While many women aspire to enhance their breasts through breast augmentation, it’s worth noting that numerous others dream of reducing their breast size too.

Excessively large and heavy breasts can frequently lead to chronic back, neck, and shoulder pains, and skin irritation beneath the breast crease. They can also give rise to self-consciousness and insecurity, owing to their impact on mobility, lifestyle, and clothing choices for women. Fortunately, Breast Reduction Surgery or Reduction Mammaplasty offers an ideal solution to address these concerns, allowing women to reduce their breast size, achieving a more balanced and proportionate appearance in harmony with their body frame.

Nevertheless, there exist some misconceptions surrounding this transformative, often life-changing, procedure which may give women a pause when considering it. With that in mind, let’s take a moment to dispel the most common myths about this surgery.

Truth: It is important for all patients to recognise and accept that no surgical procedure is absolutely free from risk. In particular, women seeking breast reduction needs to understand that very few women are able to breastfeed following the surgery, as the milk ducts are separated from the breast tissue during the procedure. While this is true, it does not necessarily mean that all women who have undergone breast reduction cannot breastfeed at all after the procedure.

The extent to which breastfeeding is affected can vary from one individual to another and may depend on several factors such as the extent of the procedure and the surgical technique used. It is essential to discuss your desire to breastfeed with your surgeon during the initial consultation to ensure that they are aware of your concerns and advice you your options for the best possible outcome for you.

Truth: Breast reduction surgery with Mr. Allen Rezai, leading Consultant Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgeon of Harley Street, London, is combined with breast uplift or mastopexy. Combining breast reduction and uplift aims to deliver a more aesthetically pleasing result for the patient by enhancing the breasts’ shape, firmness, and promoting a more youthful appearance.

Truth: The fat and other breast tissue removed during breast reduction procedure cannot ‘grow’ back. However, it is important to understand that our bodies naturally undergo changes over time, including fluctuations in weight, changes in skin elasticity, and hormonal imbalance.

Regardless of surgical procedures, there is always a possibility of bodily changes. Factors like pregnancy, breastfeeding, or substantial weight changes can impact breast size and shape.

Truth:  All surgical procedures carry potential risks, whether it be breast augmentation, breast lift or breast reduction. In any event, nipple sensation is frequently reduced post-operatively, however, complete and permanent loss of sensation is not typical –though it can potentially occur. Changes in nipple sensation can vary from person to person, and in many cases, it improves over time as the body heals.

Truth:  Undergoing breast reduction does not increase your chances of developing breast cancer. In fact, studies have shown that reducing breast size through breast reduction surgery has been demonstrated to lower the risk of cancer primarily by reducing the amount of breast tissue that could potentially be susceptible to cancer development.

It is important to understand that there is still a notable risk of cancer as a considerable amount of breast tissue remains following breast reduction surgery. Patients also have the choice to request and retain the removed breast tissues for histopathological examination. This allows the laboratory to examine the glands for any potential suspicious or pathological issues, ensuring early detection and intervention if needed. Furthermore, Mr. Allen Rezai always advises his patients to undergo regular check-ups and screening tests as breast cancer always poses a risk for women regardless of undergoing breast related surgical procedure or not.

Truth: While doing your breast reduction surgery after completing your family is the recommended option in achieving optimal outcome, that is not the only choice. The decision to undergo breast reduction is a very individual and personal process. Some women may opt to postpone their procedure until they are certain their family is complete but some others favours to free themselves from the limitations of having excessively large breasts regardless.

During your consultation with Mr. Allen Rezai, he will answer all your questions, concerns, and discuss with you all the potential risks and benefits of your procedure. The option of waiting to have the surgery until you feel your family is complete or finished having children will also be discussed with you. Breast reduction surgery can be done regardless of what stage you are in life but bear in mind that further surgery may be needed at some point in the future.

If you are considering breast reduction surgery, schedule an appointment with Mr. Allen Rezai at his London Harley Street or Dubai Healthcare City practice, to clarify all your concerns, determine your suitability, and discuss your options.

For information about Breast Reduction in general and see samples of his work visit: Breast Surgery Procedure Page.

For details about procedures and treatments or for a consultation, advice and prices from our London clinic please call 020 7580 8001 or use our ONLINE FORM.

What constitutes the ideal or perfect female breast is a question with no single correct answer, since it has always depended upon époque, nationality, culture and fashion trends. Whilst the modern western trend leans toward increasing the breast size, often by means of implant surgery, there is today an increasingly prevalent counter-trend of women who believe their breasts to be too large for one reason or another, and who consequently seek to reduce the size of their breasts through Breast Reduction Surgery.

Very large and heavy breasts often cause considerable physical and/or psychological distress. It can be the first thing that people notice about you and the one thing they don’t forget. They can become the source of unwanted attentions and advances, they can make you stick out in any social situation and weigh just as heavily on your mind as they do on your chest. By getting a breast reduction, you’re freeing yourself up, to feel more balanced and whole again. You’ll be able to go to places like the beach and engage in activities and sports that would have been hard or embarrassing to participate in with larger breasts. You can feel confident and in control of your body, instead of feeling dominated and defined by large and heavy breasts. Many times, the physical pain is what ultimately leads women to choose surgery. Pain is typically felt in the lower back, neck, and shoulders, and sometimes as headaches and this type of discomfort can have a ripple effect into other areas of a woman’s life.

