IAmAn 18-year-old girl who had a breast reduction 6 months ago. I'm back with progress photos and here to answer anything you want to know. AMA

Point out something really obvious.

You're a master of editing.

Point out something even more obvious.

Your username is a reference to masturbation.

You really are incredibly brave! And this is such an awesome thing that you're doing, posting this. I'm sure it will help to keep other young women abreast of the issue.

It's unfortunate that insurance wouldn't cover something like this. It's obviously going to prevent many future issues for you.

I enjoy the pun usage.

And thank you. I hope to help others.

No being creepy but they definitely look better! Perkier and such.

Thank you!

I just want to say, this is the first breast reduction photo I've ever seen where I liked that "after" better. You have forever changed my view of breasts.

That's what I like to hear!

Thank you!

Maybe being a little creepy but those scars are cool as hell.

Thanks! I think so as well!

Not trying to be creepy but I hope you're happy with the choice you made. I'm not gonna assume it was a brave one (because I've never owned a pair of breasts) but if you're glad, I'm happy for you.

Basically, you go girl.

I'm incredibly glad! Thank you!

Confused. Those don't look like G's and they don't look like D's in the after. I wear D's and they look bigger than either of your shots.

You could be wearing the wrong size.

This is incredibly common

Source: I once went into a Victoria's Secret with my girlfriend

But no, really, my girlfriend thought she was a B-cup, but was professionally measured and ended up being a full C-cup. Her friend thought she was a D-cup, nope, wayyy bigger. The lady measuring them said it was very common for girls to get cup-sizes that are too small for various reasons, and it generally leads to problems. Apparently many girls (and guys) enjoy breasts to be spilling out of bras. Most Victoria's Secret models you see posing are in too small size of a bra as well. Go figure.

Other metrics besides cup-size are also wrong quite often. 14 Signs You're Wearing The Wrong Bra Size, and one more.

This.

And Victoria's secret tried to put me in a 36DD which was painfully small, and they wouldn't help me or tell me to go somewhere else.

Nordstrom bra fitters know their stuff.

They do indeed!

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I appreciate your honesty and devotion.

I can see you are from the internets with the high tolerance to creepyness and wtfness.

Indeed. I'm used to internet creeps.

Going on a limb here, but I'm sure most people aren't actually creeps. Being a dick on the internet is just too easy (and fun). Can't take things too personal or serious.

That being said, nice tits. the after photos look perkier. Nice work on them. And yes, I was looking for the blue link first. That's why we're all here. ʘ‿ʘ

I know. They're just messing around. I don't take it too seriously.

And thank you. I'm incredibly happy. And blue links are amazing.

Nothing to do with nakedness but you are pretty awesome for responding so well to fishyguy13s in such a manner.

Eh, I can't control what people do with the pictures. Guys can get boners or urges for no reason. I think people could masturbate to anything successfully if they use their imagination.

Ouch that looks painful. Does this surgery effect your ability to produce breast milk if you decide to have kids?

It really wasn't too painful.

And it's really a 50/50 shot, but I hope I can. I know it's best to breastfeed children. I have hope that I can, but I won't know until I try.

50% x 2 = 100%(virtually)

no... the chance of success is 75%

:D

If you can't, don't get discouraged. It is okay to breastfeed, but it is also okay NOT to breastfeed. Do not let anyone shame you for formula feeding, if that is what you end up having to do.

My sister's sister-in-law had a breast reduction and she ended up not being able to breastfeed. She felt HORRIBLE about it, and it caused her so much stress.

I know. There are benefits to breastfeeding and I hope to if I can, and I won't take it personally if people shame me.

"breast reduction" and "photos". You just gave most of the reddit community a reason to look at your AMA first.

My previous one got front page.

But funny story, I met my wonderful boyfriend because he commented on one I put on /r/TwoXChromosomes

That's actually pretty cool! Good luck to you guys :)

Indeed. We're happy together. Yesterday I was helping him set up for his LAN party and he just said, "You're a good girlfriend, I hope you know that."

He makes me melt.

You are an awesome girlfriend!

Well, I hope so.

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Recovery was super easy. Bring a small pillow for the car ride home. Set an alarm to remind you to take meds. Drink lots of water, snack. I was also really hungry after surgery. Sleep slightly propped up.

Best of luck tomorrow!

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I could only sleep 3-4 hours at a time, but it wasn't bad. It's painful to sleep on your side at first. It hurts to move your arms certain ways. But no problems with sleeping itself.

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You can PM me and I'll give you my number if you need someone to text tonight or after surgery.

You are an incredibly awesome person for reaching out like this. Just so you know.

Thank you!

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Yay, they look awesome!

On a scale of 1-10, how badly would you say the pain from recovery was? I'm looking at these photos and am wincing.

