Would I benefit from a reduction + lift or just a lift? (photo)

A breast reduction and a breast lift are very similar procedures. Both procedures will lift the breast. The breast reduction will also reduce the breast volume. As you are currently wearing a J cup bra, I personally would favor some degree of reduction. Keeping your current size may lead to future problems. The heavy weight will accelerate the recurrence of sagging. The weight will also place you at risk of developing chronic pain in your back, neck, and shoulder areas.

Dear Exciting652298

Thank you for your question. Certainly, from you photo, it looks like you will benefit from a breast lift, and very likely from a breast reduction as well.

Breast size is a choice. Patients often ask me what size will look best on them. I like proportion, but proportion is a range of sizes, not exactly one size.

Breast reduction can reduce back pain, and it is also important to note that back pain can have many causes.

Consider a second consultation with another board certified plastic surgeon. You deserve to have the breast size you desire.

Best of luck
Dr. Romanelli

From your picture , I can easily see that you definitely need breast reduction surgery. This surgery also includes an uplift. Breast reduction surgery provides significant benefits for improving physical health as it addresses the chronic back and neck pain experienced by women with larger breasts and discomfort caused by shoulder grooves from bra straps as well.

Hi Exciting! How exciting that you are taking this step to feel better. A breast reduction can be life changing. Most women with heavy breasts experience symptoms such as yours with back and neck pain, grooves in their shoulders from bra straps and rashes underneath their breasts. Ultimately they are your breasts and if you feel like they are too heavy, then I encourage you to seek out a reduction as well as the lift. A mastopexy (lift) only will raise the position of the breast and nipple on your chest wall, but will not change the heaviness of them. I also recommend the use of an absorbable mesh to create an internal support to help maintain your results over time. I highly encourage you to seek out a board-certified plastic surgeon specializing in surgery of the breast and body to hear your concerns and come up with a plan to reach your goals. Best of luck!

Based on the submitted photo you appear to be a good candidate for a lift with a reduction. This will remove excess skin and tissue as well as lift the position of the nipple. The decrease in weight of the breasts may help with your neck and back pain as well.

Hello! Great question. From the photo you uploaded, it appears you would benefit from both a reduction and a lift. Since you are having back pain especially, removing some of the tissue would be beneficial for not only aesthetic purposes, but functionality. Good luck!

Based off your limited photo (would ideally like to see more angles of your breast and without a physical exam) - if the breasts are heavy to you, then ideally a lift with reduction should take place. The planning of your surgery is important for you and the surgeon to discuss what the limitations are for wanting to decrease in a medium versus significant size reduction (the more you take, the possibility of more issues with healing, nerves etc). And if you remove a lot, it still doesn't guarantee that the 'back pain' you experience will be treated completely or any at all (so also be ready to have this happen). So this is a must have talk with your surgeon and even if you are a lot of skin - there is still breast tissue under and being that you are young, reductions will likely enlarge some or a lot again - secondary to pregnancy, weight gain or just re-growth over time (so be ready for that as well). Try to seek a second opinion if you are not completely in agreement with your first surgeon to see if there's a consensus and then decide.

Thank you for your query. It is difficult to say based on this single picture, but if you are indeed a size j cup, a breast reduction would certainly be worth considering. I would recommend finding another experienced board certified plastic surgeon who can examine you and help you with all your concerns. All the best!

Hi, thanks for your question which is one that is often considered in clinic. A question that I often ask patients is whether they are happy with their breast volume in a bra? If the answer is yes, then a mastopexy (breast uplift) is likely to achieve the desired outcome - a change in shape but not volume. If you are getting symptoms from heavy breasts (back / neck ache, bra strap indentation, infections / inflammation in the lower fold of your breast) and would like a reduction in volume as well as an uplift, then a breast reduction is likely to be the choice for you as this will improve both shape and symptoms. Your surgeon should be able to tailor their recommendations based on your desired outcome. Make sure you consult with a surgeon who is a specialist in aesthetic breast surgery and is appropriately qualified to provide an expert opinion.

Symptomatic macromastia refers to a condition where a person has excessively large breasts (macromastia) that cause physical symptoms or discomfort. The term "symptomatic" means that the condition leads to issues such as chronic back, neck, or shoulder pain, poor posture, skin irritation, or rashes under the breasts, and difficulty with physical activities or finding properly fitting clothing. These symptoms can significantly affect daily life and may interfere with a person's ability to perform everyday tasks comfortably.


A breast reduction involves the removal of excess breast tissue and skin to reduce the size of the breasts. A breast lift (mastopexy) focuses on raising and reshaping the breasts without reducing their size.


Based on your description, a breast reduction may help to address both issues by reducing the size of your breasts and give you a lifted appearance. On the other hand, if your primary concern is the sagging and you don't mind keeping the volume of your breasts, a lift alone could improve the appearance without altering the size.


Dr. Krishna Vyas, MD, PhD, MHS
Harvard, Johns Hopkins, & Mayo Clinic Educated
Double Fellowship Trained
Aesthetic Plastic Surgeon
New York, New York