resolve. Overall recovery usually takes around two weeks, and vigorous activity can resume after four weeks. Sutures are removed about 5 to 10 days after surgery.

We will provide you with aftercare instructions following your procedure. However, general recommendations and aftercare advice include trying to keep the head elevated and as still as possible for a couple of days after surgery.

The incisions and scarring vary depending on the case. They’re usually inconspicuously made around the ear, concealed within their natural folds. They often begin just above the hairline at the temples, extending in a natural line from the front of the ear just inside the cartilage and continuing behind the earlobe to the lower scalp.

We usually recommend the use of Kelo-cote  for three months to help minimise scarring. We also advocate the use of our complimentary dramatic healing serum – the product contains healing ingredients proven to reduce the appearance of scarring. Our light therapy system Celluma can also reduce scars.

This minimally-invasive procedure requires a local anaesthesia with the possibility of IV sedation to minimise downtime.

The surgeon will make a periareolar incision which encircles outline of the areola to conceal scarring.

They will then remove the excess area of the areola and re-stitch to the surrounding skin. The scarring becomes virtually undetectable as it’s hidden within the perimeter of the areola.

Both men and women may benefit from areola reduction if they do not like the size or the appearance of their areolas.

It’s a suitable procedure for those with:

• Asymmetry
• Large areolas – due to genetics, breastfeeding, or weight loss

Depending on the severity, areola reduction could also address the puffiness of the areola. It can be an option for tuberous breasts where the areola is often disproportionately large in comparison to the breast. Correcting tuberous breasts would require a combination of corrective techniques.

INVERTED NIPPLE

You should see immediate results, but optimal results will show after around two weeks.

NIPPLE REDUCTION

After ten days, the nipples should be healing well, but optimal results will show between 3-6 months.

NIPPLE REMOVAL

After around two weeks. You may have a small scar which will fade over time.

NIPPLE LIFT

Results will be immediate, but you may have swelling that lasts for a few weeks.

Recovery is approximately one week. You may wish to take a couple of days off work, after which point, you can return. We may require you to wear a surgical bra for 2-6 weeks while the areolas heal. During this time you might also see some bruising around the site which will resolve within the coming weeks.

The procedure takes about two hours.

A breast reduction requires general anaesthesia. During the procedure, the surgeon will make an anchor-shaped incision that encircles the areola, extends downwards and follows the natural curve of the crease below the breast. The surgeon will remove excess glandular tissue, fat and skin before moving the nipples and areolas to their new position.

Skin from both sides of the breast is brought up and around the new areola to shape the contour of your breast. The operation may involve liposuction to remove any excess fat. In most cases, the nipples remain attached to their original blood vessels and nerves. The stitches encircle the areola, extending down in a vertical line along the crease of the breast.

You might consider a breast reduction for practical reasons such as if your breasts are large enough to be causing back and neck pain. You might also experience poor posture and painful rashes or sweating underneath the breasts.

Others may desire a breast reduction for aesthetic reasons and find their appearance undesirable. You may also wish to combine a breast reduction with other types of breast surgery.

Since your breasts can fluctuate in size and shape with pregnancy or if you’re considering losing a vast amount of weight, you may wish to wait until you have done so before you proceed with your operation.

The results from a breast reduction surgery will be visible immediately.

After your breast reduction surgery, you may feel a little sore and tender for the first few days.

Typical side effects might include swelling, bruising, pain and discomfort, which usually resides within two weeks.

You will be given a surgical support garment to wear during the first few days, which can eventually be replaced with a sports bra during your recovery. We may advise surgical drainage to remove any excess blood or fluid.

Book a week or so off from work and arrange for friends or family to help you with manual tasks as you should avoid anything strenuous such as lifting or exercise for up to six weeks.

Recovery rates vary from patient to patient, and scarring may be slightly raised and pink to begin with but should fade over time. You will have several follow-up consultations to check on the progress of your operation.

A breast reduction can take up to three hours, depending on the extent of the surgery.

