On average, respondents claimed that breast enhancement surgery have increased their sex life satisfaction by 34 percent, while 61 percent said they had sex more frequently after the procedure.

By contrast, only 7 percent of the respondents said they had fewer sexual encounters after their breast augmentation or breast lift surgery.

On a scale of one to ten, one being the lowest satisfaction rate, patients experienced more than a two-point increase in their overall sex life satisfaction following their breast enhancement surgery.

Before the procedure, the average sex life satisfaction score was 6.07 and then jumped to 8.13 after the surgery.

While about 70 percent of respondents said that their overall sex life has improved, 28 percent said that breast surgery did not change anything.

Currently, the average cost of breast augmentation and breast lift in the US is $6,000 and $10,000, respectively.  But despite the procedures’ relatively high price, a number of patients seeking them has increased over the past couple of years.

In the US alone, about 296,000 patients had breast implant surgery in 2010.  Meanwhile, it has been estimated that 5 to 10 million people worldwide have augmentation surgery for cosmetic reasons, although a significant number of them also had the procedure to reconstruct their breasts after mastectomy or to transition from male to female gender.

On the other hand, approximately 90,000 breast lift surgeries were performed in the US in 2010 alone.

Dr. Tarick Smaili, one of the leading Los Angeles plastic surgeons, said he is expecting breast enhancements, particularly augmentation surgery, to further increase their popularity in the coming years.

“I think that the changing perception with cosmetic plastic surgery is the main reason why breast enhancements are enjoying their popularity.  Considered to be a taboo in the previous years, people are now more open to the idea that we have the freedom and the right tool to modify and improve our physical appearance,” Smaili said.

However, the cosmetic surgeon warned that not all people who want to have some “physical improvements” are good candidates for cosmetic surgeries.

“Of course there are many things to consider.  Does she have realistic goals and expectations?  Is she physically and psychologically healthy?  These are just some of the factors plastic surgeons would have to consider before taking any surgical step, particularly if it involves elective and cosmetic procedures,” Smaili added.

Just recently, Good Morning America has reported that liposuction and breast lift are just some of the popular pre-wedding day surgeries for brides who want to look ravishing in their most special moment.

However, non-invasive procedures such as Botox injection, soft tissue fillers, and laser skin resurfacing are also popular among brides-to-be.  The advantage of such treatments is that they no longer have to allot some time for their recovery, which is the tradeoff in cosmetic plastic surgery.

Los Angeles plastic surgeon Dr. Tarick Smaili believes that bridalplasty will continue its popularity for the next coming years.  Nonetheless, he said that the patient asking for such procedure should be doing this for the right reasons.

“Cosmetic surgeries, which are elective procedures, should only be given to physically and emotionally healthy patients who want to improve the way they look.  By contrast, those who want to change their appearance just because someone else told them to do so are bad candidates from the very beginning,” Smaili said.

Smaili said that most brides-to-be who are asking for cosmetic plastic surgery view it as a good way to start their married life.

While there is nothing wrong with such belief, the leading cosmetic surgeon has warned people that plastic surgery is not a “quick fix to everything and every physical flaw.”

“A good example is liposuction, a procedure that can permanently remove the excess fats in your abdomen, hips, or any problem area.  However, it doesn’t automatically mean that you will not gain weight.  Yes, its result is permanent—unless you will manage your weight through regular exercise and of course healthy diet,” Smaili said.

Meanwhile, the plastic surgeon highlighted the importance of allotting enough time to rest during recovery.  It simply means that patients have to undergo a cosmetic surgery well in advance of their wedding day to avoid the stress and other factors that may compromise their healing.

“Just to be on the safe side, a patient should ask her doctor on how long it will take before she can resume her daily activities.  The rule of thumb is quite simple, never rush your recovery as it may increase the risk of complications,” he added.

While weight loss surgeries have associated risks, most plastic surgeons believe that these far outweigh the health benefits such as lower chance of developing diabetes, heart disease, degenerative joint disorders, and other weight-related problems.

As people shed a significant amount of weight, they will most likely develop excess skin particularly in their thigh area, abdomen or even the entire lower trunk, upper arms, chin and jaw line, neck, and “bra line.”  And for women, they may also develop sagging, deflated-looking breasts with nipples pointing downward.

It is important to note that loose, hanging skin not only results to cosmetically displeasing body, but may also lead to breakdown of skin, rashes, foul odor, poor hygiene, and difficulty in performing physical activities.

