Elective Mastectomy

[Fromwetome]

I am 38 and have size 36K boobs. The size of my boobs have altered the trajectory of my life since I was about 14 and I found my self giving up on a promising career in women's football because by age 16 I was in a G cup and nothing worked to keep them supported and minimised. For years I have wanted reduction surgery, this is the first time my credit score has been good enough to get them done on medical finance. After years of research however I know the success of this surgery is pretty poor, with any amount of breast tissue left, if you are genetically predisposed to large breasts you can't really fight your DNA and the boobs will grow back. I've seen this first hand with an old girl friend and I've read about it a lot on forums.

So here's where it gets wild. I don't want a reduction I want a mastectomy. I have zero love for my boobs, I hate them and their size and how restricted my life has been due to them. Swimming is the only exercise I can do with any real benefit because anything else exerting my boobs bounce and really hurt. I need to wear x2 sports bras for support. I have chronic upper back pain, I get recurring intertrigo under my breasts that is always being treated in some which way and no matter how fastidious I am with cleaning under my breasts it only takes a few hours of sweat and it's back. It's almost a chronic condition. I look stupid in clothes I want to wear and without a bra they are down to my navel. I HATE them. I have zero chance of needing them as I'm not able to have kids so why live my life with these massive bags of skin disfiguring me.

AIBU? Or should it be my choice. I would have a reconstruction afterwards but only a B/C cup. Very small.

I’m interested in replies because I’ve been thinking the same lately. I had a reduction about 20 years ago, but have since gained weight and the boobs are back with a vengeance. I actually and actively hate them. I’m considering another reduction but tbh, would just like them to be gone entirely.

No one can make this decision for you. It sounds like you’ve already made your mind up. I’ve done a quick Google though (I’m sure you know far more than me about the statistics), and according to the few articles I’ve read, the changes of an increase of breast size after a reduction is extremely slim. And the rare occasions it happens it’s usually caused by pregnancy, weight gain and medication. Personally I’d try a reduction before completely cutting my breasts off.

That's how I feel! It seems that culturally it's a bit taboo to remove your breasts and all the spin on body positivity "love yourself warts and all" but I have no love for these things. They are ugly, shapeless and painful! I don't even feel feminine with my boobs because they are so abnormally big.

interesting that you have had a reduction once before with no long lasting effect.

How long did you have with your smaller size before they came back?

I would have to lose weight for this surgery, to know exactly what I'm working with.

Do it. YANBU. I am 20 years older than you and have only one regret in life and it not having surgery. Contrary to popular opinion big breasts don’t shrivel up as you get older- they continue getting bigger.
I’ve had posts deleted for saying I hate my breasts and wish they weren’t there but I genuinely honestly do.

@User13579367337 I have made my mind up, but without biting the bullet and making enquiries I don't know if it's even a thing? I wanted to attract maybe some posters who have experience with it. Or even know more about if it's possible. It's not something I have come across in my research so it's hard to even know where to start. Most women talk about going down 2 cup sizes at the most. Virtually nothing about a full removal, unless I go down the route of asking trans people but this is not what it's about at all.

@notangelinajolie I feel like I'm in good company here! I don't want my boobs to get any bigger! I really don't but you are right, as I get older my cup size is increasing and it's ridiculous.

It's such a taboo topic and there isn't much out there for women who have no desire to have big boobs. It's the other way around.

I’ve come across it with a minute of research. You can get a reduction with a slim chance of any tissue growing back. You can get various mastectomy’s with slim to no chances of tissue growing back, depending on the method. If the mastectomy leaves no breast tissue behind then there’s none left to regrow. Even after a full mastectomy you can undergo a reconstruction and have small false breasts which will never grow