#Droppy saggy boobs skin#

University of Kentucky plastic surgeon Brian Rinker encountered many women in his practice who attributed their sagging breasts to breastfeeding, which was also the usual belief among medical practitioners. See also: Women and smoking § Unique gender differences and health effects for females This is usually a developmental deformity.

Parenchymal Maldistribution-The lower breast tissue is lacking fullness, the inframammary fold is very high, and the nipple and areola are relatively close to the fold.

This is most often seen when a woman stops nursing, as her milk glands atrophy, causing her breast tissue to sag.

Pseudoptosis-The nipple is located either at or above the infra-mammary fold, while the lower half of the breast sags below the fold.

Grade III: Advanced ptosis-The nipple is below the inframammary fold and at the level of maximum breast projection.

Grade II: Moderate ptosis-The nipple is located below the infra-mammary fold but higher than most of the breast tissue hangs.

Grade I: Mild ptosis-The nipple is at the level of the infra-mammary fold and above most of the lower breast tissue.

Plastic surgeons describe the degree of breast sagging using a ptosis scale like the modified Regnault ptosis scale below: Estrogen is also essential to maintaining a fibrous protein called collagen, which makes up much of the breast's connective tissue.

The loss of estrogen reduces breast size and fullness. This is due in part to the reduction in estrogen, which affects all body tissues, including breast tissue. In post- menopausal women, breast atrophy is aggravated by the inelasticity of over-stretched, aged skin. The nipple of the breast may also tend to point downward. The nipple-areola complex tends to move lower on the breast relative to the inframammary crease.

#Droppy saggy boobs skin#

When a woman with sagging breasts stands, the underside or inferior skin of the breast folds over the infra-mammary fold and lies against the chest wall. When these factors are at play, the breast prolapses, or falls forward. Breast tissue and suspensory ligaments may also be stretched if the woman is overweight or loses and gains weight. If a woman has been pregnant, postpartum hormonal changes will cause her depleted milk glands to atrophy. In middle-aged women, breast ptosis is caused by a combination of factors. A 2010 review found that weight gain during pregnancy and breastfeeding were not significant risk factors for ptosis. In addition, when milk production stops (usually as a child is weaned), the voluminous mammary glands diminish in volume, but they still add bulk and firmness to the breast. As a woman's breasts change in size during repeated pregnancies, the size of her breasts change as her mammary glands are engorged with milk and as she gains and loses weight with each pregnancy. Women who experience multiple pregnancies repeatedly stretch the skin envelope during engorgement while lactating.

These hormones stimulate the 15 to 20 lobes of the milk-secreting glands in the breasts to develop. Impact of pregnancy ĭuring pregnancy, the ovaries and the placenta produce estrogen and progesterone. It may be primarily caused by the volume and weight of the breasts which are disproportionate to her body size. In young women with large breasts, sagging may occur early in life due to the effect of gravity. In the most advanced stage, the nipples are below the fold and point toward the ground.Ī woman's breasts change in size, volume, and position on her chest throughout her life. Plastic surgeons categorize the degree of ptosis by evaluating the position of the nipple relative to the infra-mammary fold, the point at which the underside of the breasts attach to the chest wall. It is also commonly believed that the breast itself offers insufficient support and that wearing a bra prevents sagging, which has not been found to be true. Many women and medical professionals mistakenly believe that breastfeeding increases sagging. Post-menopausal women or people with collagen deficiencies may experience increased ptosis due to a loss of skin elasticity.

The key factors influencing breast ptosis over a woman's lifetime are cigarette smoking, her number of pregnancies, higher body mass index, larger bra cup size, and significant weight change.

The rate at which a woman's breasts drop and the degree of ptosis depends on many factors. Ptosis or sagging of the female breast is a natural consequence of aging.