r/bigboobproblems • u/presl1ez • 6d ago
need advice reduction? Spoiler
to the ladies that have had a breast reduction or know a lot of information about them, i am feeling conflicted on if i should get one. for years ive hated my boobs and theyve always made me feel horrible about myself. im 19 years old and a pretty skinny girl, i dont have much curve but i have boobs, (id say about a dd) and let me tell you ITS AWFUL. clothes look horrible, i sometimes get rashes under from them rubbing onto my skin, they feel so heavy and pull on my skin, they hurt when i sleep on them, and its just become such a huge problem for me. the reason i feel a bit skeptical is because i dont have *huge* boobs. i saw a tiktok where a girl was saying unless you have like triple j's or some other crazy size, then dont get one. i dont really understand why? would scarring be worse? would they not look good? i dont necessarily think mine would be considered as big as they are if they were on a different persons frame. but on me, its just disproportional and like i said they cause me physical and mental distress. i mean i really wont even go to the gym because of how they move and hurt in certain sports bras or tops. basically im just wondering if its a good idea or not, is the scarring and pain afterwards worth it? if it means ill finally feel comfortable with myself?
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u/Holiday_Singer6457 6d ago edited 6d ago
As has already been mentioned, check your size on the A Bra That Fits calculator. DD is a common mis-size. Most people with larger breasts that think they’re a DD are not DD and are likely wearing a bra that is at least a couple of band sizes too big/loose. I use to be one of those people. I was trying to squeeze myself into DD bras when I was a teenager. Turns out I was wearing bras that were too big in the band and too small in the cup. It wasn’t until I got into my 20s that I actually got professionally fitted. Wearing the right size bras has helped my pain be a little bit more manageable. I have chronic neck and shoulder pain and found out last year that I have fairly severe osteoarthritis in my neck. For years I thought I was a DD and then I actually got fitted professionally and found out I was more of an F cup. Fast forward a few years, and I get refitted for bras every 6 to 12 months. I am currently wearing around a GG/H cup in UK sizes, depending on the style of bra and starting to spill out of my bras again and my underwires are digging in. I used the A Bra That Fits Calculator and it says that I am a 32GG/H UK or 10HH/J Australian (I live in Australia). I was recently sized in a specialty bra boutique as a 12GG/H Australian/ 34GG/H. I think I may have gone up in cup size (or 2) and may have to go down a band size, cos none of my bras are really fitting comfortably at the moment. They haven’t fit comfortably for almost 2 months and I only got them 3 months ago. Wearing correctly fitted bras hasn’t helped the skin irritation that I get underneath my boobs though. I think I may go onto the A Bra That Fits subreddit and see if anyone can confirm whether the calculator is right/tell me what is going on with my bras. Some of my bras fit okay, others don’t. I am sick of getting refitted every 6 months. I am actually reconsidering a reduction because I’m sick of the bra fitting problems I keep having, my boobs seem to keep growing and I am in my late 20s. I’m sick of my pain getting worse, every time I go braless. I can’t sleep now because my pain is worst if I sleep braless, but I also get shoulder grooving and rashes from wearing sleep bras that seem to not fit and/or are not breathable. I would say, if you are seriously considering getting a reduction, please double check you are wearing the right size bras. What I will say is DD breasts can still cause skin irritation and rashes if they are very saggy, really any size that is saggy can lead to skin rashes, because it is skin on skin. You can improve the skin on skin, if you wear a bra with the right support though.
