38DDD want to be a low C. How much weight should I lose before being considered for a reduction?

Hello and thank you for your question.
It is best to be at a healthy, stable weight prior to surgery. Your BMI should be no higher than 32. Schedule a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon to discuss your options. Best wishes!

Your height will determine what your goal weight should be. Check your BMI on an online calculator to see what you should lose to get to a BMI of 30 or less. Consult with a board certified plastic surgeon to learn what options are available to you. Good luck.

The best way to determine what your breast size should be with respect to your anatomy and give true advice would be an in-person exam with a board certified plastic surgeon who performs hundreds of breast procedures annually. Not only does proportion depend upon the aesthetic balance of your breasts with your shoulders, waist, hips, and buttocks, but also upon your objectives, active lifestyle, soft tissue quality, muscular anatomy, and long-term concerns. There is also a limit to how small you can go due to tissue that needs to be retained for the nipple/areola to maintain a good blood and sensory nerve supply.
The surgery will also help to reshape and recontour your breasts. Very large breasts have the natural tendency to sag or hang low, so breast reduction surgery will lift them up and help them look perkier under tight clothing. The gram amount is dependent upon the density of the breast tissue and the volume removed. No direct correlation exists with cup sizes. You and your board certified PS can determine whether your goal "size" is realistic.
The most common breast reduction procedure typically requires a Wise pattern skin removal pattern to life the breast.  This is referred to as an anchor lift or inverted T lift. See breast reduction before and after photo galleries on my website to gain a sense of the scar pattern.

There is an alternative technique called The Bellesoma Method.  This will reduce and reshape your breast tissue creating upper pole fullness without implants, elevate them higher on the chest wall and more medial to increase your cleavage.  The weight of the breast is transferred to the underlying pectoralis major muscle resulting in pain relief without excessive reduction.  Vertical scars are avoided, nipple sensation (in 95%) and the ability to breast feed are maintained.  Unfortunately, you have not provided photographs or told us your height.  However, a BMI in the range of 30-32 is acceptable for surgery.Best Wishes,Gary Horndeski, M.D.

Dear Cool1636
Generally speaking, you want to reach your goal weight before you consider a breast reduction, otherwise your results will be suboptimal if you continue to lose weight after the surgery. If you are considering a surgery, I would suggest you to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. Only after a thorough examination you will get more information and recommendations
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Candidates for breast reduction will typically have documented evidence of neck/back and shoulder pain as well as rashes and bra strap grooving attributable to the increased breast weight. They will often demonstrate that these symptoms have been resistant to more conservative measures like therapy, weight loss and pharmacologic intervention. This is needed for insurance coverage.
In addition to establishing a case for medical necessity, there are also requirements for resection weight (when covered by insurance). This may be a standard "500 gm per side" stipulation or a more variable standard based upon body surface area/Schnur scale. It is important to realize that these weight requirements can occasionally exceed your goals for size reduction. Insurance coverage is contingent on these requirements being met, thus cosmetic concerns become secondary(i.e. cup size goals).
Optimal candidates have reached a healthy stable weight (preferably with a BMI < 30). The best time to consider surgery is when you have reached your goal weight and stabilized for a 6 month period.With regards to your specific question, to go from a DDD to a small C may be difficult. A small D may be more realistic.
As always, discuss your concerns with a board certified plastic surgeon (ABPS).
Donovan Rosas MD
Board Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member: American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, American Society of Plastic Surgeons
RealSelf Verified Member
RealSelf Top 100
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You have two questions so lets look at them separately   1) is it  possible to get to a low C size once you are at goal weight?  There are different techniques for breast reduction that can influence how much smaller your breasts will be. The most common technique will allow for a 2-3 cup reduction in most patients. The second technique can allow for more reduction, but has major drawbacks such as not being able to breast feed.2) If you are hoping to have insurance pay for this surgery, your insurance carrier will have a certain number of grams that they will require be removed before they will pay ( as well as documentation of your other medical concerns such as back pain, etc ) This number is usually based on your BMI (height and weight) . In addition, you will find that there are plastic surgeons, (myself included) that want you to be at a BMI of 30 or less in order to reduce your risk of wound healing issues.  You do not mention how tall you are, so I cannot tell you the weight for a 30 BMI. Go online and search for a BMI calculator and put in your information. Please note that you always have the option of not involving your insurance company and paying for this surgery out of pocket. Your board certified plastic surgeon can advise you on the specific requirements he/she would have for your weight, and you can discuss which surgical options best fit your desired results.

Hi
and welcome to our forum!
Breast
reduction is both cosmetic and functional, as the procedure often alleviates
neck pain, shoulder pain, back pain, bra strap grooving, and chronic
rashes beneath the breasts due to their added weight. The reduction
procedure is most often performed to regain proper
body proportion
Your
candidacy for surgery requires consideration of many factors. One is
measurement of your BMI (body mass index equals weight in kg / square of height
in meters). You can find BMI calculators on the internet. Your BMI is
34.89. If your BMI is > 30, the cosmetic result will not be optimal. If
your BMI is > 35, your operative risk will rise. Weight loss through diet
and exercise is recommended. If not achievable, a bariatric procedure (such as
a gastric sleeve) will result in significant weight loss. 
From
the surgical standpoint, you presently appear to have symptoms attributable to
your breasts. Under these circumstances, you would benefit from breast
reduction. It is best and safest to have a BMI of