Having disproportionately large breasts can cause you to experience a number of physical and emotional problems. You might feel unhappy with your figure and develop uncomfortable back and shoulder issues. At Columbus Facial Plastics at The Sullivan Centre in Columbus, Ohio, we can fix these problems by giving you a breast reduction.
Breast Reduction Common Questions: How Many Sizes Can You Go Down?
Receiving a breast reduction can be a very good way to change your cup size. This procedure, which is also called a reduction mammoplasty, is designed to bring your breasts into proportion with the other features of your body.
Losing Cup Sizes
The size of your breasts, the composition of the tissues in this area of your body, and your body type will affect the number of sizes that you lose. In addition, your personal goals and preferences will impact your results.
That said, you will typically go down about one or two cup sizes after you are fully recovered from your procedure. Breast reduction by one or two cup sizes will improve the back pain and other problems that you are experiencing.
Talking About Your Goals
You’ll have an initial consultation before we improve your breasts. During this meeting, we will carefully examine your breasts and talk about your desired outcome. After we have assessed your body and reviewed your medical background, we can give you more details about the likely results of your procedure.
What Are the Benefits of Reducing the Size of My Breasts?
Receiving a breast reduction can improve your appearance and enhance your health.
Improve Your Health
Having very large breasts can cause you to develop a number of significant health issues. Your large breasts can put extra stress on your body and cause you to experience severe shoulder, neck, and back pain. You might also develop posture problems.
In addition, your large breasts may prevent you from participating in sports, going on hikes, and taking part in other physical activities. Reducing the size of your breasts will relieve your pain and improve your ability to live an active lifestyle.
Enhance Your Figure
Very large breasts can look disproportionate to your hips, stomach, and other areas of your body. In addition, your large breasts can make you look heavier than you actually are. Decreasing the size of your breasts will balance your figure and make you look slimmer and more attractive.
When you have very large breasts, you might struggle to find bras that provide you with adequate support. Decreasing your breasts will make it easier for you to find attractive, affordable bras.
Improve Sagging Breasts
As you age, your skin will become less elastic and your breasts will begin to sag. If you have very large breasts, you are likely to experience this change at an earlier age than your peers. During your procedure, we can correct this aesthetic issue by lifting your breasts into a higher position.
What Should I Expect During My Reduction?
Although your procedure will be customized to meet your unique needs, a reduction is typically an outpatient procedure that takes about three to four hours to complete. We can use several different techniques to reduce the size of your breasts.
Using the Lollipop Technique
During this type of procedure, we will make one incision around the areola on one of your breasts. We will make another incision in the skin between the bottom of your areola and your breast crease. After we repeat this process on your other breast, we will use these incisions to remove excess fat, skin, and tissues from your body.
This technique can be a good way to achieve a smaller reduction in the size of your breasts. Since we will not make any incisions in the skin at the bottom of your breasts, you are unlikely to develop large scars after you are fully recovered. Further, you might be more likely to successfully breastfeed in the future.
Using the Inverted-T Technique
If you are trying to achieve a more significant reduction in the size of your breasts, we may use the inverted-T technique during your procedure. During this type of reduction, we will make incisions that create the shape of an upside-down “T” on each of your breasts. These incisions will allow us to remove a larger amount of fat, skin, and other tissues from this part of your body.
Using Liposuction
Under some circumstances, we might use liposuction to improve your breasts. Liposuction is a cosmetic procedure that uses suction energy to eliminate fat from your body. If you have a large amount of fatty tissue in your breasts, we may use this technique during your procedure. Liposuction can be a good way to minimize damage to your nerves and blood vessels.
Completing Your Procedure
After we have finished improving your body, we will put a special bra on your breasts. We may also put drainage tubes into your body. These tubes will help your body remove fluids during the initial phase of your recovery period.
What Will Happen During My Recovery Period?
Although your age and health will impact your recovery period, it will usually take about six to eight weeks to completely heal from this type of procedure.
