Before & After Breast Reduction
What is Breast Reduction?
Overly large breasts can cause physical discomfort, emotional distress, and limit your ability to enjoy an active lifestyle. Breast reduction surgery (reduction mammoplasty) can alleviate pain, improve posture, and create a more balanced, proportional figure—while enhancing your overall confidence.
At his practice, Dr. Brian Shafa, a board-certified plastic surgeon, takes a fully customized approach to breast reduction in Beverly Hills, tailoring each procedure to your body, goals, and lifestyle needs.
Why Consider a Breast Reduction Procedure?
Large, heavy breasts can contribute to:
- Back, neck, and shoulder pain
- Poor posture and spinal strain
- Skin irritation or rashes beneath the breasts
- Bra strap indentations
- Difficulty finding properly fitting clothing or bras
- Limitations in physical activity and sports participation
- Self-consciousness about breast size or appearance
Breast reduction can be life-changing, not just for your appearance, but for your physical comfort and quality of life.
Surgical Techniques & Options For Breast Reduction Surgery
Breast reduction in Beverly Hills is customized for each patient. Dr. Shafa may use one of several advanced techniques, depending on your anatomy, breast size, and desired results:
- Anchor / Wise Pattern Reduction: For significant tissue removal and reshaping; incisions around the areola, vertically down, and along the breast crease.
- Vertical / Lollipop Technique: For moderate reductions with less scarring; incisions around the areola and vertically downward.
- Periareolar Technique: Minimal scarring limited to the areola; ideal for smaller reductions.
- Liposuction-Assisted Reduction: For patients with good skin elasticity and fatty breast tissue.
Where appropriate, your breast reduction in Beverly Hills can be combined with a breast lift for improved shape, projection, and nipple position.
Surgeon Credentials & Expertise
Dr. Brian Shafa is board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and trained in advanced breast surgery techniques. He combines surgical precision with an artistic approach to achieve results that look natural, proportionate, and harmonious with your body.
He maintains hospital privileges and works within fully accredited surgical facilities, ensuring patient safety at every stage. His experience spans a wide range of breast procedures, including breast reductions, breast lifts, breast augmentations, and complex breast revisions.
Am I a Candidate For a Breast Reduction?
You may be a good candidate for breast reduction in Beverly Hills if you:
- Are in good general health
- Have breasts disproportionate to your frame, causing physical or emotional discomfort
- Have realistic expectations about scarring and results
- Are at or near your ideal, stable weight
- Do not smoke or stop smoking before and after surgery
The Breast Reduction Procedure
- Anesthesia: Performed under general anesthesia
- Duration: Typically 2–4 hours, depending on complexity
- Steps: Removal of excess breast tissue, reshaping and lifting of breast mound, repositioning of the nipple-areolar complex, and skin tightening
- Closure: Dissolvable sutures and surgical dressings; a compression garment applied to reduce swelling
What are the Benefits of Breast Reduction?
Many women who seek breast reduction surgery feel self-conscious about the size of their breasts. Breast reduction can be life-changing for women with an excess of breast tissue and provides many personal and aesthetic benefits:
- Reduced breast size
- Balanced figure
- Improved posture
- Reduced back and neck pain
- The ability to wear standard clothing sizes
- Restored confidence in your body image
Breast Reduction Recovery Timeline
- First Week: Expect swelling, soreness, and tightness; manage discomfort with prescribed medication.
- Weeks 2–3: Gradual return to light activities; avoid lifting, stretching, or vigorous exercise.
- 6 Weeks: Resume normal exercise; swelling continues to resolve.
- Long-Term: Scars soften and fade over 12–18 months with proper care.
Breast Reduction FAQs
Will I have scarring after my breast reduction?
Breast reduction scars can be well hidden within the darker colors of the areola and within the inframammary creases. Scarring will slowly fade over time. Reviewing Dr. Shafa’s before and after photographs is an excellent way to get familiar with his techniques and results. After surgery, the doctor can provide you with non-surgical options for improving the appearance of scars, including state-of-the-art medical grade skincare products.
What other procedures are well combined with a breast reduction?
Breast lift surgery is often paired with a breast lift to achieve more comprehensive results in the chest appearance. While breast reduction surgery can address the oversized quality of the breasts and their elongated shape, it cannot lift or elevate the breast mounds, so here a breast lift can step in to bridge this gap in aesthetics.
How many cup sizes should I go down?
Breast reduction will reduce your cup size by one or two sizes or can be reduced even more. The idea is to create the ideal balance for your figure. You may want to retain a nice quantity of breast tissue, but reduce overall size, lift your breasts, and reduce the size and location of stretched nipples that point downwards.
Should I lose weight before breast reduction surgery?
If you are in the process of losing weight, it is advised that you wait until you have reached your target weight before undergoing breast reduction surgery. You should be in the range of 15 to 20 pounds of your ideal weight before your surgery. Once you have undergone surgery, it is often much easier to maintain a healthy weight, as it is easier to exercise and engage in sports, biking, jogging, and other physical activities.
What should I look for in a breast reduction surgeon?
One of the early steps in selecting the right surgery for you is to read patient testimonials and review the surgeon’s before and after photographs. This will acquaint you with the doctor’s abilities as well as their personality. Secondly, you should thoroughly investigate the surgeon’s credentials. Do they have experience performing breast surgery? Or has their career been more focused on facial procedures?
Lastly it’s important to meet with your breast reduction surgeon in person and find out if working together is a good fit. You can ask questions about the risks and benefits of your surgery; your recovery; and what you can expect from your final results. In this way, reputation, training, expertise and personality all combine to help you choose the perfect surgeon for your unique goals, concerns and aesthetic sensibilities.
Why Should I Choose Dr. Brian Shafa for My Breast Reduction Surgery?
- Board-certified plastic surgeon specializing in breast and body procedures
- Personalized approach—your goals, comfort, and safety come first
- State-of-the-art surgical facilities
- Proven track record of natural, balanced results
Financing & Payment Plans with Dr. Brian Shafa
At Dr. Brian Shafa Plastic Surgery, we offer flexible finance options to make your procedure more affordable:
- Custom payment plans tailored to your budget
- CareCredit® financing – pay over time with low monthly installments
- All major credit cards accepted (Visa, Mastercard, AMEX, Discover)
- Cash payments are also accepted
Many insurance plans cover breast reduction when deemed medically necessary. This usually requires documentation of symptoms (back pain, rashes, activity limitation) and a minimum tissue removal amount.
Our office provides insurance pre-authorization assistance and works with you to submit all necessary records and photographs.
References
- Hammond, Dennis C. M.D.; Loffredo, Michael M.D. "Breast Reduction" - Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
- Scott, Gregory R. M.D.; Carson, Cynthia L. P.A.-C.; Borah, Gregory L. M.D. "Maximizing Outcomes in Breast Reduction Surgery: A Review of 518 Consecutive Patients" - Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
- Gonzalez, Marco A. MD; Glickman, Laurence T. MD, FACS; Aladegbami, Bola MD; Simpson, Roger L. MD, FACS, MBA "Quality of Life After Breast Reduction Surgery A 10-Year Retrospective Analysis Using the Breast Q Questionnaire" - Annals of Plastic Surgery
