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Original poster

Are you a medical professional? Breast reduction for teen

68 replies

Whatwouldnanado · 20/08/2023 09:16

My gorgeous, intelligent daughter has decided she needs surgery to reduce the size of her breasts. In a year she has gone from 32E to 36F. Hates not finding clothes to fit and says she has back and shoulder pain.
She says she has felt awkward about having bigger boobs than her friends for years.
She is nearly 19, andit’s her body her choice but I want her to explore alternatives before she goes down the route of an operation.
Is this usually suggested by doctors before surgery?
Being something completely new to me I did some research and found a medically based website on the subject with masses of suggestions to help herself through diet and exercise. This was rejected as criticism of her weight.
Before going to university she attended three dance classes a week. At home we’ve always had a normal healthy diet, home cooking, lots of fruit and veg available etc. No big deal. We are all naturally slim I suppose, her dad and I enjoy walking together at the weekend. he rides a bike and I do yoga.
At university she caters for herself, and when she’s home she joins us for some meals when she’s not working etc.
Anyone who knows her can see that she has put on weight all over. She is tired all the time too. She wanted me to accompany her to a doctors appointment where she lied and said there was no other weight gain. It’s as though she wants a quick fix.
After one or two questions they referred her to a NHS clinic.
I understand there will be a waiting list.

OP posts:
SuperSange · 20/08/2023 09:30

I'll be honest, there might not be a waiting list; it might be a flat no, as I had a few months ago. And I'm much larger chested than she is. It depends where you live. Our GP's won't even refer you anymore, they say the CPC(?) turn everyone down.

SuperSange · 20/08/2023 09:33

Is it a weight loss clinic they've referred her to? If it is, they know it's her general weight and not just breasts growth. I totally understand that she is sensitive about the weight gain, but the doctors will see it.

helpmum2003 · 20/08/2023 09:34

It may be worth looking at the Boob or Bust Facebook page. It has a measuring system that leads to much better fitting bras. This can help with backache etc.

Interested in this thread?

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General health
WunWun · 20/08/2023 09:35

The back measurement seems to have gone up a lot in a year. Has she put on a lot of weight?

StillWantingADog · 20/08/2023 09:36

My friend is much older but also wants breast reduction- IMO she’d be a great candidate but virtually nothing is done on the nhs these days (she’d know, she’s an nhs doctor!). She’s saving privately. The cheaper (not necessarily better) option is to go to Turkey, obviously that’s not something to be taken lightly.

sounds like general weight loss is a better (initial) plan for your dd, but of course she needs to realise that herself first

Gettingbysomehow · 20/08/2023 09:39

I had a breast reduction at 21 and also worked for what was then BUPA. I've never regretted my surgery and I'm 61. However she MUST be slim prior to the surgery or she will have a very poor result after surgery.

RachelsHere · 20/08/2023 09:40

I can't see an eighteen year old who is overweight getting a reduction on the NHS. If she was my dd I would tell her to make an appointment at the GP and see what they say. Although at my GP you can't get an appointment for love nor money!

I've always had massive boobs and they are a pain, but you do get used to what clothes you can and can't wear, the same as anyone with any body type. I have to get all my jeans taken up because I'm short but I wouldn't want to get those pins in my shins to become taller.

On the one hand you don't want to dismiss how she feels about her body but on the other hand that's her body and she has the ability to change it without medical intervention by losing weight - it's very difficult. I've got a nineteen year old dd too.

welshweasel · 20/08/2023 09:42

If those sizes are correct then she does not have particularly large breasts and if she loses weight will likely return to her previous size. If she's really a 36 back size (get her to measure using BoB) then she's definitely going to be far too overweight to qualify for a reduction. Most surgeons wouldn't operate on someone so young either.

Get her to measure herself and get some decent fitting bras as a first port of call.

welshweasel · 20/08/2023 09:43

Oh and she absolutely won't qualify on the NHS.

Emmylou22 · 20/08/2023 09:45

Get her properly fitted at Bravissimo. They will find her correct size and suggest a bra that will properly support her boobs.

NeverDropYourMooncup · 20/08/2023 09:50

She's likely to receive a quite blunt refusal from the NHS, as it does sound like the majority of the increase this year has been due to putting on a couple of stone (it's what 2" represents to me - 1 stone) if not more with the increased cup size.

Efacsen · 20/08/2023 09:57

If she gets an appt with the breast clinic/plastic surgeons they will ask her to lose weight as the first intervention

It won't matter if she's gained the weight recently or not

Maybe be better to hear that from them rather than anyone else?

