POSTED UNDER Breast Reduction REVIEWS
Breast Reduction
ORIGINAL POST
Breast Reduction
brandnewbiddiesSeptember 1, 2018
WORTH IT
Quick summary: I had my surgery at 20 years old and just had my 21st a couple weeks ago, so it has only been 3 months since surgery. I was 206 pounds and was wearing a 34DDD cup size. I had a breast reduction and lift on May 7, 2018. My surgeon also reduced the size of my areolas and made them symmetrical to each other. I am now a 34/36 D/C depending on the bra. I’m still trying to figure out what size fits the best. I suggest waiting a while before buying many new bras because you won’t know your size until you are fully healed. Recovery went by fast and the pain was tolerable. I just got the “okay” from my surgeon for my last post op appointment on August 23, 2018, so now I can wear whatever bras I want, go braless, etc. my scars are healing nicely and I absolutely love my breasts. It is probably the best decision I have ever made in my life.
Full summary: I have always hated my breasts ever since they first started to develop. Immediately I noticed that my areolas were different sizes. As a young girl, this was a huge damper on my confidence. I didn’t even let my boyfriend see them for a while because i hated them so much. My senior year of high school, I was a 34 DD or D depending on the bra, but it wasn’t too big of a deal for me. I liked the size and how they looked besides the difference in areola size. I was 150 pounds when I graduated. Moving on to college, I weighed 206 lbs at my highest which was around April/May 2018. My cup size was now 34/36 DDD. Not only did they get bigger, but they became saggier as well. My weight gain and the change in my breasts’ appearance really made me self conscious. I was pretty proud of my body in high school, but going into college and gaining weight, I came to hating my body. I started to talk to my aunt about my options for my breasts because she works as a nurse in plastics. She told me to consider a breast reduction because she was confident that I’d qualify for it. I made an appointment and the surgeon agreed that I qualified for a breast reduction. All that was left was to get my insurance’s approval for them to cover most of it. Eventually my insurance decided that it was medically necessary for me to get the reduction. Before surgery, I had trouble with headaches, back aches, shoulder pain, and pain/tingling in my arms. I had to get my back adjusted frequently due to the pain. To get my insurance to cover it, I had to prove that I had been talking about my pain to my doctors and chiropractor.
Surgery day finally came on May 7, 2018. I went back fairly quickly, an IV was placed, and next thing I knew, I was laying on the table and I was out like a light. When I woke up I was in a hospital room and my surgeon asked if I wanted to see them. Of course I did! (Keep in mind I was high on pain meds and anesthesia still) He let me see and I about broke down crying, but I managed to say, “Oh. My. God. They’re so cute!” My surgeon laughed and said that he doesn’t think he’s had anyone call them cute before. The pain was tolerable and when I started to get uncomfortable, it was already time to get another pain med. I spent the night and was able to go home in the morning. I had two JP drains on both sides, no visible stitches, some medical tape on the incisions, and a surgical bra that I had to wear for a few weeks. The pain was still okay when I got home, I started to ache, but luckily I slept a lot. I don’t usually sleep on my back, but I got used to it and it was easy because the pain meds just knocked me out anyway. The only things that really bothered me were my drains because they used a stitch to keep them in place, so if I moved too far on my side, the tubing would pull and it hurt. My other major complaint was the itching. I was completely numb on both breasts for a couple days, but for some reason, they would itch like crazy! So since they were numb, when I tried to scratch them, I couldn’t feel it. This lasted for only about a day, but oh my god it drove me nuts. I wasn’t able to shower for a few days, but I could feel my hair getting to be too greasy. I had my mom wash my hair because I was unable to lift my arms up very high without it hurting. Showering by myself soon felt like an Olympic sport because my arms would get tired and my breasts would start to ache. After a couple weeks, it was no big deal, but I would definitely have someone help the first couple times!
Recovery got easier and easier every day. My drains were taken out and everything was healing nicely. I did have my incision open up where the incisions come to a “T”, but it’s very normal for that to happen. My surgeon gave me some cream to put on it and it healed about 2 weeks later. Eventually my scars healed up completely and my breasts began to settle and look more natural. I love how my breasts look, this is easily the best decision I have ever made. I had my last post op appointment on August 23, 2018. I can now wear underwire bras if I want to and I can really do whatever.
