Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Community Conversation => Transitioning => Hormone replacement therapy => Topic started by: tg_nerd on December 16, 2012, 11:56:35 PM

Title: Breast reduction when younger, Can I still develop breasts?
Post by: tg_nerd on December 16, 2012, 11:56:35 PM
Hi All!  I would love anyone's input on this situation that i'm in.

When i was a teenager I was overweight and had developed pretty good size man boobs. I was picked on a lot in school all the way up to 12th grade. The summer between 11th and 12th I was fed up with being heavy so i ran a LOT and didn't eat almost anything for the entire summer. (yes, i know this isn't a healthy way of losing weight) It brought me from 320 to about 240lbs. I started working out at a gym when school started and I eventually got down to 170lbs. I still had breasts and before i went to college i had plastic surgery to remove them. Kind of like a fresh start in a new school.

Now i'm 32. I've been on Estrogen (shots weekly and pills daily) and spiro daily for about 2 months. I just added progesterone (monthly shots)   Does anyone know if I will be able to develop breasts.  The hormones are not just to develop breasts. I am a transitioning MtF.

I'm just wondering if anyone know if in theory I should be able to still develop breasts or if I should just plan on implants. I've already started my implants fund because i've known for a while that I'd eventually want them.


Thank you everyone for your help!!

XOXO

Trin
Title: Re: Breast reduction when younger, Can I still develop breasts?
Post by: Jamie D on December 17, 2012, 12:05:02 AM
It is the conventional medical wisdom that XY males are born with as many fat cells as they are ever going to have.  Not so with XX females, who apparently develop additional fat cells at puberty, distributed primarily in the breasts, hips and buttocks.

A MtF taking HRT including an Estrogen will develop new fat cells in the normal female pattern.  How much less growth you might have because of  a previous liposuction(?) remains to be seen.
Title: Re: Breast reduction when younger, Can I still develop breasts?
Post by: blueconstancy on December 17, 2012, 06:40:28 AM
It would likely depend on what was done in the reduction. If it was purely liposuction (fat removal) you should be fine, because the body finds ways to re-deposit fat there. If actual breast tissue (glands and/or ducts) was removed, I'd assume it would cause problems with later growth.  My speculation would be that the surgeons aren't necessarily as careful about preserving the breast tissue when operating on "men," because they're actively trying to prevent a recurrence of the breast growth, but there's still no way to know specifically what was done in your case. The good news is that you do have history to show that your body *wants* to make breasts. :)

I have also known cis men with gynecomastia who had surgery and still had the problem return; one has been through three reductions now. So you never know.