image copyright, BBC/Getty Images
-
- reporter, Rebecca Thorn
- reporter, Global Health, BBC World Service
-
Reading time: 5 minutes
“I walked with my shoulders hunched so as not to show my big breasts. I still remember it clearly. I was really, really embarrassed.”
Raquel, a university professor in Argentina, decided to undergo breast reduction surgery in 2010.
Now 52, he says the surgery gave him a “freedom” he had never felt before.
Large breasts are perceived as an attractive feature in many cultures, but in reality, they can cause significant problems for women’s health and quality of life.
If your breasts are too large, you may experience chronic back pain or headaches, poor posture, numbness in some parts of your body, sleep problems, and worsening mental health.
According to the latest data from the International Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS), there will be 652,676 breast reduction surgeries performed worldwide in 2024.
By country, Brazil had the most cases (115,647 cases), followed by the United States (67,478 cases), France (38,780 cases), Germany (32,068 cases), Turkey (25,334 cases), and India (22,400 cases).
Raquel has suffered from chronic back pain since she was a teenager due to her large breasts.
However, in Argentina, it is said that there is a widespread view that large breasts are a blessing. “Most people, especially women, told me I was lucky,” he recalled.
“(But) I wasn’t lucky. I suffered. I suffered all the time, as a teenager, as an adult woman, and as a mother.”
Due to my past habit of walking while crouching to hide myself, I still suffer from back pain to this day.
Raquel, who has an active personality, enjoyed yoga, pilates, and gym. However, she eventually gave up exercising due to her large breasts.
Nora Nugent, president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, explained that the most common problems expressed by patients seeking breast reduction surgery are limited movement and difficulty exercising.
“From a functional perspective, large breasts are heavy and pull the body forward, which puts constant strain on the spine and neck.”
“It’s also very difficult to exercise and very difficult to find supportive, well-fitting underwear.”
Raquel also had to wear “two or three” layers of bras for support. And finding a bra that fits well was an additional financial burden. Because “bras for big breasts are very expensive in Argentina.”
‘I feel free’
According to Dr. Nugent, patients in the UK usually have 500 to 800 grams of fat removed from each breast, but in some cases, more is removed.
“It may not be a large amount compared to body weight, but since it is a small part of the body, it is quite a significant amount.”
In Raquel’s case, medical staff removed a total of 2.5 kg from her breasts.
“After the surgery, I still vividly remember how I felt when I picked up something that had fallen on the floor. It was like, ‘Wow, my body is completely different.’ I felt really, really free.”
The importance of a well-fitting bra
When Professor Joanna Wakefield-Sker went to the hospital to consult about chronic breast pain, she was advised that she just needed to wear a well-fitting bra.
As a biomechanics expert, he decided to research what makes a good bra.
“I realized that we actually know very little about why we need bras, what the benefits are, and what a good bra does,” she says.
“Until now, bras have been viewed as a fashion item rather than a tool for functional purposes or health benefits. That’s really disappointing.”
This led Professor Wakefield-Sker to form a breast health research team at the University of Portsmouth in the UK in 2005.
Researchers have identified four major negative outcomes that can occur when wearing an ill-fitting bra. These include pain, damage to the skin and tissues, changes in breathing patterns and heartbeats, and discomfort with physical activity.
“If your chest is heavy and bobs up and down, it can change the way you breathe. It can also change the amount of force you exert on the ground, which can affect whole-body function.”
image copyright, UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images
After years of research and experimentation, researchers discovered that no matter what type of exercise you do, your chest moves in a figure 8 shape.
In addition, it was found that slowing down the speed rather than the amount of movement is the key to reducing breast pain.
Currently, researchers at the University of Portsmouth are working with the England women’s soccer team and world-class golfers to research the optimal bra.
Professor Wakefield-Sker explained, “Organizations such as the English Football Association (FA) and World Rugby are investing funds in projects to improve the health of female athletes. This is a trend that has become more serious over the past five years.”
“It’s a relatively recent change, but I’m really excited to see it happen.”
‘Patients just want a better life’
Meanwhile, for Raquel, society’s view of the pain and burden caused by large breasts was also an obstacle to overcome.
I felt like I was being judged by my colleagues because I had undergone reduction surgery, and there were many misunderstandings.
“I think a lot of people thought I had the surgery for cosmetic reasons, not for health reasons,” he said.
“After the surgery, there was a woman who said to me, ‘Now you can have abdominal liposuction.’”
Nonetheless, Raquel does not regret the surgery.
“I’m very happy. Especially now that I’m going through menopause, it’s hard to imagine how I would have lived with my big breasts. I can’t imagine myself trying to cope with a body like that.”
Dr. Nugent says the number of patients seeking breast reduction surgery is increasing, which may be a result of increased interest in self-care.
“The desire to live a better life is clearly increasing not only among women but also among patients.”
“This is a trend toward health and well-being rather than perfection.”
date: 2026-02-12 12:19:00
Related reading