A few things that I feel like I should mention:
I have feeling in almost my whole breast on both sides. There are a few spots that I am still numb in. I may get feeling in them or they will always stay numb. I have complete feeling on both of my areolas.
Before surgery, I wasn’t able to “nip” because the skin on my breasts wold stretch too much. After surgery, I am now able to nip. I did a little dance the first time that it happened. It’s the little things that can make you happy
My surgeon would prefer me not to breast feed if I decide to have children. He said it can change the shape and I would have the possibility of them growing back to my pre-surgery size. He said that I might not have been able to do so anyway because of my size before surgery, so after surgery, my chances of being able to breast feed are pretty slim. Some people are able to, but I’m not going to try.
I was nervous about the shape of them when they were healing and settling. They looked kind of boxy at first, but they are becoming more round even 3 months+ out.
I have been using a cream called Body Merry Stretch Marks and scars. It has significantly lightened my severe stretch marks and it is helping with my scars too. My scars are currently a purple/red color. I bought the cream on Amazon.
The first time I went clothes shopping after surgery, I cried in the dressing room. I couldn’t believe the change in how clothes fit me. I was finally able to wear crop tops/shorter tops without looking huge. I was happy with how I looked in clothes and I could feel my confidence coming back. Seriously though, it was a big difference. I tried some shirts on that I thought I could never wear pre-surgery and they looked amazing on after surgery. It was just crazy to me how many new styles of shirts that I could try without looking ridiculous.
This was one of my best decisions I have ever made. If you are thinking about getting this surgery, DO IT. The cost was worth it. I will come back to edit this once I look at my pricing total again.
I did drop a couple pounds after surgery, but as you can see in the pictures, just by lifting my breasts and changing the size, it made me look a lot more curvy. My waist looks more defined and that made me really happy. I felt like a blob before surgery, now I’m a blob that has a little bit of a curve to it haha.
The pictures I have included go from high school, to college pre-surgery, and post-surgery. I also included a picture of where my incision came open. (I was 18 when I took the photos in high school).
Full summary: I have always hated my breasts ever since they first started to develop. Immediately I noticed that my areolas were different sizes. As a young girl, this was a huge damper on my confidence. I didn’t even let my boyfriend see them for a while because i hated them so much. My senior year of high school, I was a 34 DD or D depending on the bra, but it wasn’t too big of a deal for me. I liked the size and how they looked besides the difference in areola size. I was 150 pounds when I graduated. Moving on to college, I weighed 206 lbs at my highest which was around April/May 2018. My cup size was now 34/36 DDD. Not only did they get bigger, but they became saggier as well. My weight gain and the change in my breasts’ appearance really made me self conscious. I was pretty proud of my body in high school, but going into college and gaining weight, I came to hating my body. I started to talk to my aunt about my options for my breasts because she works as a nurse in plastics. She told me to consider a breast reduction because she was confident that I’d qualify for it. I made an appointment and the surgeon agreed that I qualified for a breast reduction. All that was left was to get my insurance’s approval for them to cover most of it. Eventually my insurance decided that it was medically necessary for me to get the reduction. Before surgery, I had trouble with headaches, back aches, shoulder pain, and pain/tingling in my arms. I had to get my back adjusted frequently due to the pain. To get my insurance to cover it, I had to prove that I had been talking about my pain to my doctors and chiropractor.
Surgery day finally came on May 7, 2018. I went back fairly quickly, an IV was placed, and next thing I knew, I was laying on the table and I was out like a light. When I woke up I was in a hospital room and my surgeon asked if I wanted to see them. Of course I did! (Keep in mind I was high on pain meds and anesthesia still) He let me see and I about broke down crying, but I managed to say, “Oh. My. God. They’re so cute!” My surgeon laughed and said that he doesn’t think he’s had anyone call them cute before. The pain was tolerable and when I started to get uncomfortable, it was already time to get another pain med. I spent the night and was able to go home in the morning. I had two JP drains on both sides, no visible stitches, some medical tape on the incisions, and a surgical bra that I had to wear for a few weeks. The pain was still okay when I got home, I started to ache, but luckily I slept a lot. I don’t usually sleep on my back, but I got used to it and it was easy because the pain meds just knocked me out anyway. The only things that really bothered me were my drains because they used a stitch to keep them in place, so if I moved too far on my side, the tubing would pull and it hurt. My other major complaint was the itching. I was completely numb on both breasts for a couple days, but for some reason, they would itch like crazy! So since they were numb, when I tried to scratch them, I couldn’t feel it. This lasted for only about a day, but oh my god it drove me nuts. I wasn’t able to shower for a few days, but I could feel my hair getting to be too greasy. I had my mom wash my hair because I was unable to lift my arms up very high without it hurting. Showering by myself soon felt like an Olympic sport because my arms would get tired and my breasts would start to ache. After a couple weeks, it was no big deal, but I would definitely have someone help the first couple times!