Glad they're working out for you though. Being comfortable in your own skin counts for a lot.

The pain was at a 6 at the highest. That really bad photo was after I stopped taking pain medication for a day or two. Didn't hurt unless I pushed down or moved my arms.

Thank you. I am so much more comfortable.

Good for you! When I was 19 (just over three years ago now), I had reconstructive surgery because my breasts were completely different shapes and sizes. The psychological effects of dealing with these issues is horrible, so I feel your pain and I think it's awesome you're doing this to help people understand. I always think it's so shitty that insurance companies can't make exceptions for these sorts of things. My surgery cost just under $12000. I paid for half, my very amazing and wonderful family (parents and grandparents) paid for the other half.

So, yeah, good on you girlfriend! And damn those are some nice lookin' boobies! :)

Aw, congratulations on your surgery as well. I totally understand how crazy life probably was for you. And I can't believe your surgery was so expensive. I'm glad your family helped you out.

Thank you!

It was well worth it in the end, as I'm sure you totally know. I had a lot done. Both breasts have implants in them. The one that was bigger needed a bunch of stuff taken out. My scars really suck on that side, though. I'm the only person who complains about it, though ...

But, again, very happy for you, my dear. Internet hugs!

Yeah, I was assuming you needed a reduction/lift one one side and an implant on both sides, but I'm sure you're looking fantastic now. And yeah, I'm the only person who really cares about my scars.

My boyfriend one time said, "you know, you have some fantastic breasts." which made me happy.

I'm happy for you as well. Enjoy your boobies!

As a 50yr old woman who had a breast reduction at 18, I can only congratulate you on making such a great decision. It is a life-changing operation and I still look back and am so happy that I had mine done.

I was able to feed 3 of my four children - not fully and not for long but at least for the first couple of weeks. I promise you, you will never regret having done this.

Thank you, I love hearing this!

Good for you! They look like you had a very competent surgeon taking care of you, and they turned out well!

I would love to get this done (I'm around a 36F right now)... Next to impossible to buy a pretty bra.

Yes, she was incredibly competent and she did a wonderful job! I'm so happy with how it turned out.

I'd totally encourage it if you're considering one. It has improved my life so much.

Having dated a woman who had breast reduction surgery, I can assure you the scars are no big deal. Your new breasts look fabulous. Congratulations.

Thank you. Yeah, I actually wouldn't have met my boyfriend if I hadn't gotten a reduction. We met via Reddit because he commented on a thread of mine.

Are you very happy with your decision to have your boobs reduced?

EDIT: Your boobs looked very nice before, but they look even better now.

Incredibly. It has improved my quality of life and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Thank you for your reply.

Can I also ask, I have a friend who's sort of in a similar situation to you. She thinking about getting her boobs reduced, but at the same time doesn't feel that she should do it. Do you have any advice for her?

I would definitely say that you can PM me and I can send you my contact information and you can relay it to her. I'm definitely biased, and I was uncertain, but now that I did it, I have no regrets at all.

In one sitting, how many pancakes do you think you could eat?

Probably 1 to 3 pancakes. I need to know more specifics. How big? Do I have syrup, butter, or fruit on top?

Just posting to say that you have rockin' tits now!

Thank you!

Why would 32 change to 34?

Not sure, just felt more comfortable.

What kind of conversations did you have with your parents to bring this up? In fact, how did you bring it up?

Oh, that was actually a funny one. My psychology teacher said to try and do a foot-in-door procedure to get what we want. So I asked if I could go shopping, then to go on a school trip, then for surgery. Um, my dad was more like, "Oh, when's surgery?" because I peeled off at the mall trying to find a 32G bra.

Wait, so you just straight-out asked them?

Yep, I did!

Braave. The thing is, my parents would have never agreed for me to have surgery on my body, much less pay 5K for me. They most likely would have expected me to get a job first or something like that.

Well, thanks. I've been fortunate to have a family that hasn't had to worry about finances, so it really made asking a lot easier, as sad as that is. I truly think insurance should have covered it, but my parents didn't really try too hard to get it covered.

Politely as I can ask, does your mom have large breasts and knows the pains and complications that comes with them that may have led to them understanding your plight easier?

Nope. She has B cups. Isn't that funny?

Congrats! I'm 5'3" and a 32G, so mine look crazy big. One day, I'm going to do this, too!!

Congratulations! Aw, you probably don't have a torso :(

How did people around you take it? Not just family but friends and classmates? Props on doing this, bet it took a lot of courage!

My friends were confused because they didn't really think my boobs were that big. I mean, I was really good at hiding them. People didn't believe I was a G.

Mostly, people ask if I lost weight. Otherwise, people haven't noticed.

