The laser bra breast reduction

Posted on February 4, 2010

Ahhh. Marketing.

Do I sound like a broken record or what?  I am just so dismayed by all of the hype and spin out there.  It seems like everyone is trying to make a catchy new phrase for their surgery which will change the world, defy gravity, have no scars, and no downtime.

Bottom line still is when it sounds “too good to be true” it is.

I recently got an inquiry about the laser bra.  Why don’t I do it, it only takes one hour to do, it keeps its lift better, etc etc.  In general, good plastic surgery techniques get accepted by the general board certified plastic surgeon population over time.  The hype and marketing things do not.

Lasers sound cool.  They sound more modern, high tech, and less invasive.  But there is a great deal of deception about lasers.  When I was in residency and the CO2 laser came out, we all jumped on board.  Now 15 years into plastic surgery, with a gazillion different lasers out there, I don’t use lasers at all.  There are many types of lasers.  Some address redness, some pigment, some promote collagen in the skin, some sandblast off the top layers.  The one used in the laser bra is the CO2.

The CO2 laser does tighten the skin.  I used to use it for resurfacing facial skin.  I stopped using it due to issues with depigmentation, redness, and potential for scar.  If you are using it on skin which subsequently is buried, those are not problems.  The biggest thing with lasers is the amount of “tightening” is not much.  Some people imagine lasers are like putting a wool sweater in the dryer. Oh. If that were only the case.  We 40 somethings would jump in and laser every inch of us.   But alas, lasers are more like an “iron”- they help remove fine light wrinkles only.

The laser bra involves lasering the top layer of skin, and then using that skin, tacked down to underlying tissue, as an internal “bra.”  Sounds fantastic.  Who wouldn’t want an internal bra to lift you?

But the laser bra will not “hold” the lift any better over time than traditional surgery.  Traditional breast lifts already use the skin as an internal bra- we just deepithelialize it, not laser it.  Regardless of what you do, skin stretches.  Skin droops. This is deceptive marketing.  I am saddened by the claims.

I have done many different kinds of lifts over the years.  The breast is made up of breast tissue and fat.  In general

the better and longer your lift will last.

I find in my hands the best lift is the vertical lift.  I do a lot of internal suturing.  Why? It takes tension off the skin and shapes the breast better.  Hmmm. Maybe I should make a catchy new term.  “The hammock”? “The cone”? “The anti-gravity-little-scar-secret-special-exclusive-breast reduction-by-Dr. Greenberg” technique?

I think I will stick with being a good surgeon and leave marketing to others.  There are many good breast surgeons to choose from.  Meet a few.  Look at photos.  And beware of the gimmicks.  When someone sounds like they are selling you a rainbow, they usually are.