Recovery got easier and easier every day. My drains were taken out and everything was healing nicely. I did have my incision open up where the incisions come to a “T”, but it’s very normal for that to happen. My surgeon gave me some cream to put on it and it healed about 2 weeks later. Eventually my scars healed up completely and my breasts began to settle and look more natural. I love how my breasts look, this is easily the best decision I have ever made. I had my last post op appointment on August 23, 2018. I can now wear underwire bras if I want to and I can really do whatever.
A few things that I feel like I should mention:
I have feeling in almost my whole breast on both sides. There are a few spots that I am still numb in. I may get feeling in them or they will always stay numb. I have complete feeling on both of my areolas.
Before surgery, I wasn’t able to “nip” because the skin on my breasts wold stretch too much. After surgery, I am now able to nip. I did a little dance the first time that it happened. It’s the little things that can make you happy
My surgeon would prefer me not to breast feed if I decide to have children. He said it can change the shape and I would have the possibility of them growing back to my pre-surgery size. He said that I might not have been able to do so anyway because of my size before surgery, so after surgery, my chances of being able to breast feed are pretty slim. Some people are able to, but I’m not going to try.
I was nervous about the shape of them when they were healing and settling. They looked kind of boxy at first, but they are becoming more round even 3 months+ out.
I have been using a cream called Body Merry Stretch Marks and scars. It has significantly lightened my severe stretch marks and it is helping with my scars too. My scars are currently a purple/red color. I bought the cream on Amazon.
The first time I went clothes shopping after surgery, I cried in the dressing room. I couldn’t believe the change in how clothes fit me. I was finally able to wear crop tops/shorter tops without looking huge. I was happy with how I looked in clothes and I could feel my confidence coming back. Seriously though, it was a big difference. I tried some shirts on that I thought I could never wear pre-surgery and they looked amazing on after surgery. It was just crazy to me how many new styles of shirts that I could try without looking ridiculous.
This was one of my best decisions I have ever made. If you are thinking about getting this surgery, DO IT. The cost was worth it. I will come back to edit this once I look at my pricing total again.
I did drop a couple pounds after surgery, but as you can see in the pictures, just by lifting my breasts and changing the size, it made me look a lot more curvy. My waist looks more defined and that made me really happy. I felt like a blob before surgery, now I’m a blob that has a little bit of a curve to it haha.
The pictures I have included go from high school, to college pre-surgery, and post-surgery. I also included a picture of where my incision came open. (I was 18 when I took the photos in high school).
brandnewbiddies's provider
UPDATED FROM brandnewbiddies
6 months post
6 MONTH UPDATE
brandnewbiddiesNovember 13, 2018
Wow, I can't believe it's been 6 months already! I have lost around 15 pounds since surgery and I am now getting the confidence to wear tighter shirts once again. This surgery is still one of my best decisions that I have ever made. Please, please please, if you are considering this surgery, go talk to a specialist to see if it's right for you! It totally changed my attitude towards my body and changed my mood in general. Growing up, I hated my breasts, I hated them. Even when they first started to develop, I already noticed that my areolas were different sizes and that my boobs seemed to be saggier than other people's. I never thought that I'd ever be able to say that I love my breasts. I love them! How crazy is that? The one thing I hated on my body for most of my life is now one of my favorite things about myself.
I included pictures, just be aware that my breasts are pretty symmetrical and so are my areolas, they just look somewhat different from each other since I am lifting my arm up to take a picture. I didn't have anyone to take a picture for me to show what they look like at a "resting" state. I only have noticeable scarring around my right areola, but you can't see it that well in the pictures. It has a light pink ring around it while my left one has practically no scarring at all. The scarring under my breasts are looking fantastic and now have a more tan/pink color to them as well as the ones that are running vertically from my areola to the bottom of my breast. The vertical incisions are now looking more like weird stretch marks than anything.