• Asymmetry
• Loss or changes in breast or nipple sensations
• Swelling
• Bruising
• Tightness
• Scarring
• Bleeding
• Infection

The extent of scarring will be partly dependent on the incision technique. Usually, there are three incisions involved: one around the areola, one that runs vertically from the areola to underneath the breast, and thirdly, one under the natural crease line of the breast.

Other techniques can reduce the appearance of the vertical part of the scar.

The surgery does impact the milk ducts. Usually, the nipples will remain attached during the operation so you should still be able to breastfeed. If we remove or reattach the nipple, then this may inhibit your chances of being able to breastfeed. Therefore, some surgeons may suggest that you wait until after your last childbirth before considering surgery.

The approach to surgery will vary depending on the concerns, level of ptosis (sagging) and your breast size and shape. For a grade 1 ptosis (minimal drooping of the areola and breast complex which is usually up to 2cm), then it can usually be treated with a donut incision, otherwise known as a periareolar which encircles the areola.

If breast sagging is more extensive, we can perform the incision with a lollipop technique which involves a periareolar incision and a vertical incision that extends from the edge of the areola down to the inframammary fold.

For the most significant ptosis, we use an anchor-shaped incision following the natural contour of the breast.

Your breast lift will require general anaesthesia, but you will not usually have to stay overnight.

During the operation, one of our highly-experienced and board-certified cosmetic surgeons will elevate your breasts to a higher position.

If you have an additional breast implant procedure, we will insert the implants through the same incision location. The incision will then be closed with sutures.

You may consider a breast uplift after pregnancy. A combination of weight gain and an increase in breast tissue and ligaments can cause the skin to stretch and shrink in a relatively rapid amount of time, contributing to sagging. Breastfeeding also causes the skin to stretch and shrink daily. Although the skin has elasticity and collagen to support this process, these supportive proteins are often broken down with ageing, drinking, smoking, environmental influences, and other external factors, making the skin less able to bounce back as freely.

This procedure can also be suitable for anyone who has any varying degree of breast ptosis or asymmetry.

The results of a breast uplift will be visible immediately after surgery, but it may take from 6-12 months for breasts to settle.

Recovery rates vary from patient to patient, but generally, the recovery process for a breast uplift takes around six weeks.

We advise patients to take a week off from work and avoid lifting for three to four weeks.

The sutures may be removed around two weeks after the procedure.
You should avoid strenuous physical activity for around one month.

We may recommend wearing a supportive garment for a few weeks following your surgery.

A breast uplift can take between 1-3.5 hours.

Possible risks of a breast uplift might include (but are not limited to):

• Anaesthesia complications
• Hematoma 
• Necrosis or wound dehiscence 
• Bruising 
• Infection 
• Changes of sensation in the breast or nipple
• Asymmetry or undesirable results
• Seroma
• Loss of nipple
• DVT, or other pulmonary complications

A breast reconstruction surgery, whether that be a breast uplift, breast augmentation, areola reduction or nipple reconstruction, is often unique to each patient. We often combine a breast lift with other procedures such as a tummy tuck as part of a makeover or with breast implants. Your surgeon will alter the approach depending on your goals and limitations.

If you’re concerned about your ability to breastfeed after this operation, you should discuss this with your surgeon so that they can preserve the lactation capabilities as much as possible.

Usually, the lactation system remains intact, even though we may need to reposition the nipple. If this is the case, we don’t often separate it from the glandular tissue.

Before having your surgery, the technique and the type of incision will be discussed with your surgeon. Any procedure that involves an incision will leave residual scarring. The scars usually fade over one to two years.

There are three conventional approaches to a breast lift:

• Vertical Scar (Vertical line down from the bottom of the nipple)
• Inverted T (One vertical line pointing down from the nipple and a horizontal line)
• Benelli Scar (Around the areola)

The inverted T requires removing the most amount of skin with the most visible scar, whereas the Benelli scar (around the areola) will be the least noticeable. Due to the contrast in colour between the breast flesh and the areola, scarring will fade into the nipple line and be virtually undetectable.