Breast reduction, reduction mammoplasty

Indications Contraindications About the operation Prices Reviews Rehabilitation

Possible complications Operation results Photos of patients Our advantages Analyzes

Plastic surgery for breast reduction is performed for aesthetic and medical purposes. Too large, heavy breasts lead to overload of the spine, chronic pain in the neck, back, and shoulders. The cervical vertebrae are gradually deformed, and stooping progresses. The woman is worried about diaper rash, headaches, and breathing problems. When a too large bust negatively affects the quality of life, surgical breast reduction is performed.

Reduction mammoplasty is a complex procedure. It is necessary not only to adjust the size and improve the aesthetics of the shape, but also to preserve the sensitivity and natural functions of the gland. It is important that the operation is performed by an experienced surgeon who knows several techniques, knows how to minimize the number of scars, and correctly position the nipple relative to the areola.

Indications for breast reduction

excessive enlargement of the mammary glands due to hormonal therapy;
asymmetry, different sizes due to congenital characteristics, ptosis or pathologies occurring in the chest;
tissue proliferation due to hormonal imbalances;
unilateral or bilateral prolapse of the gland due to age, lactation.

Reduction surgery is advisable if breast size is larger than third, and this causes inconvenience in everyday life, creates aesthetic or medical problems. The intervention is complex and risky; there must be compelling objective reasons for surgical lifting or reduction of the mammary glands.

What causes excess bust volume?

The formation of large mammary glands in girls and women is influenced by several factors:

individual characteristics of the figure;
increased body weight with fat deposition in places typical for women;
hormonal proliferation of glandular tissue.

Most often, the reason for an increase in breast volume is precisely excess weight, since it is known that the mammary glands contain a lot of fatty tissue. But if a woman has a fragile physique and a large bust, then she should consult an endocrinologist and get tested for hormone levels.

Contraindications to reduction mammoplasty

endocrine disorders (before resorting to surgery, it is advisable to cure the underlying disease and normalize hormonal levels, perhaps there will be no need for surgery);
serious disturbances in the functioning of the respiratory and vascular systems;
impossibility of performing full anesthesia due to health conditions, exacerbation of existing diseases;
pregnancy and feeding;
minor age;
any types of mastopathy (consultation with a mammologist is required);
tumors;
diabetes;
impaired blood clotting.

Before surgery

When preparing for reduction mammoplasty, undergo the standard package of studies for this operation:

Blood and urine analysis (general + biochemical);
Coagulogram (blood test for clotting);
Tests for HIV, syphilis and hepatitis;
Mammography and ultrasound of the mammary glands;
Electrocardiogram.

You should also have a face-to-face consultation with an endocrinologist. If you need to undergo a course of hormone therapy, our specialist Kirill Listratenkov recommends that you undergo surgery after completing treatment so that the result is prolonged.

Preparing for surgery

First, the patient comes for a consultation so that the surgeon evaluates the condition of the mammary glands, listens to complaints, and objectively determines whether there is a need for breast reduction surgery. Next, he studies the structure, density of tissues, and features of the skin. Takes measurements and chooses tactics to achieve the required result, minimize tissue damage and the number of scars.

If the patient has serious endocrine disorders or is overweight, it is recommended that these problems be addressed before undergoing breast reduction. Mandatory preparation also includes: a complete health check, tests, including oncology tests, and consultation with a mammologist.

Effective methods for self-correction of breasts

Having set the goal of reducing their breasts at home, women do not disdain any advice on this matter. They don’t even think that some recommendations taken from the Internet or heard from a friend may not only be ineffective, but also to some extent dangerous. This applies to massage. This procedure is completely ineffective for correcting large bust sizes, since burning fat layers with its help is only possible when massage movements are performed for a long time and with force.

But the mammary gland is a very delicate organ, and such an indelicate attitude towards it will very quickly provoke mastopathy, which will make a woman who has chosen the wrong tactics to reduce breast size a regular patient of a mammologist. Therefore, when solving this issue, experts recommend that you first consult a doctor. Only together with a doctor can you choose a technique that is suitable for each specific case, allowing you to reduce your breasts without resorting to surgery. The following methods help to achieve visible results when solving this issue at home:

special gymnastic exercises that allow you to reduce the volume of fat in the mammary gland and at the same time strengthen muscle tissue, which will prevent it from sagging;
the use of time-tested folk remedies;
nutrition correction.

It’s no wonder that these techniques are popular among women who dream of reducing their bust size. All of them have long proven their effectiveness, and although they do not give such dramatic results as plastic surgery, they can quite easily reduce large breasts by 2, and in some cases, 3 sizes. It is about them that I want to talk in more detail.

Correcting a large bust with diets

Most often, in order to reduce large breast sizes, experts recommend adjusting your daily diet. Achieving the desired result in this way is achieved by reducing the fat layer, which is the main component of the female breast. In order to tighten the problem area to the desired size, you should give preference to foods containing a minimum amount of calories. In this case, the body will take it directly from its own fat to replenish the missing energy.