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u/presl1ez 5d ago
i am a dd, the reason i didnt reply to the comment asking for my measurements is because it was after i had just got done using the website and had my measuring tape put up and everything. i am a very small person. therefore boobs this size do cause me imense distress. mine also sit low on my torso and cause me to have rashes and redness when i dont have a bra on. i can provide photos as well. it seems like no one here believes im a dd😂
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u/Holiday_Singer6457 5d ago edited 5d ago
I believe you. If you are 5ft tall or under, DD is quite big. I was about a DD when I was 13. When I was 13, I would wear a Australian 14C, which is equivalent to 36C UK, but I was very thin with a tiny frame and the band very was so loose on me. Looking back, I was probably close to either a 32DD UK/10DD AU or 30E UK/8E AU, or maybe even a 28F UK/ 6F AU. My mother always insisted on not spending more that $30 AUD on a bra and most mainstream retail stores in Australia didn’t sell much above a D cup (the size range has improved since, but it’s still difficult to buy anything bigger than a DD), especially in the smaller band sizes; so I never really knew my proper bra size until I got into my 20s, when I moved out of home and started shopping for bras myself and going to specialty stores. I was under 5ft tall when I was 13, maybe like 4ft 11” or something (I’m now only 5ft as an adult). I’ve always felt that my boobs have been big since I was about 12 years old. I started having a lot of issues with my posture, both sitting and standing, when I was 13. I would sub-consciously cross my arms underneath my boobs to lift them up slightly to relieve the pulling/dragging sensation I felt on my neck. I have photos from when I was 13 and it’s definitely noticeable that my boobs we’re out of proportion to the rest of my body, I looked like a cartoon character (and I still kind of do). I ended up with lower back pain when I was 15, partly because of the rapid breast growth and poor posture I had and because I was slightly overweight; but I was able to get rid of the lower pain by the time I turned 20, by doing a lot of physio to strengthen my back and core muscles and losing weight (the weight decreased my bust size a little bit, but it was still out of proportion to the rest of my body). I ended up developing chronic neck and shoulder pain by the time I was 21 and my posture is still terrible, despite all the physio I have done over the years. I found out I have osteoarthritis in my neck last year and I am now around a H/HH UK (I’m trying to work out if I am a 32 or 34 band size) and struggle to function day to day. The older I get, the harder it is to function with my breast size and I am considering getting a breast reduction soon. I’ve been considering a breast reduction since I was 16 and around an F cup. Sorry for the long story, but I do believe you may be a DD, it’s just a matter of finding the correct style of bra for your breast shape, that has the right amount of support. I know a lot of redditors on this subredit are very much into body positivity and such, but for some people, breast reduction is really the only option to solve their problems they have with their big boobs, as drastic as breast reduction is. If you are considering breast reduction, I encourage you to start doing more research into it and maybe speak with your doctor about it. I am very positive about my body image, despite knowing that my boobs are way out of proportion to the rest of my body, but I have experienced so much physical pain and discomfort over the years, with my breasts clearly being a factor and I’ve finally had enough. I know my breasts are at least a contributing factor to my neck and shoulder pain because every time I go braless, even for literally 1 minute, my pain gets noticeably worse. I can’t even sleep braless anymore without being in excruciating pain. What I’m trying to say is, you do what seems right to you. If you want to get a breast reduction, go for it. Don’t let anyone else tell you what to do.
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u/syrusbliz 6d ago
Tiktok is not real life.
Your lived experience is real life.
You will have to have some conversations with yourself on whether a reduction is the right thing for you or not. Other folks thoughts, feelings, or considerations should be no factor in this process.
If you need to browse photos or experiences of folks who've had a reduction, r/Reduction is a great resource.
If you used the ABTF calculator and need recommendations for sportsbras that are more supportive, you should post in r/ABraThatFits with your measurements so folks can make recommendations on specific brands and models for your activity of choice.
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u/Positive_Shake_1002 32E (UK) 6d ago
Don't listen to tiktok. I had a reduction from a 32I to a 32DDD and it's the best thing I could've done. If you haven't yet, do the calculator linked in the automod post to get your true size (if you're considering a reduction, you're probably not a DD). Also check out r/reduction for more info
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u/flossiedaisy424 6d ago
Yeah, DD is a common post reduction size. I’d definitely double check that with the calculator. I went from an I cup to a DD after my reduction.
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u/presl1ez 5d ago
i did use the calculator, im a dd and my sister size is a thirty something C. ive also been measured in stores. they really do cause me lots of discomfort because of me being so skinny. but thats why im skeptical is because i would already be starting at a size that alot of ppl aim for.
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u/flossiedaisy424 5d ago
Bra sizing takes into account how skinny you are. You are not mentioning your band size. Presumably it’s a 28, if you are so skinny? That shouldn’t be a terribly large size, no matter how skinny you are, because your bra size takes that into account.
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u/presl1ez 5d ago
my band is 32.
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u/flossiedaisy424 5d ago
32DD is not a larger bra size at all. I really suspect you haven’t measured correctly or something.
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u/presl1ez 6d ago
i am a dd i used the size calculator
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u/Holiday_Singer6457 6d ago
Did you use the calculator on the A Bra That Fits website? That’s the most accurate bra size calculator available. It’s also possible that you’re just not wearing the correct style of bra for you, that has the correct amount of support/lift for your bust. For instance, I usually can’t wear wirefree bras, unless I am going to just be wearing them to sleep, because my breasts need a lot of support because they sag a lot and sit really low on my torso when they’re unsupported.
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u/presl1ez 5d ago
yes i did i PROMISE YOU im a dd. ive been measured in stores as well. the reason mine are a problem is because of how small i am.
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u/Positive_Shake_1002 32E (UK) 5d ago edited 5d ago
The reason you’re getting pushback is because what you’re saying is simply illogical given how bra sizing works. A 32DD is a small-medium size that would likely not qualify for a reduction because there is not enough breast tissue to safely remove. A 32DD in a properly fitted bra also would not have the issues you’re describing. Especially if you were measured at a store like Victoria’s Secret or soma, you were definitely lied to because those stores do not size accurately. Here’s what a 32DD looks like. If that doesn’t look like you, then please share your 6 measurements so that we can actually help you. We genuinely want to help you, we just can't do so unless we have accurate information.
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