What’s changed: The patients or the doctors?

“Big boobs [aren’t] trending,” says Dr. Catherine Hannan, a plastic surgeon based in Washington, D.C. “Dolly Parton [boobs aren’t] a thing people ask for anymore.”

According to yearly reports released by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), the number of breast reductions performed annually has increased significantly post-COVID-19. In 2024 alone, nearly 77,000 cosmetic breast reductions were performed. That’s a 54% increase from just over 46,000 in 2019. Reports since 2022 have all stayed steadily above 70,000.

Increased visibility of breast reductions online might be causing the rising statistics. 

In 2019 — before the surge in procedures — the Kim Kardashian slim thick look was all the rage. But now, with GLP-1s readily accessible from your phone with healthcare apps such as Hers, being Ozempic skinny and flat-chested is in.

OZEMPIC BOOBS

Hannan has noticed an uptick in clientele following the rise of GLP-1s. In fact, she’s had more and more requests from patients to make their breasts “as small as possible.” Hannan has even had some clients get additional reductions after their breasts got larger again, often post-partum.

The decision to get a breast reduction is an emotionally complex one. It’s difficult to leave your body image at the door when you’re getting cosmetic surgery — even if the primary drive is reducing neck and back pain.

Emma Stroner, a recent college graduate who got her breast reduction three years ago, can attest to that.

“Young girls are surrounded by rhetoric that fuels unhealthy thought patterns and … I definitely fell victim to that,” Stroner says. “I thought that after [my surgery] I wouldn’t have any issues with my image […] I thought it would solve [them]. It didn’t at all.”

But in reality, it seems this rise in breast reductions has less to do with the patients and more to do with the doctors.

YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DOING

Breast reductions are simple enough: Typical cases don’t require overnight care, and you can be mostly back to normal within a week or two, barring any heavy lifting. Sure, you get scars, but at least in my opinion, they’re kind of cool.

The main drawback you’ll hear from any doctor you consult — especially if you’ve never given birth — is the breastfeeding issue. There’s no way to know post-breast reduction whether or not you’ll be able to breastfeed.

“The anatomy [of the breast is] like a wagon wheel. [You] have the nipple with the milk ducts coming out … like spokes on a wheel,” Hannan says. “The way most surgeons do the dissection and removal, we disrupt about sixty percent of those milk ducts.”

Though according to Dr. Amir Mahan Ghaznavi, a plastic surgeon based in McNair, Virginia, the chances of being completely unable to breastfeed after surgery are slim.

“I usually tell [my clients that] 5-10% of patients may not be able to breastfeed,” Ghaznavi says. “It’s not all or nothing; sometimes it’s just harder for them to breastfeed.”

Despite the risks, tens of thousands of childless people get breast reductions every year. According to the ASPS, patients under 29 made up 27% of procedures in 2024.

“[Plastic surgeons aren’t] the gatekeepers of [breast reduction] referrals,” Ghaznavi says. “Those are usually done through primary medical doctors [or] OB-GYNs that patients see, and then they get referred to us.”

Stroner remarked that the attitude she received from some doctors was as if they were telling her “you’re really young […] you don’t know what you’re doing.”

Hannan mentioned that some of her own patients had shared stories of previous physicians — often male physicians — writing off their pain and telling them to wait until they’re sure.

“There are approaches to doctoring where it’s very parental … that’s more common in older doctors where you go to the doctor, the doctor tells you what to do, and you follow his instructions,” Ghaznavi says. “[The] modern physician-patient relationship is about shared decision-making.”

“As long as [my patients] understand what the risks and benefits are and have a clear understanding of that, it’s their decision,” Ghaznavi says.

SATISFACTION GUARANTEE

Even if some patients are accused of getting a breast reduction too young or simply what others deem as ‘for the wrong reasons,’ most people are happy with their breast reductions. A 2012 study from the Annals of Plastic Surgery reported a 95% satisfaction rate among survey respondents.

“Very few things in life can make you look better and feel better,” Hannan says. “It’s a perfect harmony of improved aesthetics and better quality of life afterwards.”

According to Stroner, if you want to get a breast reduction, there’s a question you need to ask yourself: “[Are you] wanting a breast reduction to feel more confident in your skin [or] are you trying to fit an ideal that’s put on by somebody else?”

No matter your decision, it’s yours — not anyone else’s. So long as your doctor believes you.

Words: Stella Pihlstrom