Dr. Aldo Guerra and Dr. Scott Ogley are breast surgery specialists. With over 26 years of combined experience in breast surgeries ensure their ability to reduce your discomfort and allow you to feel more comfortable with your body.
Issues Associated With Large, Heavy Breasts
Heavy breasts can cause pain and discomfort – a condition called symptomatic macromastia. Research reveals a strong connection between breast size and bodily discomfort. Guerra Plastic Surgery Center delves into the issues that can arise from large and heavy breasts.
1. Upper Torso Musculoskeletal Pain
If you are well-endowed and experience pain, then prolonged tension and the pulling effect of your large, heavy breasts might be the cause, revealed a study focusing on the benefits of breast reduction surgery (also called reduction mammaplasty) in improving the symptoms of macromastia. According to the researchers, long-term symptom resolution was highest with shoulder pain (94.7%) and breast pain (92%). The patients also experienced improvements in feeling uncomfortable (87.5%), finding clothes that fit (86%), sports participation (85.2%), and running or jogging (83.7%).
The results of a 2019 study also revealed that women with hypertrophic breasts (an overgrowth of breast tissue) experienced higher levels of upper torso musculoskeletal pain compared to women who had small and medium breasts, and the pain was more pronounced in the shoulders, upper back, neck, and breasts.
2. Headaches or Migraines
More women have been citing persistent headaches as a symptom of having large breasts. One study revealed that women with macromastia who experienced severe headaches or migraines can find relief following a breast reduction. In an article published on Bustle, American journalist Beth Ford Roth shared her struggles with having DD breasts, which she said caused “blindingly painful headaches.” After undergoing breast reduction surgery, she felt “free.”
3. Numbness
Wearing ill-fitting bras – or being unable to find the perfect fit for your cup size – can cause your breasts to become numb as a result of the compression of delicate small nerve fibers in your breast tissue or chest wall. Having heavy breasts can also lead to numbness in your hands and fingers if they pull your torso and affect your neck’s position and posture, leading to compressed nerve pathways down your arms and hands.
4. Rashes
Large breasts can rub against the skin on your abdomen, causing friction, heat, and moisture to form. An inflammatory skin condition called intertrigo can develop as a result. This rash appears in the skin fold as red or reddish-brown, raw, itchy, and painful.
5. Skin Grooves
If your breasts are too big and heavy, even a bra of the right size may fail to support them. Deep indentations in your shoulders can develop, which may not disappear even after removing your bra. Choosing a supportive garment with a wider strap can help you, but it may not eliminate the grooves.
In hindsight, it is important to rule out other possible causes, as pain and discomfort can also be due to bad posture, excessive weight (particularly in the stomach area), and having a sedentary lifestyle. You can consult a plastic surgeon such as Dr. Guerra or Dr. Ogley to determine how much of your pain could be stemming from overly large breasts.
Causes of Large and Heavy Breast
If your breasts got significantly bigger during your pubescent years, it may be a sign of a larger tissue-to-fat ratio in your breasts, most especially if you did not have any substantial increase in body weight or BMI. Large, heavy breasts may also signal an increase in your total fat tissue percentage, particularly if the rise in the volume of your breasts occurs during a period of weight gain.
Large breasts may also be indicative of the hormonal changes happening in your body as a part of the menstrual cycle. In this case, the breasts may feel plump, even swollen, and a bit painful to the touch. Any pain and discomfort should dissipate once your hormonal levels return to normal.
If you are a mother, another reason you have large, heavy, and saggy breasts is the changes that happened during your pregnancies and breastfeeding years, both of which can drastically affect the breasts’ appearance.
Breast Reduction Surgery for Large, Heavy Breasts
The good news is you can reshape and resize your breasts through breast reduction surgery or a breast lift. Removing as little as 250g or 500g of fat tissue on both sides of your breast can have long-term results in pain reduction, posture correction, and relief from the issues listed above.
How Big Is Too Big?
While there is no minimum breast size required to undergo a reduction mammaplasty, Dr. Guerra or Dr. Ogley can determine your candidacy for the procedure by evaluating the volume of your breasts based on your overall anatomy. For example, if you are tall and athletic, then your back and shoulders are capable of supporting more weight. In this case, large breasts may not be too big of an issue for you. Conversely, if you have a petite build, then disproportionate breasts that weigh too much can pose a serious problem.
For decades, large breasts have been associated with femininity and sensuality. However, being well-endowed can also cause serious problems. Many women experience migraines, neck and shoulders pain, backaches, and even rashes due to their breast size. To eliminate the aches and tension in your body, as well as improve your posture and prevent intertrigo, consider breast reduction surgery or a reduction mammoplasty in Phoenix-Scottsdale, AZ.
Schedule Your Breast Reduction Consultation
Are you unhappy with the size, weight, and position of your breasts? Call us at (480) 568-2523 to arrange your one-on-one consultation with one of our best plastic surgeons near you. In addition to a more attractive shape and appearance, Dr. Guerra or Dr. Ogley can help relieve the strain and discomfort you are currently experiencing.
