I Am 17 Years Old. Would I Be Able to Get a Breast Reduction?

You could be a candidate for a breast reduction if you have parental consent. The cost can vary quite a bit depending on your geographical location. As stated above the national average is about $7500. If you have medical insurance you might qualify under your plan and have little to no out of pocket expense. You need to have a consultation with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon to determine if you are a candidate, and your surgeon should be able to help you get pre authorization for your surgery. Good Luck!

17 is an acceptable age to have a breast reduction as long as you have permission from a parent or guardian who has to accompany you to your consultation and also your surgery and sign all of the paperwork.  Unless you are an emancipated minor.  The legal age for you to have surgery without the consent of a parent is 18.

Thank you for the question.

Based on your description,  you may very well be an excellent candidate for breast reduction surgery.

As  you think  about  breast reduction surgery make sure you do your homework and understand the potential risks and complications associated with  the procedure.  Make sure you also understands that further surgery may be necessary in the future (for example if the breasts were to grow in size again).

On the other hand, breast reduction surgery is one of the most patient pleasing operations we perform and I think that for the right teenager (enough symptoms) it may be an excellent option (regardless of the age).
Sometimes breast  reduction surgery is covered through health insurance. The best way to obtain insurance coverage for breast reduction surgery involves some “hoops” to jump through. The more documentation you have (for example, from your primary care doctor, physical therapist, chiropractor etc.) the better when it comes to obtaining insurance “authorization” for the procedure.
This documentation and letter/pictures from your plastic surgeon will help you obtain authorization.

Make sure you're  working with a well-trained/experienced board-certified plastic surgeon.


I hope this helps.

Breast Reduction can be done at age 17, but you will need to have parental consent. As for the cost, most breast reductions are covered by insurance, so your individual cost would depend on the specifics of your insurance plan.

Several options for surgery will be available:


A liposuction only reduction

a minimal scar reduction

a standard inverted T reduction


The best option for you will depend on your goals and your specific anatomy. Your surgeon can discuss this with you.

Even at 17 years of age size, given your large cup size, you may very well be able to have a breast reduction. Because you are not of legal age (unless you are an emancipate minor), you would need to discuss this with a parent/legal guardian as they would need to sign for surgery.

If your parent(s) have insurance for you that covers breast reduction, you may be able to have this performed using this policy which would reduce the out of pocket expenses. Paying for this without insurance will cost a lot more our of pocket and would depend on the local costs - surgical fee, anesthesia and outpatient center.

I would recommend consulting a competent board certified plastic surgeon for evaluation. One more consideration would be whether your breasts are still growing. This and other issues can be discussed at the time of your consultation.

Age 17 is fine for a breast reduction as long as you have parental consent. The costs can vary depending on exactly what needs to be done and the amount of operating room time.

AS long as you are of adult height and weight and are no longer growing and having regular menses you may be a candidate. You would need parental consent.

Hi ohaidere in Los Angeles, CA.

In general, 18 is the legal age for consent with respect to a procedure such as this.  If you want the surgery done before that age, you would need to have your parents consent (which may not be such a bad idea anyway, depending on your perspective!)   But as long as they're okay with it, there's nothing necessarily wrong with having this procedure at your age.

Particularly if you're a G.  That is large enough to have dramatic symptoms, including neck, back and shoulder pain, intertrigo, grooving, etc.  You would have a tremendous amount of relief from this procedure.

But you would also have scars.  There is generally very little way to accomplish this without leaving at least some scars on the breast (you may be a candidate for a liposuction breast reduction, although you can only be reduced a bit, and you'll have a little more sagging afterwards.  But that may be a good trade for you).

Otherwise, you'll have to balance whether the reduction is worth it; the surgery and the scars.  Usually, it is, as the many happy breast reduction patients can attest to.  Whether or not that's the case for you, though, is something you'll need to decide after consulting with a plastic surgeon.  And, most likely, your parents...

I hope that this helps and good luck,

Dr. E

First and foremost you should discuss your concerns with your parents or legal guardian as they would need to consent for you to have any surgical procedure. Find an ASPS board certified plastic surgeon in your area who accepts your insurance. (Check with your insurance carrier for a listing of in-network providers.) Upon consultation and examination  a plastic surgeon would be able to determine if a surgical procedure would be in your best interest at this time. The reduction will result in a lift. My patients are amazed at the difference in quality of life with smaller breasts. Best wishes!