“Large, pendulous breasts aren’t just heavy to carry around. They can also affect your self-esteem and get in the way of your normal daily activities and prevent you from participating in sports or wearing the type of clothing you prefer. In my experience, most patients are very satisfied with their decision of having breast reduction surgery and immediately have relief from shoulder and back pain. You can also see how their posture changes as they feel more confident with their body. Nevertheless, I strongly believe in educating my patients about all aspects of the procedure including, pros, cons, and possible risks and complications. The more they know about the procedure and how it would impact their lives, the more confident, calm and prepared they feel about the big change their body is about to undergo.” Says Mr Allen Rezai, a leading Consultant Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon of Harley Street, London.

In this article, Mr Allen Rezai recommends five things you should know about breast reduction surgery but it does not replace the necessity of a one to one, thorough consultation with a qualified and experienced plastic surgeon, it is only then you can decide whether breast reduction is right for you. Having more information and a clear expectation about what’s next will help you make an informed decision and to better manage your post-op recovery so that you have the best possible experience out of your surgery.

Carrying extra weight on your chest can cause significant physical and psychological distress and many times, due to the negative impacts large breasts have on an individual, patients assume they can reduce the size of their breasts without any limitations. But that is far from the truth. Having an image in mind of the size you want to achieve and discussing it with your surgeon is a good idea. But the truth is that there are limitations as to how much tissue you can remove from a breast, without causing complications. What is important is to ensure that your new breasts are symmetrical, balanced and in proportion to your frame.

When it comes to breast reduction surgery, there are various options, in terms of incision patterns. It is important that you know your options and why one option may be more suitable for you and your circumstance, than the other.

The choice of incision pattern mainly depends on the extent of the reduction. Sometimes with small breast reductions in patients with mainly fatty breast tissue, minimal excess skin and good skin elasticity, liposuction may be employed. However, if you need to remove loose skin and glandular tissue, then a lollipop incision is required, which leaves a scar around areola and a vertical scar from the areola to the inframammary fold (breast crease). For more extensive reductions, the inverted T pattern also known as the anchor or Wise pattern, is used. This has same two incisions as the lollipop and an additional scar that runs along the inframammary fold.

It is important that your options are discussed with you at length during your consultation, especially type of incision pattern that would provide you with the best possible outcome. Consult, 1, 2, 3 or even more experienced and qualified plastic surgeons, until you are satisfied with the reasons why a certain treatment plan is suitable for you. Take your time, do your research and ask questions until everything is clear, it is only then that you can make an informed decision about your surgery.

The impact on your ability to breast feed following a breast reduction surgery will depend upon the extent of the procedure. During breast reduction, breast tissue is removed and the nipple and areola is re-positioned. Milk ducts may be damaged or reduced in the process resulting in a lower milk production. This can in turn make breast feeding harder after surgery.

I always discuss with my patients, the option of waiting to have surgery until they feel their family is complete, not only because of the ability of breast feeding but also because pregnancy and weight gain will most definitely affect the size of their breasts and would require further surgery. But many times, they find the neck and back ache, and other physical and psychological implications with large breasts, unbearable and for them the positives with surgery, outweigh the negatives.

Recovery after Breast Reduction is very individual, and depends on the extent of the reduction. Many are able to return to work and resume their normal daily routine within 10-14 days post-op. However, strenuous activities, exercising, and heavy lifting should not be resumed until 6-8 weeks post-op, after you have the all clear from your surgeon.

In terms of outcome, it takes time for the breasts to settle into their final shape and position. The tissue needs time to recover and settle after surgery, your body needs time to heal but week by week you’ll start noticing positive changes, and the final result will become obvious in six to twelve months. If you do not have any problems with scarring, your incisions should fade into fine lines after one year.

Depending on what stage in your life you have the breast reduction surgery, further surgery may be needed at some point in the future, especially if you have breast reduction in your 20s or before completing your family. Breast size and shape can and most likely will change with pregnancy, breastfeeding or significant weight fluctuations. And sometimes even hormonal changes can cause significantly increase the breast size.

While most patients are happy with their choice of breast reduction surgery, it is important to understand that every woman has a different anatomy and the “perfect” breasts you are imagining may not be realistic on your frame. There are limitations as to how much breast tissue can be removed without increasing the risk of complications. After the surgery, your breasts will not only be smaller, they may also be a different shape, and in a different position on your chest. And there is also the scarring to consider, although in most cases, scars heal and fade into fine lines, sometimes, this is not the case and you may develop keloid (raised) or hypertrophic (wide) scarring. If your body has a tendency to develop such scarring, then it is inevitable regardless of how skilled your surgeon is or what aftercare measures are in place to reduce the risk of scarring. Some skin types are more prone to developing this type of scarring than others, and this can be assessed during your consultation, especially if you have had any previous surgery.

Before you decide on getting breast reduction, it is really important to consider what is it that you want to achieve, the pros and cons, and discuss your expectations with your surgeon to get a clear picture of how your breasts will change.

Unrealistic expectations will lead to disappointment, even if a surgery is extremely successful.

To conclude, we asked Mr Allen to provide a list of what he believes to be the most important considerations to be taken into account when contemplating Breast Surgery and choosing a surgeon. The following was his reply in the form of a simple but comprehensive check-list: