While there are many doctors doing the Botox Breast Lift Procedure, it remains highly controversial and only moderately successful overall.   I have performed this procedure with remarkable success in some, and less than exciting results in others.  So let’s step back a minute and look at how this procedure is designed to work – in order to do so we must review a little chest wall anatomy.

The pectoralis muscles work together to maintain the position of the breast.   The larger pectoralis major muscle maintains the height of the breast tissue, while the smaller pectoralis minor muscle keeps the breast from undue motion pulling downward.   The smaller the breasts, the easier it is for the muscles to maintain position and reduce excessive motion.  After breast enhancement surgery , depending on whether the implant is silicone or saline filled, and whether it was placed over the pectoralis or under it, will make a huge difference in how the chest wall maintains breast position and whether Botox will be effective. 

Since Botox (a toxin and medication produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum) injected into an area will cause a depolarization block and subsequent muscle paralysis- we can utilize this feature in many different ways.  Everyone is familiar with cosmetic usage in the face to give a more younger appearance free of deep lines and wrinkles.  We now use Botox to reshape eyebrows, turn frowns into pleasant smiles, stop unwanted and excessive sweating, and yes, even restore a more youthful breast appearance.  Knowing the anatomy of the pectoralis muscles, and using simple pulley mechanics, we can inject the smaller muscle, the pectoralis minor muscle with Botox and it will relax.  Then the stronger Pectoralis major muscle will have little resistance to the upward pull and can lift the breast skyward. 

We have to use a significant amount of Botox, usually a full bottle which contains 100IU.  We charge $1500 for this procedure, and the results last around 4 months.  Since Botox is a strong toxin, and you have many vital areas on your body, it is important that the doctor doing the procedure is very familiar, and comfortable with the injection process.  Many doctors feel it is too dangerous, and also might limit a person’s ability to exercise which I have not found to be the case.   Certainly, those patients who are very fit, with strong chest and arms do much better with the procedure than those who are less developed.  Again, women with firmer, and smaller breast mass also seem to fare much better than those with large pendulous breasts.  Remember, those who need a breast augmentation are not the target patient for this procedure.   It isn’t intended to make breasts look larger, or to rehab an augmentation gone bad.  It is a body shaper, which lifts breasts and spirits, and can really seem to make those few unwanted pounds in the midsection seem to melt away.

Breasts and Breast Augmentation continues to be a major topic of discussion, the quest for the perfect shape is especially strong in the entertainment and modeling industry.  It is a tough job being a plastic surgeon these days- for it is possible to get sued even when the results are fantastic!  

Ex-Ms. Norway, now Maxim model, Kelly Hansen is suing her doctor to get him to pull down the before and after photos of her surgery.  He said she would have to pay him to pull them down!  She just paid him to” pull them up!”  It’s a wacky world.

Dr. Frye