To treat this problem, plastic surgeons use skin removal surgery which is perhaps the most important part of body contouring procedures such as the tummy tuck, breast lift, neck lift, arm lift, lower body lift, and thigh lift.

For massive weight loss patients, skin removal is usually performed in conjunction with liposuction to remove the pockets of fats, suturing techniques to correct the loose tissue, and realignment or reduction procedure for weakened, stretched muscles.

The advantages of skin removal for massive weight loss patients are not only in cosmetic terms since it can also eliminate the physical symptoms such as skin irritation and difficulty in moving.  For this reason, some insurance companies cover the expenses if the procedure is “medically necessary” and can treat the health problems associated with excess skin.

But as with any invasive procedure, skin removal surgery and its complementary treatments involve prolonged recovery, surgical scars, longer operating time, high medical costs, and risk of complications.

While this surgery is associated with permanent scars, these are usually placed along the natural creases of the skin and hidden areas (which will be covered by a person’s underwear), although this is sometimes not possible especially when treating patients with a significant amount of excess skin.

From an aesthetic standpoint, patients who were once slightly overweight or mildly obese can achieve more excellent results compared to those who were morbidly obese, although the latter will still experience dramatic “functional” improvements that will allow them to perform exercises and other physical activities.

Women with sagging, pendulous breasts are the ones who will benefit the most from breast lift surgery, a procedure that involves several incisions that will allow plastic surgeons to remove any excess skin and tissue and reshape the underlying tissues in order to raise the bust and correct the nipples that are pointing downward.

There are several factors that cause the breasts to droop and one of these is aging.  As women get older, their skin and tissue loose its elasticity and the condition is further aggravated with the effects of gravity.  According to plastic surgery specialists, this aesthetic problem appears earlier for women with larger breasts.  (The picture below shows the stages of breast ptosis/sagging.)

Skin and tissue laxity may also be caused by weight fluctuations.  For this reason, a significant number of patients who have had weight loss surgery such as lap band and gastric bypass will need breast lift at some point in their lives.

These are the other reasons why breast become saggy: hormonal imbalance, several pregnancies, and genetic tendency.

As with any plastic surgery, breast lift has certain risks and complications.  With this, doctors perform a screening test to determine good candidates from high-risk patients.

In general, people who have major health problems and have mental disorders are not a good candidate for breast lift or any cosmetic surgery.  Also, women who are planning to have children and individuals with unstable weight are recommended to postpone the treatment to make sure that its result will not be affected by the physical effects of pregnancy and weight fluctuations.

Because of the use of incisions, patients should expect permanent scars, although these will usually fade over time and become less noticeable.  However, they should not expose the incision sites under the sun for at least six months after their plastic surgery as they may develop unsightly pigmentation.

Aside from the risk of scarring, patients may also experience infection, bleeding, and delayed healing.  Fortunately, such complications can be easily prevented by avoiding certain medications that can increase bleeding, quitting smoking several months before the procedure, and following all the pre- and post-operative care suggested by their plastic surgeons.

To further reduce the risk of complications, patients should also avoid heavy lifting, friction and impact against their breasts, and strenuous activities during their recovery.

In anchor lift surgery, doctors create an incision around the areola, a second one which starts from the nipple to the breast fold, and the last one covers the entire crease of the bust.

Through these excisions, plastic surgeons can trim the excess skin, tissue, and fats and reshape the surrounding tissues in order to raise the bust to a higher position.  If needed, they also reduce the areola’s size to make it appear natural with the downsized breasts.

After all the necessary adjustments have been made, doctors will suture the incision sites and wrap the breasts with dressings and compression garments to support the new contour.

It is important to note that while the anchor lift provides a drastic result, most experts in cosmetic plastic surgery do not use this to women with small- to medium-sized breasts.  This is because they can also achieve a great result with less invasive approach that often involves fewer scars and shorter recovery.

For medium-breasted women with severe sagginess and large-breasted individuals with moderate droopiness, plastic surgeons generally recommend the lollipop lift which uses the same incision sites in the anchor lift, minus the one that covers the entire crease of the breast.

With this less invasive approach, patients can expect shorter downtime and, of course, one less scar from their breasts.

Another safer alternative to anchor lift is the donut lift that uses an incision placed around the edge of areola.  In this way, cosmetic surgeons can remove the surrounding tissue of small breasts which have a minimal sagginess.

In certain situations, women who will have the donut lift surgery may ask for implants if they want a good cleavage which is usually achieved by making the medial and upper poles of the breasts fuller and rounder.  But according to plastic surgeons, this approach generally involves longer recovery and higher risk of complications.