SoupDragon · 20/08/2023 10:07

If her band size has gone from a 32 to 36 then it is surely down to weight gain rather than breasts. A reduction won't help there.

fettuccini · 20/08/2023 10:10

I've no help with the reduction as I wasn't aware this was offered on the NHS routinely anymore. But 32E to a 36F!? Are you sure? She needs to get properly measured as that is a very alarming size to go up. Chances are, unless she's morbidly obese, she's wearing the wrong size bra, she probably needs to go down a few bands and up a few cups. I'm a size 14 to 16 and I'm a 30HH.

Original poster
Whatwouldnanado · 20/08/2023 10:11

Thanks for all the responses. She was measured and bought new bras just yesterday.
To be honest I was astounded at the lack of care.

I suppose I just wanted someone else to tell her to watch what she eats and get more exercise.

OP posts:
MoonriseKingdom · 20/08/2023 11:22

You can look up the criteria where you live but locally to me you need to be at least a G cup with a BMI under 25 and not seen improvement in symptoms after correct fitting. This is just the first hurdle to get assessed for possible surgery. I suspect the referral will be rejected. I wonder if the GP was avoiding discussing weight with a teenager who is obviously already unhappy with their body but if her BMI is above 25 this is the best place to start.

Westfacing · 20/08/2023 12:08

I speak as a retired nurse and having had a reduction and uplift when I was about 41, some 25 years ago.

How much weight has your daughter gained?

Breast tissue is mainly fatty tissue so the fatter I was the bigger my breasts were - when slimmer my breasts were saggy. Your daughter is very young and really should try and lose the weight as her breasts will reduce.

A friend's daughter is mid-30s - she was always a bit overweight with large breasts and during Covid gained even more, weight and breast size. She tackled it head on by cutting out alcohol completely and increasing exercise - is now a normal weight with appropriately-sized breasts.

I once nursed a 21 year old who was a couple of stone overweight and had breast reduction privately - couldn't help but think it was the wrong course of action at that time but could see her desire for a quick fix.

Wishing your daughter well and hope she manages to address the real problem which is her weight gain.

Zaaarrr · 20/08/2023 12:25

I suppose I just wanted someone else to tell her to watch what she eats and get more exercise.

Do you mean you wanted the woman who was measuring her to tell her to loose weight? If so, that isn't going to happen!

She probably knows she's put on a lot of weight anyway. I have teenagers and I talk about food and weight in the same ways as I would most other things.
If you don't revise for your A levels you won't get in to York University.
If you eat Macdonalds and don't exercise, you will put on weight.

OwlBasket · 20/08/2023 12:34

Where was she fitted op? To go from a 32E to a 36F is unusual, if she’s put on enough weight to go up two band sizes a significant increase in cup size would be usual.

cherrypied · 20/08/2023 12:39

Whats her BMI and dress size (reference to BOB sizing- usually dress size pluse 20 equals band size). I know you say she but on weight but if she was very slim in the first place she might not be overweight, it may seem like it to you

When you say astounded by the lack of care- who from?

Im a 36 E- size 18 for reference and BMI 30 ish!

johnnydeppsslipper · 20/08/2023 12:46

@Whatwouldnanado

What body size and height is she?

One of my dd is very petite in height and at one point was in a 12-14 and her boobs were very very heavy big and uncomfortable

With some excercise and gym work she lost abit of weight and toned however her boobs shrank and she is now in a b cup and is far more comfortable

ArcticSkewer · 20/08/2023 12:46

Her body, her money, her choice. She better start saving up as this is not going to be covered by the NHS. Ozempic would be a lot cheaper

Original poster
Whatwouldnanado · 20/08/2023 14:58

Thank you for your understanding replies. Of course no expectation of bra fitter to talk to her!
She was a size 8-10 hourglass shape, about 5’5”. Now she’s 12-14 trousers and tops. It’s a significant change for her, shows in her face, upper arms, hips etc. If she was happy with herself I wouldn’t worry, her body her choice etc but she’s not!
I am simply very surprised that the doctor did not talk to her about the process, any prep she would be expected to do. She wasn’t weighed, examined in any way just waved through and told she would be referred.
Am I right then, that someone will talk to her at the clinic?

OP posts:
lking12 · 20/08/2023 15:11

I think having large boobs does make you look bigger unless you wear quite fitted tight clothes. It could be she knows she looks big and has fixated on her boobs as more of a cause!

i’d say a size 14 is probably at best borderline BMI under 25? (I was a size 12-14 at 5”8 and BMI was 24). I’d be surprised if breast reduction surgery is done on the nhs at all now, if she has a high BMI or even in the high side of a normal range she might be asked to reduce before she’d be considered to see if weight loss has an impact.
Even then I think they’d delay anything as she’s quite young in case they grow further or possibly they may say wait until she’s had children. They’ll delay and refuse a lot now.

Finally I’d say thats not a massive cup size tbh.

I wouldn’t worry really don’t see the NHS paying out for this anytime soon.