Dec
7
I considered getting a breast reduction in 2020, and I mean I strongly considered it: I went to a plastic surgeon and had an official consultation and everything. (Which, amusingly, included a doctor’s note from the visit that described me in part as “well-nourished.” This dry observation reminded me of the elderly pediatrician who took one look at a young wailing baby Riley and wrote “Teething BIG TIME” in his notes before underlining that phrase twice for emphasis.)
Ultimately I decided against it, mostly for pandemic reasons. The news was dire and endlessly confusing at the time, and it felt wildly stupid to put my health at risk for reasons that probably wouldn’t hold up in my brain if there were complications. Well, THIS was super worth it, I could imagine thinking as I choked on the final endotracheal tube.
Now that some time has passed I’m not quite as concerned about tempting medical fate, but when I think of what I hoped to “fix” with a reduction, I realize my bodily complaints have expanded along with my, you know, body.
I’m very drawn to the idea of being less top-heavy, being able to button a shirt, wearing a bra that wasn’t designed by humorless German engineers, and maybe even having less back pain. My boobs have always been unwieldy, but now they’re just uncomfortable all of the damn time. Going from a DD cup to something more C-ivilized sounds like an actual dream, even if it comes with expense and recovery time.
However … it’s just that … well, I’m just saying that as long as my body is on the table and the credit card is being charged, would it really be so bad to add a little extra … liposuction? How about an abdominoplasty, which not only removes extra fat and skin but also tightens muscles in the abdominal wall (which is so appealing, since the older I get the more I feel all loose and SPRUNG in the abdominal area, regardless of exercise)? What about a so-called “mommy makeover”, which does a variety of things in one single-stage procedure?
You see the problem: it never ends.
I do think that a breast reduction is the sort of relief-providing cosmetic surgery that most people don’t regret getting, as compared to, say, a comically outsized Brazilian butt lift. But I also know that it feels like a very slippery slope, and I’ll never run out of things I wish I could change about myself.
Then again, I got LASIK in 1999 and it permanently upgraded my entire life! Even though it was super creepy to smell my actual corneas sizzling! (Fun fact: the odor is the same as burnt hair.) Never say never, boobs: you’re still on notice.
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I got a breast reduction almost 10 years ago, and it was absolutely one of the best things I’ve ever done. My boobs were “unwieldy” on my small frame, though, and the reduction literally freed me up to be more active and feel more comfortable, overall.
Aaaaand, I did decide to get a little lipo a few months ago (the “bra roll”) area. I always thought I’d be against lipo, or that I’d just keep wanting more—and while there are other body parts I’d like to make “smaller,” I will say it is satisfying enough to keep you happy for a few years. Lol But I also learned that if you gain weight after lipo, it can wind up changing your body shape, so it’s also good motivation to keep moving.
I’m ok with leaving most of my body as is, but the parts I had done were parts that had me in tears every other time I looked in the mirror after a shower, ya know? It’s nice to look in the mirror now and just feel “meh, whatever” versus feeling on the verge of a breakdown. Aging is rough, man.
I got the surgical notes after a procedure and the doctor described me as “plump, but appears pleasant.” I’ll cop to being plump. It’s the “but” that always annoyed me. Plump AND pleasant, dammit.
I know a few women who had breast reduction and all were SO happy they did it. I had abdominoplasty ; 2008 after 4 pregnancies that left my stomach a mess. I am small and fit but had masses of fat, loose skin and wrecked muscles on my stomach, again that no amount of exercise would help. It was a tough surgery but I’m so happy I did it! It was well worth it. If you’re going under, I’d say go for both.
I had the ‘mommy’ makeover about 10 years ago (after having only one kid), to get rid of the fupa which would not go away despite instense diet and exercise. While I was at it, I had my C/D tits put back up where they belonged (just a lift, no implant which one surgeon did try to convince me was needed to get that round full softball-esque porn star look) . The intense diet and exercise is long over and I’ve put on about 25lbs since then, but my stomach is still flat (though soft) and every time I spy my great looking 46-year-old boobs pointing straight ahead in the mirror, I’m glad I did it.
I will warn you tho, recovery was a bitch and not in the way expected. The issue wasn’t at either of the surgical sites. Because your abs are so tightly sewn back together, it takes a long time to be able to stand fully upright which was very hard on the lower back. I could barely stand and raise my arms long enough to shampoo my hair for a long time. Strenghthen your lower back presurgery, get a shower stool, and go for it!
p.s. another recent thought I had-the adominal scar was much more grnarly and noticeable than I thought it would be. It wraps from one hip to the other-much bigger than a C-section scar. I don’t know if it would have been avoidable with a different surgeon. A friend had a different dr. and has the same thing.
I had a breast reduction 20 years ago before my senior year of college, going from basically an DDD/E to C cup. With time and gravity it’s probably more like D now, but 100% worth it. I’m not an active person per se, but the back relief and just generally “being a woman out in the world” change is huge.. The surgery and recovery wasn’t terrible, but also wasn’t so easy that I’ve ever been tempted to get more. That surgery alone would probably be life-changing.