I got the same thing after my surgery. People asked if I lost weight. Technically, I did!! From my chesticles.

Yes! And it's amusing to show people scars.

So you show people your boob scars? I mean don't get me wrong this is just interesting. When a friend of mine got implants she was more than happy to show anyone her boobs for a good 4 months. Not so much anymore though..... :(

Aw, sorry about your loss.

My mom had the same procedure done, but she waited until after she had kids. I guess her boobs were large before, but got even bigger after having kids. She's very happy that she did it. Whenever I complain about being flat chested (I didn't get the big boobs gene), she reminds me of how uncomfortable big boobs can be, especially if you get breast tenderness during your period. Yours look great though! I wish I could get implants, that will probably never happen though.

Thank you.

And never say never about implants. I'm sure if you want them, you'll eventually get them.

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Yes, and it also helped with posture and stuff. They were really saggy, too, so I don't get rashes underneath them.

I'm not gonna lie, but I came here for the progress photos.

On a lighter note, glad things are working out for you.

Thanks!

Did you have a say in the final size of the new boobs? was there a minimum they said they'd take off?

I told my surgeon to do what suits me. She is trained to know what looks good.

I've been considering one for awhile now. mostly because of the shape of my breasts, much like yours before the surgery. I've noticed lately I sometimes have red welts basically underneath from the skin on skin contact annoying as fuck. Also because I would greatly appreciate them being perfectly even. I don't really have posture problems its more of a reshaping that I want, in some ways I want one, but having always been chesty I don't know if I would still feel like me if they were smaller. its a dilemma...also finding the time to do it.

I actually still feel pretty chesty. People still say I have big boobs, and I don't feel flat. Sometimes, they feel too big still!

But you could always do a lift with a small reduction. Talking to a surgeon about what you want can help make a good decision. Best of luck to you!

Have you received any criticism for this decision? I had breast augmentation surgery, and some people were kind of assholes about it... but I guess it's different situations.

If you have, how do you deal with that?

I mean, there are always people who will go, "You're slapping God in the face." People definitely have respected my decision, though, but not everyone agreed that I needed it. I just know that I feel better and I'm happy, so screw whatever people say.

Also, I have nothing against implants. Seriously, if a reduction made my life better, I can't even imagine how happy people would be to get implants. I'm sure your self-esteem improved a lot. Also, I totally envy how you don't have as many scars as I do.

Alright, I'm a dude and I want to mention this:

The picture from 5 Days after surgery made me uncomfortable; Like a dull nerve twinge that isn't sure if it wants to become pain, or even where to become pain. It turned into a bit of an ache centered around my right nipple for a moment. After a few seconds this ache transferred to my testes as if it thought "Well, wait...I don't have tits, so the closest thing is...balls?" It then began passing back and forth between the two zones as if in some sort of confusion, my face twisting slightly.
Shortly after, but not before the ache bounced a few more times, it settled somewhere in the region of my gut and turned into more of a gut twisting feeling.
That was weird. I have never experienced that sensation before.

Also, Balls of Steel posting this and remaining on a discussionary point knowing full well what the majority of responses would be. Props.

That's insane. You must be an empathetic person.

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No, I should have though. The residual boob was likely incinerated after pathology poked and probed through it.

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IIRC, fatty tissue vaporizes. Cremains are bones. The bones don't burn, and they grind them into a dust. So, ashes aren't ashes. They're burned bone dust.

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Fair enough.

TIL

I'm glad I could teach you something today.

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I'm 5'7" and I fluctuate between 135-140lbs. Because of starting college and starting the pill, I'm around 140 now.

I said it last time and I'll say this again, those scars look badass. I think in a post apocalyptic scenario you can be a leader of people based on those scars.

Oh my God, YES!

When and how did you realize that your boobs were abnormally large?

I was a 34B when I was 12 and before I got my period. I grew into a 34D by the time I was 13. 34DD at 15 or so... and then I kept squeezing into that until I was 17 and a 32G.

Do you have to get new shirts? Do you enjoy shopping more now? They look amazing by the way congratz!

Some are stretched out, and I got dresses! Shopping is a lot easier. Thanks!

Good for you! I had a breast reduction when I was 16 years old (in 1995) because of the back and shoulder pain. I went from a 34EE to a 34C. It helped my self- esteem and I was able to play sports better. I had a baby in 2009 and could not breast feed at all. You will definitely be so much happier now! Congrats!

I wish I could have gotten one when I was 17, but I waited until I was 18.

Did yours get bigger after surgery? Were you even able to produce milk, but not express it?

Thank you!

How did you pick your surgeon?

She was actually a friend of my parents'. I babysat her kids when I was in middle school.

Do your new breasts make you feel more or less sexy?

More. Much more.