Is Breast Reduction for You?

By Teri Borseti For the longest time I wasn’t able to run because it was an uncomfortable experience. At the end of the day I always had deep marks on my shoulders from bra straps, and most of the time my clothes were ill-fitting. Though the vast majority of men think that large breasts are the best thing in the world, that often isn’t true for the women who have them. When a friend suggested I look into breast reduction, it never ever occurred to me that my insurance plan would cover the procedure – but they did! That was about 10 years ago and I’m still convinced that it was the best decision I ever made. In addition to the reduction, the surgery also included a nice little lift which was just what I needed in my 40’s. It was so much fun going out to buy bras for my newly renovated girls. Even though having a substantial breast size is considered a part of the ideal figure, the truth is that there’s a downside. Women who are naturally well-endowed always get the feeling that people aren’t exactly looking them in the eye. They’re often self-conscious and convinced that walking across a room will create a bounce in their sweater that can almost be measured by the Richter scale. A size medium blouse fits like a dream except in front where the buttons pull. You buy a size large to accommodate but in the end you just look fat. Nothing is worse than having to buy bras that are like little water-skiing jackets with wide elastic backs. What do they mean by 18-hour bra? For a large breasted woman the entire outline of the garment is imprinted into her flesh after less than four hours. And let’s not even get into the back pain and posture issues.

Breast reduction surgery or reduction mammoplasty takes about three hours, and if you’re the squeamish type you might not want to watch any procedures on YouTube because you might just chicken out. Basically, your surgeon will remove excess breast fat, glandular tissue and skin. Don’t be afraid that you’ll go from melons to mosquito bites, because your board certified surgeon will keep your breast size in proportion to your body. As long as you have no chronic health issues it should be smooth sailing. Most doctors and hospitals require an overnight stay to be able to monitor and treat pain, but though everyone is different there isn’t a lot of pain with this operation. Within a day or two it’ll be business as usual.   At first the scars may look worse than what you expected but in time they fade and eventually can barely be seen. Ask your doctor to suggest a good scar cream and use it. Others may notice the change or not, but it’s about you and not them. The last leg of the journey involves finding a bra whisperer to help you to find a bra that fits your new breasts properly. You may find that the bras you always liked don’t work for you any more, and some women report being able to toss the underwire. Any lingerie department or lingerie store usually has staff member that’s equipped to help you make the right choices.