If I have small breasts can I still get a breast reduction?

Dear dfyhhh,it is hard to tell for sure without an examination. 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

Small breats that have a low nipple can easily be lifted and even reduced if you prefer a smaller or more perky look.  Get a few opinions as the techniques vary, and you are possibly a candidate for a small incision.

Yes you can get a breast reduction, but it may not be the best option if you want nice looking breasts. It would be good to consider meeting with a board certified surgeon to discuss the look that you would like and have them help you with the overall visual that you are trying to achieve. With low nipples, a breast lift could be sufficient to address the issues you may have, or a lift with a small reduction. It is hard to say without photos. Women with A cups are the largest class of patients undergoing breast augmentation operations due to unhappiness with size and look.  Most women having breast reduction will do best to retain a C cup or larger because smaller breasts than that will have more likelihood of injury to the blood supply of the nipple areolar complexes. Talk to a doctor, especially if you can find one in your area with imaging software that can demonstrate what the post-op look would be overall. Good Luck!

Thank you for the question and congratulations on your decision to proceed with breast reduction surgery.  It is certainly possible to reduce your breasts even though you are not starting at a very large size; you may be surprised to know that your goals/requests are not that unusual.   I see several patients every year who wish to achieve as small of a breast appearance outcome, for a variety of personal reasons.
 The concern with the amount of tissue removed is related to blood flow to the remaining tissue; if too much tissue is removed in one operation the blood flow to the remaining tissue (including nipple/areola) may be compromised. Part of the tissue that is left in place is called the “pedicle"; this segment of tissue is responsible for delivering the blood supply to the nipple/areola tissue. If the pedicle is made too small (in the effort to reduce the breasts as much as possible) then patient will likely have problems with tissue survival.    
 In my opinion, successful outcomes with  etc. surgery depend on:
1.  Careful selection of plastic surgeon (and from the surgeon's  standpoint, careful selection of patient).  I would suggest starting with the American Society of Plastic Surgery and/or the Aesthetic Society of Plastic Surgery to obtain a list of well experienced board-certified plastic surgeons. 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.
2.  Careful communication of goals ( which I will discuss further below).
3.  Skillful execution of procedure ( preoperative, intraopererative, and postoperative patient management).
In my practice, I would ask that you NOT communicate your goals, or evaluate the outcome of the procedure performed, based on cup sizes.  There is simply too much variability when it comes to bra sizes between bra manufacturers and even store employees doing the bra fitting measurements.
 Generally speaking,  for the benefit of patients undergoing breast reduction surgery:  it will be very important to communicate your size goals with your surgeon. Most patients wish to achieve a enough of a reduction to help with their symptoms while remaining proportionate with the remainder of their torso. Again, I suggest that you do not communicate your goals in terms of achieving a specific cup size. For example, a “A or B cup” may mean different things to different people and therefore may be a source of miscommunication.
In my practice, I ask patients to communicate their goals with the help of  computer imaging and/or goal photographs,  as you have done here.  Obviously, the outcome associated with the breast surgery will not necessarily match that of goal photographs perfectly, but they do serve as a better communication tool that subjective terms such as "natural", "proportionate", "flat"… Evaluating goal photographs also allows for a plastic surgeon to determine the consistency of the patient's goals and allows for a discussion of realistic expectations as well.  
***Needless to say, when it comes to achieving patient satisfaction with the outcome of surgery,  it is very important that a patient has consistent goals (fully decided on what she would like to achieve) and a good understanding of realistic expectations (what outcomes can and cannot be achieved). 
 Best wishes with your decision making and for an outcome that you will be very pleased with.

Unfortunately there are no pictures. You would need a physical exam to determine if you are a candidate for a breast reduction. There are different techniques available. If the nipple areolar complex is above the fold and the breast skin is not loose you may be a candidate for liposuction of your breasts alone. Please note that breast are made up of fat and breast tissue. One can suction out fat but not breast tissue. If you have a lot of breast tissue then you may be a candidate for a formal breast reduction. The underlying breast tissue and fat is excised and if need be the skin is tightened and the nipple areolar complex is elevated to a more youthful height. I utilize the Halpern breast marker which I invented. I incorporate the FINNESSE technique (which I also invented). Bleeding, pain and recovery are minimal when compared to traditional techniques. I hope you find this information useful. Please watch the enclosed video.

Thank you for your question. Yes, it is still possible for you to get a breast reduction. The next step that would be best for you would be to schedule a consultation with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon(s) so they can see you in person and assess your situation for themselves. Good Luck.

I'm afraid that reduction to an A cup is risky in that it will take away most of your shape. An uplift without reduction (or with minor reduction) may be a better solution for you but without some volume there is little shape IMHO.Meet with some local board certified (ABPS) surgeons to discuss your needs based on a physical examination and face to face consultation. Best wishes,Jon A Perlman MD FACS 

Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery 

Member, ASAPS, ASPS

Extreme Makeover Surgeon, ABC TV

Best of Los Angeles Award 2015, 2016 

Beverly Hills, Ca

Hello and thank you for your question.I recommend that you find a board-certified, or board-eligible plastic surgeon with whom you are comfortable. Be sure to have all of your questions answered during a face-to-face meeting with your surgeon, and review before and after pictures of similar patients whom have had this procedure.
If you have any questions, call our office for assistance at (817)484-0169. Good luck!

Best,

Jon Ver Halen, MD FACS

Harvard educated plastic surgeon

Texas “Top Doc”

RealSelf100

America’s Top Plastic Surgeons, Consumer’s Research Council