Meanwhile, pregnancy and weight fluctuation may reverse the result of breast lift.  For this reason, women who are considering getting pregnant and individuals with unstable weight are usually advised to postpone the procedure.   In addition, aging and other natural factors may affect the surgery’s result which is why doctors recommend their patients to always wear a good-fitting bra that provides a reliable support.

Drooping breasts are usually common among large-busted women, although this problem also appears on some individuals with smaller sizes, according to plastic surgery specialists.

Traditional breast lift technique was primarily developed to address larger bust size with its extensive anchor-shaped incision (one around the edge of areola, a second cut from the nipple down to the breast fold, and a third one that covers the entire breast crease).  And while this plastic surgery approach is very effective in tightening and reshaping the underlying muscles to create a “lift,” this is too invasive for patients with small- to medium-sized breasts.

One of the most common modified breast lift techniques is the lollipop lift; as its name suggests, it uses an incision shaped like a candy on a stick, allowing doctors to remove the skin around the areola and on the lower part of the breasts.

This approach has the same excisions used in the anchor lift minus the one that covers the breast crease, which means that patients can expect a relatively shorter recovery and of course one less scar.  Meanwhile, plastic surgeons generally recommend this approach on women with medium-sized breasts with severe droopiness or individuals with large bust with a moderate degree of sagginess.

Benelli lift or donut lift is another type of modified breast lift in which plastic surgeons make only one incision around the perimeter of the areola, which is why some of them also call this as peri-areolar technique.  But due to the limited excision, this is only recommended for women with smaller breasts that have a mild to moderate degree of sagging.

This less invasive technique is also ideal for patients who want to receive breast implants to further create fullness especially in the upper poles of the bust.  And with this plastic surgery approach, it can produce a satisfactory result for women with a more pronounced sagging.

Another type of modified breast lift technique involves using a crescent-shaped incision placed along the areola.  Called as the crescent lift, plastic surgeons only recommend this for women with a very small degree of sagging who want to have breast implants performed in conjunction with the surgery.

In the traditional breast lift, plastic surgeons use three separate incisions that resemble a nautical anchor—one around the perimeter of the areola, another vertical cut from the nipple to the breast crease, and a third one that horizontally covers the crease.

As a less invasive breast lift technique, donut mastopexy uses fewer incisions—just around the circumference of the areola.  In this way, plastic surgery specialists can remove the excess skin around the pigmented part of the breast, raise the nipple to a higher position and reduce its size if necessary, and tighten the tissue.

And because of the limited incisions, patients can of course expect a relatively faster recovery compared to traditional breast lift which uses three extensive incisions.  Another bonus is that this technique usually results to unnoticeable scars because the incision is strategically placed along the edge of the areola.

However, plastic surgeons believe that donut lift only works for women with small to medium breasts that have a mild to moderate sagging.  But for large-busted patients with a more noticeable sagging, this is usually not enough to correct the drooping appearance.

Generally, the result of donut lift does not last a lifetime due to the effects of aging and gravity, although small-busted women can maintain it for many years if they use a good-fitting bra that provides a reliable support and avoid getting pregnant which may weaken and stretch their breast skin and tissue.  Meanwhile, plastic surgeons have noticed that large-breasted women usually see a recurrence of sagginess much faster.

For women with a more pronounced sagging or those who wish to increase their bust size, they can have the donut lift performed in conjunction with breast implant surgery.  If these two plastic surgery procedures are performed at the same time, most doctors place the implants under the chest muscles so that a thicker amount of tissue and skin can support them, thus preventing or at least postponing the sagginess in the future.

As with any plastic surgery, the donut lift does involve risks such as asymmetrical or “puckery” appearance, unnecessary scarring, and delayed healing.  For such reasons, patients should only consult with a doctor who has extensive experience with the procedure and has board certifications from reputable medical groups.

This plastic surgery procedure can treat different areas of the body that tend to sag after weight loss such as the buttocks, breasts, abdomen, and thighs.  But for patients who have lost a significant amount of weight, they will most likely benefit from combining “isolated” body lift techniques; for example, individuals who have an excess flap of skin around the hips, buttocks, and thighs are recommended to have lower body lift, while those who have sagging skin in the lower rib cage and back are best suited to have upper body lift surgery.

To perform the lower body lift, plastic surgeons create a belt-shaped incision around the waist and down the inner thighs.  In this way, they can remove the excess fats and skin, lift the buttocks, and improve the overall figure.