Just some extra things, I am still gaining sensation back in places of my breasts. Some areas are still completely numb, while there are others that are back to normal, but there are also places where I seem to be hypersensitive. I have almost full sensation back in my areolas/nipples and most of the top of my breasts have sensation as well. The areas where I am hypersensitive are around my areolas. The places that I am still pretty numb is more towards the incisions at the bottom of my breast and I have no sensation at all where my incision extends back towards my ribcage/under my armpit. That area is where I had my JP drains, so a lot of nerves were messed with around there. Keep in mind that I could gain sensation back anywhere from months to years after surgery. Like I said, I am still finding new places that I can finally feel instead of them being numb. However, there are some places that might be numb for the rest of my life. A common place that some people will always stay numb at would be the areolas/nipples. Please do not let the chance of numbness deter you from getting this surgery. I promise you that it is so worth it!
Another thing, I put lotion on my breasts nearly every day, this helps keep stretch marks away and helps scars heal faster. I mentioned it in my original post, but I used Body Merry Stretch Marks and Scars cream. That stuff is like magic in a jar, let me tell you. I have severe stretch marks and they have almost vanished. Stretch marks are a tear in the layers of your skin, that has to heal by itself, cream cannot heal that, but the cream has lightened the appearance of the stretch marks. Not only has it helped my stretch marks, but I believe that it has definitely helped lighten my scars as well! You can find this cream on Amazon!
And another thing, I used to rejoice when I would come home and whip my bra off, but now I have a bra on almost all the time. 90% of the time I will have a bra on, including while I'm sleeping. It's kind of uncomfortable to not have a bra on now, it almost pulls and makes my breasts feel heavy without one. If I don't wear one over night, my breasts can feel really tender and sore. It is recommended to frequently have a bra on for a few months after surgery just so your breasts can heal and form to a shape that you desire. Side note, I can sleep on my stomach all I want without my breasts hurting, even with a bra on.
(TMI Warning/Sexual-ish) Last thing, kind of a weird thing to mention, but hey, one of you might have this question. So if you like to or like to have someone else massage your breasts, your breasts will still be tender even months out. Here I am 6 months out and I can barely squeeze/massage them without being in pain. (I don't mean squeezing as in hard squeezing) I'm not talking about "good pain" or just uncomfortable, I'm talking about it actually hurting where I have to tell my boyfriend to stop and do it lighter. I used to really like the feeling before surgery and I would never be in pain, but now even lightly doing it can make my breasts hurt.
*End of TMI paragraph*
Okay, I'm done blabbering! Feel free to message me with any questions and I will be happy to help. Good luck to anyone who wants to begin this journey and for those who are just looking into this, I hope this helps you!
I included pictures, just be aware that my breasts are pretty symmetrical and so are my areolas, they just look somewhat different from each other since I am lifting my arm up to take a picture. I didn't have anyone to take a picture for me to show what they look like at a "resting" state. I only have noticeable scarring around my right areola, but you can't see it that well in the pictures. It has a light pink ring around it while my left one has practically no scarring at all. The scarring under my breasts are looking fantastic and now have a more tan/pink color to them as well as the ones that are running vertically from my areola to the bottom of my breast. The vertical incisions are now looking more like weird stretch marks than anything.
Just some extra things, I am still gaining sensation back in places of my breasts. Some areas are still completely numb, while there are others that are back to normal, but there are also places where I seem to be hypersensitive. I have almost full sensation back in my areolas/nipples and most of the top of my breasts have sensation as well. The areas where I am hypersensitive are around my areolas. The places that I am still pretty numb is more towards the incisions at the bottom of my breast and I have no sensation at all where my incision extends back towards my ribcage/under my armpit. That area is where I had my JP drains, so a lot of nerves were messed with around there. Keep in mind that I could gain sensation back anywhere from months to years after surgery. Like I said, I am still finding new places that I can finally feel instead of them being numb. However, there are some places that might be numb for the rest of my life. A common place that some people will always stay numb at would be the areolas/nipples. Please do not let the chance of numbness deter you from getting this surgery. I promise you that it is so worth it!
