Breast Reduction: Info, Prices, Photos, Reviews, Q&A

Unfortunately there is no such thing as scarless breast reduction.

Depending on how much tissue needs removed, the minimal will be liposuction but is possible this would not be the best procedure for you depending on the amount of reduction needed to get the benefit of the surgery (help with neck/back pain). (Roberto Gonzalez, MD, Scottsdale Plastic Surgeon)

If you leave your breasts alone they will continue to sag as you age. If your breasts are large, a certain size scar is needed to be able to achieve a nice size and shape to your desire.

Half of the incision is hidden under the breast, the scar that is most visible is called the “lollipop scar”, this is around your nipple and straight down. Usually after a year, this scar is very hard to notice.

If it is noticeable, a scar revision can be accomplished to thin the scar out. Things to consider when you have very large breast, the breast puts more tension on our neck and back causing pain as we age! (Maria M. LoTempio, MD, FACS, New York Plastic Surgeon)

Unfortunately, there is no definite way to avoid scarring. There certainly are ways you can improve the appearance of your scarring. In our office, we recommend to our patients Embrace which is a silicone sheeting that helps the healing process and minimizes the appearance of scars.

Additionally, a Board Certified surgeon who has experience and uses careful suturing techniques will often have a better aesthetic outcome.

Always follow your surgeon’s post-operative instructions. (David R. Broadway, MD, Denver Plastic Surgeon)

Scars and breast surgery

If you have excess skin or large breasts, scar must be a consecuence of changing the shape of your breasts, this scars sometimes are not so noticeable as been hidden in the breast sulcus. (Kemil Issa, MD, Dominican Republic Plastic Surgeon)

Miricles can happen, but a breast reduction, especially to reduce you will leave scars. See more than one plastic surgeon, but you will at least have a scar around your nipple, down to the infra-mammary line and usually under the breast.

Although these scars are permanent, breast reduction patients are usually quite happy after surgery, in spite of their scars. (William B. Rosenblatt, MD, New York Plastic Surgeon)

Avoiding scars in breast reduction surgery

Unfortunately scarless approach is not compatible with a proper breast reduction procedure. It is a necessary tradeoff that one has to accept should the patient desires to have an effective breast reduction procedure. There are however some less invasive approach for consideration e.g.. liposuction for a small reduction or reshaping, but by en large scars will be required in order for a suitable amount of breast tissue to be resected and reshaped in a breast reduction procedure.

Depending on breast skin quality, patient preference and surgeon’s experience, there are however certain “limited scar” technique in a breast reduction procedure. They either involve a “lollipop” scar pattern or an “anchor” scar pattern depending on each specific case requirement.

Scar implications certainly is an important consideration especially for the younger females considering breast reduction procedure along with potential impact on breast feeding ability and nipple sensitivity.

Certain surgical technique can minimise the occurrence of these complications but patients in general will need to accept possibility of these implications.

Scar quality is also more important than scar quantity and while there are ways to optimise the healing & scarring process, you’ll need to be realistic of what’s involved in the overall recovery experience. (Ellis Choy, FRACS(Plast), Sydney Plastic Surgeon)

Reducing scars

Breast reduction surgery will always involve a scar around the nipples at the very least. There is a central mound technique of breast reduction surgery which only leaves a scar around the nipple (circumareolar), but this only really works for small reductions.

As a FF size a circumareolar reduction is unlikely to be appropriate, but you could find a surgeon offering a vertical scar technique which would leave you with a lollipop shaped scar (a scar around the nipple and then down to the breast fold).

Normally a small horizontal scar along your breast fold is required, so the eventual scar is “L” or “J” shaped, but still less than the anchor shaped scar of standard breast reduction surgery. On the down side I do find that small tidy up operations for dogears are more common after vertical scar breast reductions, but worth it in the long run for reduced scarring. (Anthony Barabas, MBBS, Cambridge Plastic Surgeon)

Breast reduction is often possible with shorter scars

Most often in our practice we use a short scar technique in breast reduction and this procedure may work well for your breast reduction. With breast reduction a scar line will be necessary around the nipple.

This allows some adjustment of the size of the areola if needed and a lift of the nipple higher up on the breast.

After reducing the breast the excess skin is trimmed vertically down to the fold under the breast, what my patients call a “lollipop” scar.

The short scar reduction prevents the anchor scar which extends onto the chest or cleavage area, and the scar out on the side of the breast and chest. Even with an F cup size the short scar reduction may be right for you.

Younger patients with better skin elasticity and less droop to the breast particulary do well with this technique. Another advantage of short scar reduction is the more rapid recovery, usually about a week, and the ability to complete breast reduction without a hospital stay.

All of our patients go home from the office or the surgical facility the same day. Of course your personal healing and skin type will determine the eventual scar quality but we believe less is more. (Peter E. Johnson, MD, Chicago Plastic Surgeon)

There are many things that can be done to minimize the scars. You can reduce the breasts with Liposuction using only very small scars. The trade, however, is that the breasts will sag in proportion to how much you reduce the breast. To reduce the breast and set it up a minimum of a scar around the areola and one either from the areola to the chest or one under the breast is required.

This is less than what we used to do. Other modifications in closure technique (such as using a “dermal bra” and sutures that remain in buried place until adequate scar has developed) can also improve the scars.

The only way to decide what to do is to talk with an experienced Plastic Surgeon who has several methods at his/her disposal to achieve what you desire. (Robert T. Buchanan, MD, Highlands Plastic Surgeon)

If your heavy breasts are impacting on your life and day to day activities, cause you pain, discomfort, in you back, posture problems, limit your daily activities, then I understand your concerns and I acknowledge that all these symptoms can be alleviated by breast reduction.

A “scarless” procedure would be liposuction, in selected cases, with reduction of up to 1-2 cup sizes.

Sometimes in young breasts with good skin elasticity the sogginess is not a problem either. So if you are suitable, it might be a good solution for while, reduces your burden, then you have children, breastfeed or not, but consider another reshaping if need be, as I suspect that the degree of droopiness will be more significant by that stage.

However, for more significant reduction, you need to consider scars. Like with any procedure, the important things to consider are not only scars, but shape and stability of the result. As some scars, especially on the breasts, tend to settle really well, with little visibility.

A good nice feminine shape are equally important. It would be worth having a consultation and discuss the concerns honestly with your surgeon and take a decision based on a specialist response, as although we cannot predict the future, we can have a pretty good idea about what would be expected. (Carmen Munteanu, MD, FRACS, Melbourne Plastic Surgeon)

If you have very good skin and a more fatty breast, then liposuction may help, but this is limited in results and does not lift the nipples or droopy breast.

Otherwise scars are necessary, but are almost universally acceptable to patients who have this surgery.

Your surgeon should institute a scar management program after surgery to maximise your scar quality. (Steve Merten, FRACS, Sydney Plastic Surgeon)

Scarless surgery is not possible (yet)

Unfortunately, there’s no way to reduce or lift your breasts without scars. Fortunately, most women heal quite well and after time they fade and most women who have large uncomfortable breasts are quite happy with the tradeoff.

Your genetics, how your surgery is done and what you do after the procedure all impact your scars. Your board certified plastic surgeon can inform you best of these issues. (Matthew H. Conrad, MD, Wichita Plastic Surgeon)