Do the breasts grow again after a reduction during the menopause?

With the menopause, the production of female hormones is reduced. This leads to a shrinkage of the mammary gland in the breast. However, the fatty tissue around the mammary gland remains. As a result, the breast feels less firm, the skin mantle is no longer fully filled out and the breast tends to sag.

Studies show that one in five women uses a larger bra after the menopause than before. The bras therefore appear to get bigger. However, detailed analysis of the data shows that in most cases this is due to a general increase in weight and not to breast growth. The metabolism changes with the menopause and leads to an average weight gain of five to seven kilograms. In these women, around 20%, the fat content in the breast also changes, which causes it to become larger.

The same process naturally takes place with the remaining breast tissue if a breast reduction is performed before the menopause. Here too, the mammary gland tissue is reduced and the fatty tissue can become larger. The difference, however, is that the breast skin is also tightened during a breast reduction. This reduces the risk of the breast sagging after the menopause. However, the breast may become fuller and larger again due to the reduced excess skin that was removed with the reduction. If the patient is unhappy about this, the breast can be reduced again.

There are also women who suffer from very large breasts as early as their teenage years (so-called gigantomastia). These women often have very dense and heavy glandular tissue (weighing over one to two kilograms per side). In these cases, we recommend early reduction in order to avoid subsequent problems such as pain, postural problems, restrictions in sport and psychological stress. However, these women can still experience significant breast enlargement later on, for example during pregnancy or during the menopause.

The menopause itself is no reason to postpone a breast reduction. However, in certain cases and depending on the patient's level of suffering, it may be advisable to wait until the menopause. As a general rule, if the patient suffers from the heaviness and size of the breast and the quality of life is very limited, a reduction in size should be considered. In retrospect, almost all patients say that they should have had the operation earlier.

A former patient tells

Our former patient, Gabriela B (54 years old), tells us why she decided to undergo breast reduction, what influence pregnancy and menopause had, what her biggest problems were before the breast surgery, how she remembers the breast surgery at Breast Atelier, what she advises other women who also suffer from overly large breasts and how she feels today.

Do you also suffer from overly large, painful breasts and would like to be advised by one of our renowned surgeons at the Breast Atelier?

For more information on the topic of weight fluctuations in breast surgery, please also read our blog post on the topic "What happens to an operated breast in the event of severe weight fluctuations?"

A breast surgery at the Breast Atelier: Quality surgery at a transparent fixed price

The Breast Atelier medical team consists of specialist doctors with several years of professional experience who work under the medical supervision of Dr. med. Cédric A. George, the founder of the Pyramid Clinic (today Plastic Surgery Pyramid), which is renowned far beyond the country's borders. His center for plastic surgery, which is now one of the market leaders in Switzerland, has set the standards in terms of quality and reliability in plastic reconstructive and aesthetic surgery.

Under the patronage of the Plastic Surgery Pyramid, these standards are also accessible to a wider audience in the Breast Atelier. Our specialists in plastic surgery are the guarantors of quality surgery.

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Arrange your free consultation appointment directly online to get all your questions answered and see the Breast Atelier for yourself. Our specialist doctors are at your disposal. Benefit from our 3D visualization technology (for breast augmentation) and our detailed medical assessment.