It may come as a surprise to some people but large breasts are not always desirable.
For starters, women with breasts of a certain size may feel self conscious and overly aware of the fact that a feature they have almost no control over is what people are paying attention to. It can be hard to know if someone is truly interested in your personality or just your bra size.
Physically, it can just be plain uncomfortable. Think about it; it’s a lot of extra weight weighing your body down. It can cause symptoms like back and neck pain, skin irritation, and shoulder discomfort. It can very well lead to poor posture, which definitely worsens all of those symptoms. Beyond the “mere” body aches it can cause, women with large breasts may find it necessary to wear more layers of support than an average-sized woman and could have difficulty finding clothing that fits on top appropriately. We’ve all experienced the horrors of a gap at some point while wearing a button-up shirt–well, imagine a woman who has that all the time.
For all of these reasons, you can probably imagine why a woman might choose to go for breast reduction surgery. For some, their quality of life greatly depends on it.
What exactly is breast reduction surgery?
During breast reduction surgery, your surgeon will remove what is considered excess tissue, skin, and fat. This removal will allow your breasts to be sized more proportionately to the rest of your body. Your surgeon may additionally choose to reposition your breasts so that they sit higher on your chest, which helps improve posture.
The surgery itself doesn’t come without possible side effects, though. Patients may retain surgical scars, experience loss of nipple sensitivity, and potentially lose the ability to breastfeed after the surgery. For many patients, however, the potential of having these side effects is worth the benefits of the surgery.
Who is a candidate for breast reduction surgery?
- A woman who feels that the size of her breasts is negatively impacting her life. That would be enough to start a discussion with her doctor about the possibility of surgery.
- You should absolutely be healthy. Surgery always comes with risks, no matter how common a procedure, and health issues can negatively impact the outcome.
- You should have realistic expectations. Breast reduction surgery may not solve all of your breast size-related problems. Something can go wrong. It may just not work. Being realistic about whatever the outcome might be will help you deal with any disappointment you may feel.
- You don’t smoke. This goes along with being healthy – many smokers have health issues they may not be aware of. This can cause unnecessary complications.
- You actively experience being limited in certain physical activities because of your breast size.
- You actively have pain in your back, neck, and shoulders that has been determined to be caused by the size of your breasts.
- The straps of your bra cause you to have indentations in your shoulder. A bra should not press down on your body to the point of leaving marks. It should also be determined that this is happening because of your breast size, as opposed to an improperly fitted bra.
- You experience skin irritation in the spot beneath the crease of your breast. Constant irritation can cause various unwanted health issues.
What are the benefits of breast reduction?
Now that we’ve covered the what and the why, what are the positive benefits one may gain from having breast reduction surgery?
You will have better posture. Your clothes will fit better (goodbye button gap!). Your aches and pains will likely get better. You may have greater self esteem because of a perceived improved appearance.
Many women who have breast reduction surgery later in life regret not having it done earlier. So if breast reduction surgery sounds right for you, talk to your doctor about your options and learn more.
Written by Yonah Leserowitz
