Many publications discuss breast augmentation or reconstruction, but many women also turn to breast reduction surgery to re-create their upper bodies and improve their health and well-being. According to Dr. Joel Aronowitz, individuals undergo reduction mammoplasty for three key reasons:
- To reduce neck and back pain caused by heavy breasts
- To improve self-image
- For better-fitting and more comfortable clothing.
This simple procedure accesses the breast’s interior via a small liposuction incision or an incision around the nipple. The surgeon removes glandular tissue and excess skin, reshaping the breast and redraping the remaining skin over it. After a few weeks of recovery, the patient can return to their normal routine, although they must delay vigorous activity, such as workouts, for three months.
Improving Health and Well-being
Individuals with large breasts sometimes report that bra straps and clothing straps cut into their shoulders. That injury defeats the purpose of a bra—to provide support that uplifts the chest area and makes it more comfortable. Others say that they find it hard to locate bras that fit well or in their size. Large-breasted women frequently develop neck and back pain problems, according to the Mayo Clinic. A large chest area unevenly distributes weight to the front of the body. That imbalance causes pain, sometimes severe. While the fashion industry considers those who wear a size I, J, K, or L bra to qualify as big-breasted, according to The Better Fit, many women who wear C, D, E, F, etc. bras also consider their breasts large because of their petite size.
Do Breasts Weigh That Much?
Breasts weigh more than people realize. A person who wears a 38C bra carries the equivalent of two 2.87-pound weights on their chest. Increase that to a 38DDD (38E), and the pair of weights increase to 3.97 pounds each. A person with 38L breasts carries two 10.58-pound weights on her chest.
Women may diet to lose weight, and this can result in smaller-sized breasts. However, some women don’t lose equally distributed weight, so they may drop pounds or inches in other areas but not reduce their breast size. This uneven weight loss exacerbates the problem with their heavy breasts.
How Much of Reduction Can a Surgeon Make?
To alleviate the pain caused by these large breasts, some women undergo breast reduction surgery, says Joel Aronowitz MD. Their decision typically results in reductions of one to three sizes smaller breasts. That means a person who has 38J breasts before surgery could have them reduced to 38G. Theoretically, a plastic surgeon could remove all of a person’s breast tissue if they requested it, but that would not look natural. They work with patients to determine what breast size would appear natural and provide added comfort.