Beginning Your Recovery Period
You should probably plan to take a week off from your job and other responsibilities. During this time, we may advise you to maintain your comfort levels by taking prescription or over-the-counter medications.
Wearing a Special Bra
We will probably provide you with a special bra after your procedure is complete. You should be prepared to wear this bra for about one month. After you remove your bra, we may instruct you to wear a sports bra for the next two to four weeks. You should not wear underwire bras during this time. These bras can irritate your incisions and increase the length of your recovery period.
Taking a Rest
You will need to avoid going running, attending an exercise class, or performing other rigorous types of exercise for about four to six weeks. In addition, you should not lift heavy objects while your breasts are recovering from your procedure.
When Will My Breasts Become Smaller?
Your breasts will look much smaller after your procedure is complete. That said, your body will need time to drain away excess fluid and complete the healing process. In general, you will likely see the full benefit of your reduction after about six to 12 months.
Will My Health Insurance Cover the Cost of My Reduction?
Typically, your health insurance will not cover the costs of procedures that are designed to change the appearance of a specific area of your body. For instance, your insurance probably will not cover the cost of a rhinoplasty that is designed to reduce the size of your nose.
Correcting Physical Problems
Fortunately, your health insurance may pay for you to reduce the size of your breasts. Disproportionally large breasts can cause you to develop neck pain, back problems, and other physical issues. If your procedure is medically necessary, your insurance may cover your reduction.
Obtaining Documentation
You will usually have a higher chance of receiving insurance coverage for your procedure if you obtain documents that describe your physical issues. For example, you could ask your primary care doctor to document any back pain and neck problems that you’ve experienced.
In addition to collecting documents from your healthcare provider, you might need to meet other requirements in order to receive insurance coverage. For instance, your insurance might require us to remove a certain amount of breast tissue during your procedure.
Will This Procedure Permanently Reduce the Size of My Breasts?
This procedure has the potential to create a permanent reduction in the size of your breasts. That said, this procedure cannot prevent your hormones and other factors from changing the appearance of your breasts. For example, going through pregnancy or menopause is likely to alter the size and shape of your breasts.
If you gain a large amount of weight, the size of your breasts may increase. To avoid this change, you should try to follow a regular exercise routine and eat a healthy diet after you receive this procedure.
Can I Receive Mammograms After I Reduce the Size of My Breasts?
A mammogram is an important screening tool that is used to check for breast cancer and other medical issues. Receiving regular mammograms will increase your chance of diagnosing these health problems at an early stage.
Continuing to Get Mammograms
Fortunately, reducing the size of your breasts will not interfere with your ability to get mammograms in the future. Since you will have less breast tissue after your procedure is complete, you might feel more comfortable during your mammograms.
Creating a New Baseline
Your doctor may advise you to receive a new mammogram about six months after your procedure. Since your procedure will change the tissues in your breasts, this mammogram can be used to make a new baseline for your future tests.
Will I Be Able to Breastfeed After I Receive This Procedure?
If you are interested in breastfeeding after you receive your reduction, you should tell us about this goal during your initial consultation. We can use techniques to increase your chance of successfully breastfeeding in the future. For example, we can use specialized techniques to protect your nerves and nipples.
You might also benefit from hiring a lactation consultant who has experience helping new mothers breastfeed after reductions. A consultant may be able to recommend supplements and techniques that will help you increase your milk supply.
Am I a Good Candidate for This Procedure?
If you are an adult who is unhappy with the size of your breasts, you will probably be a good candidate for a breast reduction procedure. That said, you will need to be in fairly good health to use this technique to reduce your breast size. In addition, your breasts must be fully developed when you receive this procedure. Further, you should either be a non-smoker or be willing to quit smoking before you get your reduction.
Schedule a Consultation
Large breasts can cause you to have posture issues, back pain, and other uncomfortable problems. In addition, very large breasts can prevent you from exercising and engaging in other physical activities. Receiving a breast reduction will improve your back pain and raise your self-confidence. If you are interested in hearing more about this procedure, you should schedule a consultation at Columbus Facial Plastics at The Sullivan Centre in Columbus, OH.