Another thing, I put lotion on my breasts nearly every day, this helps keep stretch marks away and helps scars heal faster. I mentioned it in my original post, but I used Body Merry Stretch Marks and Scars cream. That stuff is like magic in a jar, let me tell you. I have severe stretch marks and they have almost vanished. Stretch marks are a tear in the layers of your skin, that has to heal by itself, cream cannot heal that, but the cream has lightened the appearance of the stretch marks. Not only has it helped my stretch marks, but I believe that it has definitely helped lighten my scars as well! You can find this cream on Amazon!
And another thing, I used to rejoice when I would come home and whip my bra off, but now I have a bra on almost all the time. 90% of the time I will have a bra on, including while I'm sleeping. It's kind of uncomfortable to not have a bra on now, it almost pulls and makes my breasts feel heavy without one. If I don't wear one over night, my breasts can feel really tender and sore. It is recommended to frequently have a bra on for a few months after surgery just so your breasts can heal and form to a shape that you desire. Side note, I can sleep on my stomach all I want without my breasts hurting, even with a bra on.
(TMI Warning/Sexual-ish) Last thing, kind of a weird thing to mention, but hey, one of you might have this question. So if you like to or like to have someone else massage your breasts, your breasts will still be tender even months out. Here I am 6 months out and I can barely squeeze/massage them without being in pain. (I don't mean squeezing as in hard squeezing) I'm not talking about "good pain" or just uncomfortable, I'm talking about it actually hurting where I have to tell my boyfriend to stop and do it lighter. I used to really like the feeling before surgery and I would never be in pain, but now even lightly doing it can make my breasts hurt.
*End of TMI paragraph*
Okay, I'm done blabbering! Feel free to message me with any questions and I will be happy to help. Good luck to anyone who wants to begin this journey and for those who are just looking into this, I hope this helps you!
Replies (2)
October 21, 2019
Have you found losing the weight has made your breasts sag at all? I’ve
Had the surgery and need to lose weight but I’m petrified they are going to go ugly again!
October 21, 2019
I haven't noticed any sagging! I don't see why they'd sag, but I'd look more into it, I don't want to tell you the wrong thing. :)
UPDATED FROM brandnewbiddies
7 months post
Update About Sensations
brandnewbiddiesDecember 30, 2018
Hi, everyone! I know I updated last month, but I have had a big change happen with touch/sensations.
Last month I talked about how I couldn’t really massage my breasts without being in a lot of pain. I now can do it with little to no pain at all even when I do it harder. It’s amazing what can happen in just one month! I am also gaining back more sense of touch in some parts. I am still numb around my armpit area and where my incisions are, but that’s okay.
Another thing, I have lost almost 30 pounds since May, which is absolutely insane. It has not changed the shape of my breasts which I was a little worried about. However, I am constantly changing the length of my straps and going to a new hook on my bra band to make it tighter. I’m beginning to think I might need to go down a cup size. I’m currently wearing a 36D, but I think I could get away with going to a 36C. If I continue to lose weight and get back to my starting weight, I imagine I’ll be around a 34 or 36C.
Alright, that’s all I got for this update. I’ve also included pictures once again! The pictures show how my scars are looking underneath my breasts as well as around my areolas. Both of the scars around my areolas have lightened too. Also, there is a red mark on my chest, but it’s just from accidentally scratching myself before taking the pictures.
Last month I talked about how I couldn’t really massage my breasts without being in a lot of pain. I now can do it with little to no pain at all even when I do it harder. It’s amazing what can happen in just one month! I am also gaining back more sense of touch in some parts. I am still numb around my armpit area and where my incisions are, but that’s okay.
Another thing, I have lost almost 30 pounds since May, which is absolutely insane. It has not changed the shape of my breasts which I was a little worried about. However, I am constantly changing the length of my straps and going to a new hook on my bra band to make it tighter. I’m beginning to think I might need to go down a cup size. I’m currently wearing a 36D, but I think I could get away with going to a 36C. If I continue to lose weight and get back to my starting weight, I imagine I’ll be around a 34 or 36C.
Alright, that’s all I got for this update. I’ve also included pictures once again! The pictures show how my scars are looking underneath my breasts as well as around my areolas. Both of the scars around my areolas have lightened too. Also, there is a red mark on my chest, but it’s just from accidentally scratching myself before taking the pictures.
Replies (5)