How Long Does Breast Reduction Last?

If you have especially large breasts that are not in proportion to your body, you may be curious about breast reduction surgery. The experts at Ghavami Plastic Surgery have helped many thankful patients to reduce chronic pain and unsolicited attention from strangers. Best of all, the results achieved with breast reduction are long-lasting. Here, Dr. Ashkan Ghavami shares just how permanent breast reduction results are.

Breast Reduction Is Indeed Permanent for Nearly All Patients

During breast reduction surgery, Dr. Ghavami makes surgical incisions (usually placed around the areola and along the breast crease) to remove the patient’s desired amount of breast tissue. Because breast tissue is highly unlikely to grow back, the results from the surgery are considered permanent. Unlike with other breast procedures where surgery is recommended every 10 years or so to maintain the results (such as breast lift or breast revision to remove and replace older breast implants), breast reduction patients can enjoy the downsized volume of their breasts for the rest of their lives.

Most documented cases of breast tissue growth after breast reduction surgery occur when a young woman opted to have surgery before her breasts had completely developed. Therefore, Dr. Ghavami recommends that women wait until they have finished puberty to have breast reduction — or any other cosmetic breast surgery.

Occasions When the Breasts May Re-Enlarge

Former breast reduction patients who gain a significant amount of weight can see their breasts grow again. Breasts are largely comprised of fat, so new fat is likely to be stored there as it is distributed throughout the body.

Pregnant women also experience breast growth. By the second trimester, new tissue has developed in the breasts to prepare for nursing. Their breasts will remain larger until the baby is no longer breastfeeding. While the breasts shrink after weening, they may not return to their exact prior size.

Hormonal fluctuations are also sometimes responsible for breast growth. Factors like menopause and medication use can prompt this change.

However, the Lifting Effect Is Not Permanent

When women reduce the volume of their breasts, they want to ensure that their breasts maintain an appealing appearance after. For that reason, every breast reduction surgery that Dr. Ghavami performs incorporates elements of breast lift. Larger breasts are more vulnerable to gravity and are covered by more skin. Without removing the loose skin and elevating the breasts, a woman’s new breasts would sag.

Although a woman’s breast volume should remain similar as she gets older, the same is less likely to be true about the elevation of her breasts. Whether or not a woman has had a cosmetic breast procedure, her breasts will inevitably begin to sag when her skin becomes less firm. If this becomes a cosmetic concern for her later, she may choose to have breast lift to rejuvenate the position of her breasts.

Meet with Dr. Ghavami

To downsize your breasts without sacrificing a beautiful shape and youthful elevation, choose a premier plastic surgeon like Dr. Ghavami to perform your breast reduction. To schedule a consultation, please call (310) 275-1959 today.