Large Breasts: Causes, Symptoms & Treatments

Breast size is determined by a mix of genetic and environmental factors. Hormonal changes during pregnancy, when the breasts start to produce milk can also cause breasts to become bigger.

Sometimes, large breast size can be the result of Gigantomastia disease, a rare condition that causes excessive growth of the female breasts. Only a couple of hundred cases have ever been reported.

The exact cause of Gigantomastia isn’t known. It can occur at random, but has also been seen to occur during pregnancy, puberty or after taking certain medications. The condition does not affect men.

While Gigantomastia is considered a benign condition, it can be physically disabling if not treated. Many women will need to undergo Breast Reduction surgery .

Gigantomastia is also known as breast hypertrophy or Macromastia.

For most people, Gigantomastia is not the cause of their large breasts. However, this doesn't mean that having enlarged breasts doesn't come with concerns of its own such as back pain, a loss of confidence or other concerns which are associated with big breasts.

Can I Reduce My Breast Size?

The best way to reduce large breasts is with Breast Reduction surgery. A Breast Reduction, also known as a Mammoplasty, is a surgical procedure designed to reduce the volume of the breasts by removing excess tissue, fat and skin, in order to make them smaller and more comfortable as well as, in some cases, more shapely.

Can Large Breasts Be Treated with Surgery?

Breast Reduction surgery is the best way to address problems such as back pain associated with large breasts. The procedure focuses on removing excess tissue in the breast to reduce the weight and prominence of the breasts. The nipples may also be repositioned, resulting in an enhanced and flattering result.

The Breast Reduction procedure, as carried out here at the Cadogan Clinic, is ideal for patients with naturally very large breasts that cause discomfort or inconvenience, or those that have permanently increased in size following childbirth.

Breast Reduction surgery is also appropriate for men who are suffering from Gynaecomastia, a common condition which causes the male breasts to become enlarged. This is typically performed via Liposuction.

How to Make Large Breasts Look Smaller without Surgery

While often desirable for health reasons, weight loss has been repeatedly shown not to be the most effective treatment for symptoms related to large breasts. This is because breast skin is heavy, and even when weight is lost it still contributes significantly to total breast size. Any increase in breast skin volume is permanent, i.e. not reversible with weight loss.

Breasts do contain a proportion of fat and regular exercise can help to reduce chest fat and strengthen the muscles underneath the breasts to reduce their size. Cardio and high-intensity exercises can help shed weight faster and target problem areas. Aerobic exercises can help lose all-around body fat as it speeds up metabolism. Eating a healthy diet can help with weight loss and reducing breast size.

However, a healthy diet and upping exercise will not be enough to help most women with very large breasts.

How Can Breast Reduction Surgery Help?

Breast Reduction surgery is a quick way, and often the only way, to reduce large breasts to a more comfortable size.

Women who have overly large breasts can find them an inconvenience, especially if they play a lot of sport or struggle to find clothes that fit around the chest area. They may find themselves excluded from certain physical activities because of the size of their breasts, causing them to feel self-conscious.

Very large breasts can also cause serious discomfort, including backache, neck pain and skin irritation, such as rashes under the breasts.

Breast Reduction can help to address all of these problems, improving quality of life and increasing comfort and confidence.

What Are Some of the Symptoms That Are Associated with Large Breasts?

Breast Reduction is a very popular procedure in the UK with over 4,000 procedures carried out in 2023 in the UK. Many women suffer from symptoms such as back pain caused by large breasts, and unfortunately, non-surgical treatments often provide little or no relief.

Heavy breasts can cause a number of physical problems such as chronic neck, back, and shoulder pain; chest wall pain; headaches; poor posture; shoulder grooving; numbness and tingling of the hands; shortness of breath, sleep disturbances, rashes under and between the breasts and in the bra strap grooves, and low exercise tolerance.

Can the Symptoms of Large Breasts Be Treated without Surgery?

Mild occasional symptoms may be relieved by anti-inflammatory medications, heat packs, massage, chiropractic, physical therapy, etc. Unfortunately, for women with more severe and persistent symptoms, such treatments rarely provide permanent relief. Ensuring you have a well-fitting, supportive bra, may help in the short term, but is not always beneficial as the weight of the breasts can still aggravate neck, chest wall, and shoulder symptoms.

How Long is Breast Reduction Surgery Recovery?

Most patients can resume full activities within six weeks, but final breast shape may not be apparent for many months.

Also called a Mammaplasty, a Breast Reduction is a highly effective treatment for large breasts as it deals directly with the cause of the symptoms. Breast Reduction surgery is a standard part of plastic surgery training, although plastic surgeons do not all have equal experience performing the surgery. The more skilled your surgeon, the higher quality results, including the concealment of scarring and the positioning of the nipples.

Patient satisfaction rates after Breast Reduction are very high, and it is the rare patient who will not experience significant relief of her symptoms after surgery.

FAQs

What do large breasts indicate?

Large breasts do not necessarily indicate any medical concern in them.

What causes extremely large breasts?

Large breasts have a number of causes including hormonal changes, pregnancy or weight gain. In extreme cases, large breasts may be caused by a rare conditon called Gigantomastia. There have been fewer than 200 cases of Gigantomastia ever reported and its exact cause is not understood. It only affects women rather than men.

Treatments mentioned in this article

Surgery For Men

Male Breast Reduction (Gynaecomastia)

Remove excess fat and male breast tissue to improve the cosmetic appearance of your chest.

Breast Surgery

Breast Reduction

Breast reduction removes tissue to improve the size, weight, and appearance of large breasts.

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