But since the procedure does not treat the excess skin and tissue around the abdominal area, plastic surgeons usually complement this with abdominoplasty or what is more commonly referred as tummy tuck surgery.

Contrary to a popular belief, tummy tuck and other body lift techniques are not just performed for aesthetic reasons.  In fact, this procedure is used to treat the physical symptoms associated with panniculus—hanging skin and fats around the abdomen—such as foul odor, breakdown of skin, ulcers, non-healing irritation, and back problems due to the weight of the excess tissue.

Meanwhile, massive weight loss patients may also need upper body lift in which plastic surgeons create an excision along the bra-line skin that will allow them to remove the back fat rolls and narrow the waist.  With this approach, they can also eliminate the excess skin under the breasts, and then lift the abdominal skin by suturing it to the lower rib cage.

For patients who have developed excess skin in their upper extremities, they are recommended to have upper arm lift surgery which involves an incision that is placed on the inside of the arm extending to the elbow, or across the underarm if there is only a minimal amount of hanging tissue.

As with any plastic surgery, body lift involves risk of scarring, although the incision lines are usually hidden to make them less noticeable.

These are the types of plastic surgery performed to aesthetically improve the breasts:

• Breast lift

Due to pregnancy and natural effects of aging, the breasts may drop due to their own weight and gravity.  To treat this problem, plastic surgeons use breast lift which often involves an anchor-shaped incision—the first one is around the areola, the second travels downward from the areola to the breast fold, and the third covers the entire crease of the bust.

While the anchor lift is very effective in removing the excess skin and manipulating the underlying muscles, this approach is relatively extensive for women with small- to medium-sized breasts.  With this consideration, plastic surgery specialists have developed modified breast lift techniques which are less invasive than the traditional approach.

In some cases, breast lift is combined with breast implant surgery if a patient wants to have a more prominent cleavage.

• Breast augmentation

Traditionally, this plastic surgery procedure is performed using saline- or silicone-filled implants to increase the bust size and create a good cleavage by making the upper poles appear fuller and rounder.

But for patients who only want to slightly increase their breast size (or less than a cup), fat grafting is usually considered as a better option.  In this procedure, plastic surgeons collect fats from the abdomen (or any area where there is a significant amount of fatty deposits) and then transfer these to the bust.

• Breast reduction

For women with an extremely large bust, they can have breast reduction surgery which uses an anchor-shaped incision, allowing plastic surgeons to remove the extra skin and fats and manipulate the surrounding tissues.

In some cases, breast reduction is not only treated as a cosmetic procedure but also as a way to address the physical symptoms such as back problem, chronic pain in the shoulder and neck, skin irritation in the breast crease, and difficulty to engage in sports and other rigorous activities.

If breast reduction is used to treat the physical symptoms stated above, it is important to note that it may be covered by some insurance providers.

Meanwhile, this procedure may also involve areola reduction to make it appear more natural to the breasts.

Because each patient has a varying degree of breast ptosis (sagginess), plastic surgeons today are using different techniques to achieve the best outcome possible.  Examples of these include: anchor lift, lollipop lift, and donut lift—all of which are named based on the appearance of their incision lines.

It is important to note that each incision pattern is used depending on the level of ptosis and the bust size.  For this reason, patients should only consult with a board-certified surgeon who has extensive experience in different breast lift techniques.

Larger breasts with moderate to severe ptosis or medium-sized bust with a significant sagginess are best treated with anchor lift, according to plastic surgeons.  This procedure involves three incisions: around the edge of the areola which is the pigmented part of the skin; across the crease of the breast; and along the areola to the fold.

With the extensiveness of the incisions, this traditional breast lift technique involves more risks, prolonged recovery, and more scarring.  Despite such disadvantages, this approach may be the only way for plastic surgery specialists to lift larger breasts.

But with the invasiveness of the anchor lift, this technique is generally not recommended to medium- and small-busted women.  For this reason, plastic surgeons have developed several minimally invasive breast lift techniques that usually involve shorter recovery, less risk, and less scarring.

For medium-breasted patients with moderate sagginess, they will most likely benefit with lollipop lift which eliminates the incision across the breast crease—the site which usually takes the longest time to heal.  With this, they can expect shorter recovery, and of course, one less scar from their plastic surgery.

The donut lift is another alternative to the traditional approach.  According to surgeons, this procedure is generally ideal for patients with a mild to moderate degree of ptosis who may want to have breast augmentation Los Angeles performed in conjunction with their breast lift surgery.

In this procedure, doctors create an incision around the perimeter of the areola to manipulate the surrounding tissue and remove the excess skin.