A Woman on Finally Choosing Breast Reduction Surgery

Women often have a way of pushing their needs to the bottom of the list. We tell ourselves it isn’t the right time. Other priorities appear. Somehow, we never fully make it onto our own to-do lists. The long stretch between Elif first considering breast reduction surgery and finally acting on it, paired with the chorus of women around her saying “My only regret is not doing it sooner,” says a lot about this familiar pattern.

“If I had known how dramatically my life would change, I never would have waited,” she says. We asked her everything people often wonder but rarely voice about breast reduction surgery.

How did you decide to have breast reduction surgery?

I honestly don’t remember who first mentioned it, but someone planted the idea in my mind. Even then, it took me a while to accept that having large breasts could be a legitimate problem. I thought this was simply what happened after giving birth and breastfeeding, that it was irreversible. When I met women who had actually had breast reductions, everything shifted. I realized I had been thinking of it the way many people do, as a cosmetic procedure.

How long did it take from first considering the idea to finally moving forward with it?

Five years.

Why did it take so long?

Because I kept thinking, Why go through with it? It’s a cosmetic procedure. It felt optional. Then life happened: the pandemic, my thyroid surgery, everything in between. But two things really held me back. First, the idea that the surgery wasn’t truly necessary. Second, the financial and physical toll it would take. My husband was working around the clock then. I couldn’t fully step back from housework or daily chores, like getting the kids to school. The thought of being temporarily unavailable felt impossible.

What challenges did you face because of having large breasts?

Summer was the hardest. When I got sweaty, I would fold my T-shirt and tuck it under my breasts to absorb the moisture. I live in Bodrum, so I could sometimes go braless, but even that didn’t help much. There was also the neck pain and a swelling at the back of my neck that felt like a hard knot. I had it checked and nothing came up.

Before the surgery, my doctor pointed out that my left breast sat about 1.5 to 2 centimeters lower than my right. A certain amount of asymmetry is normal, but breastfeeding had made the difference more noticeable. After the surgery, my neck pain vanished. That’s when I realized it had been coming from this all along. I also noticed something surprising. I could finally close my arms comfortably. I had assumed I was avoiding certain tasks out of laziness, but the truth is I physically couldn’t do them

On Substack, you wrote, “It wasn’t enough for me to be uncomfortable; my discomfort had to become visible to others before I took action.” Can you expand on that?

Hearing you say that actually brought tears to my eyes. Just think about how many women live with ongoing discomfort, whether it’s related to their breasts or something else. I reached a point where I was so miserable that people around me started pointing it out. We live in the same building as my parents. Even my dad would say, “It worries me to see you like this.” My husband also kept saying we needed to go through with the surgery.

Looking back, I think I was waiting for their approval. Of course there were practical reasons. But if I had truly insisted, I could have pushed forward earlier. I waited until the people around me believed it was necessary. And honestly, that is painful to acknowledge.

Were you anxious before the surgery?

I didn’t go into it with any specific fear, but I have to admit it ended up being tougher than I expected. That might be because I compared it to my thyroid surgery.

How was the recovery?

When I woke up, the pain was intense. My painkillers had likely worn off. In that moment I thought, What did I just do? Why did I put myself through this?

Then the nurse and my cousin helped me to the bathroom. I looked in the mirror and saw how small my breasts were, and instantly, none of the pain mattered anymore.

Recovery still came with challenges. I have always slept on my stomach, but I had to sleep on my back for months. Still, it was absolutely worth it. And honestly, it is the only thing I have ever done solely for myself. That is one reason it took me five years. I kept thinking it didn’t benefit anyone else.

What advice would you give to anyone considering breast reduction surgery but feeling hesitant?

Finding a doctor you genuinely trust makes all the difference. Before deciding, I met with several. Some gave me confidence, but I kept waiting for someone to say, “You’ll be on your feet in a week or two. Don’t worry.” I couldn’t accept being unable to care for my kids for weeks. In retrospect, I was looking for a doctor who would tell me exactly what I wanted to hear, and of course that person didn’t exist.

Do you have any scars?

Before the procedure, you sign a consent form noting that scars are possible. That wasn’t something that shaped my decision. It has been eight months now. One breast has almost no visible scarring. The other has a slight one.

You talked openly about the entire experience on Instagram and Substack. How did people react?

I received so many kind and supportive messages. Women who had already had the surgery wrote to say their only regret was not doing it sooner. I also heard from countless people who were considering it, and I replied to as many as I could. I genuinely believe that both breast reduction and enlargement deserve open, easy, stigma-free conversation.