I am a 38DD and want to get a breast lift. Do I have to get a reduction to get a lift? If so, how small would I end up being?

Hi, Good question. 38DD breasts are large, but it really depends on your BMI and body frame. One of the many factors to consider in breast surgery is to ensure that breasts are proportioned  to a woman's frame. Without a picture, it's hard to say if you would need a reduction. Newer breast lifting/reduction technology exists where preserving nipple sensation or the ability to breast feed is no longer an issue. The Horndeski Method preserves these while raising the entire breast mound and creating upper pole fullness without implants. Attached is an example of this technique. Implants are never used with this technique nor is the vertical incision necessary. I hope this helps. Best wishes and kind regards, 

Far more important than the technique is the skill and experience of your plastic surgeon. Choose your surgeon rather than the technique and let them explain why one technique may be better than another. See the below link on some suggestions on finding the most qualified Plastic Surgeon for a BBL Always insist on a board certified plastic surgeon.

You don’t have to get a reduction if you prefer not to, however you should know that larger breasts tend to sag at a  faster rate. As a result, you may need another lift in the future. 

 This is usually coordinated between you and your surgeon.  With a reduction also comes along the lifted breast.  I recommend an in-office examination as well as a detailed discussion with a surgeon who you are comfortable with and who is a Double-Board Certified Plastic Surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.

Best wishes!

Dr. Desai

Thank you for the question. You do not have to have your breast size reduced (breast tissue remove) when having a breast lift unless you want to reduce the size of your breasts.

“Typical” patients who present for breast reduction surgery are women who have disproportionately large breasts, causing problems such as neck/back/shoulder discomfort, postural changes, bra strap grooving, skin irritation/rashes under the breasts, and/or difficulty with activities of daily living and/or exercise etc. There may be both physical as well as psychosocial “stress” caused by the disproportionately large breasts.



Reducing breast tissue mass and elevating the breasts on the chest wall tend to improve or alleviate many of the symptoms associated with the disproportionately large breasts.



When the time is right, I suggest that you seek consultation with well  experienced plastic surgeons who can demonstrate significant experience achieving the types of outcomes you would be pleased with.



Then, I would suggest you visit a few surgeons whose practices concentrate on aesthetic surgery. Ask to see lots of examples of their work and preferably speak/see patients who have had similar procedures done.  Once you have chosen your plastic surgeon carefully, it will be important for you to communicate her goals carefully as well. In my practice, I asked patients to use as many “visual aids”, such as goal photographs, during the communication process. Be careful about utilizing terms such as “ideal” ( there is no such thing), “B or C cup” and/or “proportionate"… these terms can be confusing, since they may mean different things to different people.  Once you have communicated your goals,  your chosen plastic surgeon will be able to give you an estimate of how much breast tissue will likely need to be removed to achieve your goals.



I hope this, and the attached link (dedicated to breast lifting surgery concerns), helps.  Best wishes.

In  many cases, I perform a lift at the same time as a tummy tuck. The lift can be done in most cases without a significant reduction of the breast. Best of luck.

You can have a lift and because you are paying for cosmetic surgery, you can decide on sizing without the constraint of having to remove a specific amount of gram weight.  A lift alone typically would leave you as a D cup; this is a generalization as only an exam would enable an accurate assessment.  Unless your surgeon is  a very fast operator, these are two big operations and are right up against what I consider an excessive amount of anesthesia time which increases surgical and post op risks.