Reducing Breast Sizes - Is It Worth It?

Many women are happy with the size of their breasts but there are a small minority who have an ample chest. Having breasts too large for your frame can cause severe health problems, generally you will have an aching back and sore shoulders from bra straps digging into them. A lot of women develop big breasts during pregnancy which causes severe discomfort especially when trying to breast feed. There are many exercises to help achieve firmer breasts but there are no exercises that will reduce breast size. Many people try to go on extreme diets thinking if they lose weight their breasts will reduce in size, although this is true you will be left with empty and saggy breast pockets where breast tissue once was. The only answer to big breasts are, breast reduction surgery.

NHS or private for breast reduction surgery?

Patients who meet the criteria after visiting their GP can have surgery on the NHS the unfortunate patients who do not meet the strict criteria will have to pay for cosmetic breast surgery using their own money. Due to many risks involved not many are approved on the NHS and those that choose to have it done privately you will find come back to the NHS due to complications.

If you have no choice than to go privately this will cost a lot of money and in the current climate it will be just as hard saving than trying to get a loan, if you have not yet had any children then it may be best to wait otherwise you will have to spend more money having the procedure done twice, the second time being after you’ve had children.

Risks and complications of breast reduction surgery

• In nearly all cases the nipple will need to be cut away to reshape what tissue is left after some of it is removed, when the surgeon is happy with the shape and size the nipple will be reattached and repositioned. In some cases infection can develop and you can lose sensitivity in the nipples the wound can also take longer to heal.
• You can also lose too much blood and that will cause problems when trying to connect tissue as it may die without sufficient blood supply.
• Scarring is inevitable, because such a large proportion needs to be cut away and stitched back together again, in some patients it won’t be so noticeable after some time and is far better than suffering from backache and shoulder pain.
• In some cases implants are also put in just to give breasts a natural shape after taking out so much breast tissue, if you have children and want to breast feed this may become a problem.
• Smokers are also at a disadvantage as healing can take considerably longer and scars are more likely to be prominent if possible it is advisable to stop.
• Depending on how complicated the procedure is you may have to take up to 14 days off work to recover, although many people are back to normal routine within days we all heal differently and depending on lifestyle.
• You will be required to wear a support bra for up to 6 weeks after surgery; during this time you may not be able to wear strapless bras or low tops. If you are having surgery for a particular event i.e. wedding anniversary it would be wise to plan early to avoid disappointment.
• The biggest setback would probably be the extortionate cost attached to the procedure (£5,250 price tag), although regional variations apply it's still very expensive if you do not qualify for NHS treatment.

If you're considering breast reduction surgery, always go to your GP first so that you can get professional advice and recommended surgeons.