I’ve never heard anyone who had a breast reduction express regret about it. I haven’t had anything done and am not tempted to do so 1) because I’m cheap, 2) because I’m a perfectly fine human as-is no matter what our sleazy societal standards say, and 3) because I fear unintended things that can happen in hospitals. I had a friend who died unexpectedly after a shoulder repair surgery –that has left a lasting impression.
I always wanted a reduction too until my friend got a reduction, lift, and augmentation. Basically they lopped off her gigantic saggy boobs and gave her perfect perky boobs that matched her frame. I want them smaller for sure, but my friends with fake boobs never have to wear a bra and boy wouldn’t that be nice. But you’re totally right: while I’m under the knife, why not do all that, and lipo, and a tummy tuck, and a facelift, and a necklift… where does it end?
Had Breast reduction in Oct 2020 – NZ had closed the borders, only Covid was in the quarantine facilities, none in community so that risk was mitigated. Went from a GG/H cup to a C/D. My only regret is waiting until I was 48 to get it done – should have done it 20 years ago. My neck and back are still screwed from too many years lugging the weight but the headaches and pain have significantly reduced.
As someone who has gone from a Victoria’s-Secret-friendly 36C to an industrial strength 38DDD/E over the last 5 years, I feel you. I gain weight in my boobular area first, so I was in denial wearing my favorite Biofit bras like boobhats for a ridculous amount of time until they committed bra-seppuku.
I wear Freya’s now but am still looking for the magical amount of coverage/padding so that I don’t overheat and can reliably fit through doorways without poking innocent bystanders’ eyes out with my perpetual high beams. And the nipple chafing. Oooof. Ow ow ow ow.
I had PRK in 1999 and can affirm the hair-sizzling smell of burnt cornea.
I find it interesting that boob reductions are being discussed as cosmetic surgery that would cost a lot of money – I only know people who had this as a procedure deemed necessary for their health and so it was covered under our provincial health plan.
I’ve always thought I was an “accept my body at any age” person, but even I have been wistfully eyeing that procedure to get rid of middle-aged under-chin wattle.
Yeah that’s for sure not a covered procedure in the U.S., unless there are exceptions I’m not aware of. It’s about a 6-10K investment, depending.
I do have two friends here in the US who’ve had their breast reductions covered by insurance. The hardest thing was jumping through YEARS of hoops to get it covered though, and they both had GIANT boobs for their frames, which was probably a factor as well. Here are some of the things that they mentioned that they had to do:
-YEARS of documented back/shoulder/neck pain through medical records
-medical records showing that they’d attempted to fix the issue through various medical options (e.g., physical therapy, chiropractors, etc)
-receipts showing the amounts that they spent on bras over the years (because we all know our giant bras are expensive)
-documented attempts at weight loss to see if losing weight would shrink the boobs.
So if it is something you’re really interested in, it might be worth it to see if your insurance policy could potentially cover it, and see what documentation is required. It may not be as strict/stringent as theirs was.
I have been going through the same thing- I had a consult a few years ago and didn’t move forward. I turned 50 this year and a lot of life decisions have felt very “shit or get off the pot” and this was one of those. I had another consult a few months back and the surgery is scheduled for February. I actually do not know a single person who has had this procedure so I’m a little nervous. I am also fully planning on doing a neck and eye lift in the next few years. My body is far from perfect and I am totally fine with that, but it would be nice to fix this thing that has been annoying me for 30+ years.
Ooh, exciting! This might be a good resource for you: https://www.reddit.com/r/Reduction/
About 40 years ago, at age 34, I had to have basically what was a reduction due to a very large and troublesome benign fibroid. Since removal took a huge chunk out of the boob, my terrific surgeon reshaped it and then matched up the other boob. I’d say I went from a D cup to a nicely packed C cup. It was the worst surgery I ever had (after 4 others including two back surgeries). Surely pain mgt and surgery procedures have improved since then so maybe that’s a moot point.
I was very pleased with the result and always was tickled that my OB-gyn doc told me how “perky” they were at my yearly app’ts. So even though I did not seek out the surgery, I certainly benefited. That perkiness lasted probably 30 years before they began to slowly sag. I suppose they still are in better shape than most other 73-year-olds have, tho.
There are other cosmetic procedures I wish (not regretted) I’d had along the way (such as LASIX) but I’m ok with how things are now. Change in appearance due to aging doesn’t happen overnight, thankfully. It happens slowly enough that you have time to get used to it.
I know like body dysmorphia bad and yadda yadda but have you ever just let yourself sit with permission to just..like…DO the fucking shebang if you. Lipo the eternal mom pouch, put shit in your lips, yeet you titties out into the sunset…whatever makes you feel good? If you can afford it and it’s not excessively dangerous to your health…why not?
I’m not like pro or anti plastic surgery one way or the other – I just soemtimes think in the effort to UNLOAD all the expectations everyone else put on us – we forget how to be okay with our own expectations. You ARE allowed to want the plastic surgeries and the botoxes and the whatever’s – you just gotta want them FOR YOU.