Can Breasts Grow Back After Reduction?

If you’re considering a breast reduction you may be concerned about whether your breasts can grow back after the surgery. In this article, we’ll explain the factors that determine the permanency of your breast reduction results and the steps you can take to maintain your results.

Is Breast Reduction Permanent?

The results from a breast reduction surgery are permanent as the excess skin, fat, and tissue that’s removed cannot grow back. However, weight gain can lead to new fat accumulating in the breasts. 

Likewise, pregnancy and breastfeeding can significantly increase the size of the breasts. Therefore, we recommend patients reach their ideal weight before breast reduction surgery.

Factors that Impact Breast Growth

Hormone Changes

The hormones oestrogen and progesterone determine breast growth in women. The level of these hormones increase during puberty and change during the menstrual cycle, menopause, pregnancy, and breastfeeding. Therefore, most women will notice an increase in breast size during menstruation and pregnancy as their hormone levels increase.

Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

During pregnancy, the glandular tissue and milk ducts in your breasts begin to grow to prepare for breastfeeding. After childbirth, your breasts may grow even larger as your milk supply increases.

It typically takes 6 months or longer after weaning your child for the breasts to return to its pre-pregnancy size. However, your breasts may never return to the same size and shape as they were.

Weight Gain

The breasts primarily consist of fat tissue. As a result, gaining weight can increase the size of the fatty tissues in your breast, thus making them appear bigger. Equally, losing weight can decrease the fat deposits in the breasts, thus reducing their size.

Medications

Breast enlargement may be a side effect of certain prescription medications. For example, certain hormone therapies, birth control pills, and antidepressants have been shown to increase breast growth as they influence the hormone levels in the body.

Developing Breasts

A girl’s breasts usually begin to develop between the ages of 8 and 13 and are typically fully developed by the age of 18 as the effects of puberty wear off. However, the size of your breasts can still change due to your hormone levels, lifestyle, pregnancy, and other factors.

How to Prevent Breast Growth

Exercise

Regular exercise is imperative to prevent breast growth after your breast reduction surgery. In particular, strength training exercises such as push ups are effective at tightening and toning the chest muscles, while cardio exercises will help you lose excess body fat and speed up your metabolism. 

Work with a Dietician

Maintaining a steady weight can be a struggle for many people, particularly as it can be challenging to find a diet that responds to their unique body compositions.

If this sounds like you, our nutritionists offer personalised weight loss programmes to help you reach and maintain your ideal weight.

Choose the Right Time

To prevent breast growth after your breast reduction surgery, it’s important to pursue the cosmetic procedure at the right time in your life. For example, you should wait until your last pregnancy, ensure you’re satisfied with your weight, and be prepared to lead a healthy lifestyle after the surgery.

Is Breast Reduction Worth It?

There are many benefits of breast reduction that make it a worthwhile cosmetic procedure for many women. From our experience, breast reduction is one of the most rewarding cosmetic procedures for our patients as it can alleviate many of the physical symptoms associated with large breasts, while also providing patients with a more proportionate figure. As a result, a breast reduction can improve the quality of life of many women considering the surgery.

Schedule a Consultation with CREO Clinic Today

Dr Omar Tillo is a double board-certified cosmetic surgeon specialising in body contouring procedures, and is widely regarded as an expert in breast reduction. As a breast cosmetic specialist, he is skilled at creating proportionate and natural-looking results for each of his patients. 

Book a consultation with Dr Tillo at the CREO Clinic to discuss a bespoke treatment plan for your breast reduction surgery.