It has been scientifically proven that with every kilogram of weight you lose, your breasts shrink by 20 grams. In order for the breasts to reach a volume close to that recognized by international standards, it is necessary to create a daily menu in such a way that at least 2/3 of the diet is allocated to coarse fiber contained in the following products:

vegetables, fruits and herbs;
bread products made from wholemeal flour;
cereals, with the exception of semolina and white steamed rice.

It is also necessary to eat seafood and fish. There is general scientific evidence indicating that the polyunsaturated fatty acids, iodine and phospholipids they contain have a beneficial effect on bust reduction in women. But we should not forget that only the full ones can use this option to achieve the required volumes. It is absolutely not suitable for skinny women with large breasts.

Gymnastic exercises in the fight for results

Some physical exercises will also be effective for “tightening” the problem area. You can reduce your breast size by a couple of sizes by regularly performing the following complex:

Squeezing your palms will help strengthen and contract your bust muscles. We place them closed opposite the chest, with the fingers pointing straight up. Slowly squeeze your palms, applying increased force, and hold in this position for several seconds.
You can effectively burn fat while strengthening the muscle tissue of the mammary gland using the following movement. Lie on your back (the exercise can be performed both on the floor and on the sofa) and from this position slowly raise your legs, bent at the knees, to your chest and then lower them to the starting position.
Good for breast reduction and push-ups. They can be done not only from a lying position, but also while standing directly on your knees.

At least 20 approaches are used for each exercise from this complex. Only if this condition is met will a woman have a real opportunity to achieve certain results in a breast reduction procedure performed at home. Also, with the help of a specialist who selects exercise therapy complexes for a specific patient, you can select several special exercises to perform at your workplace during your lunch break.

Will traditional medicine recipes help?

Many women place their greatest hopes on the advice of their ancestors. The beneficial effect of herbal infusions in this case is undeniable and, although there are not so many recipes in the treasury of folk wisdom to help reduce breasts, the existing ones have long proven their high effectiveness. The compress of green poppy heads used by our grandmothers helps well in such a situation:

50 pieces of poppy seed pods that have not reached full maturity are filled with two glasses of water;
the future miracle remedy is placed over high heat, brought to a boil and kept at minimum temperature for 15 minutes;
The healing potion prepared in this way is cooled, filtered and applied at night as a compress to excessively large breasts.

The procedure should be done within two weeks, accompanying it with special gymnastic exercises for greater effectiveness. Products that promote breast reduction at home have also proven themselves to be effective, such as a mixture of rose, jojoba and grape seed oils, which is rubbed into the problem area. Its advantage is not only the ability to adjust the size of the mammary gland, but also to improve the condition of the skin of the breast, which will prevent the appearance of stretch marks. But oils are used only in conjunction with diet and exercise.

Visual method of breast correction

I would also like to say that many women prefer visual reduction of the mammary glands. To get a “visual result” you must first learn how to choose the right bra. It should be fairly simple, smooth and covering rather than constricting the breasts. Any tight intimate part of a woman’s toilet that compresses the mammary glands will certainly make the woman a permanent patient of the mammologist. Also, to visually reduce breasts, you should apply the following:

Remove from your wardrobe tight dresses with a high waist or deep neckline, and blouses with a square neckline.
Pay attention to the top of the toilet. It should always be a dark shade, which visually reduces large sizes.
Any large designs in the bust area are unacceptable. They will make your already voluminous breasts even larger.

Experts always advise women who are puzzled by the issue of breast reduction to first choose their clothes carefully. It is she who helps to hide and highlight everything that is necessary in each specific case. Optical illusion is the best solution when choosing a wardrobe.

How is breast reduction surgery performed?

Before starting surgery, the doctor makes markings. Next comes anesthesia - the anesthesiologist administers drugs through an intravenous catheter. The operation lasts 2.5-3 hours.

During the intervention, the surgeon excises the excess part of the gland and skin, while simultaneously shifting the nipple and areola to an aesthetically correct position, without disturbing trophism and innervation. After the operation, elastic micro-drainages are placed for 1-3 days. The surgeon applies intradermal sutures using high-quality suture material to form an even, invisible scar.

Risks

There are early and late complications.

Early ones appear within the first 12 hours after the end of the operation:

Hematoma is a local accumulation of blood associated with damage to blood vessels during surgery. Without timely treatment, the hematoma is complicated by suppuration or the formation of tissue necrosis.

Seroma is a cavity filled with fluid coming from injured lymph nodes.

Infection and suppuration of the suture when infection enters the cavity of a hematoma or seroma.

Necrotic damage to soft tissues due to impaired blood supply.

Late complications appear several months after breast reduction surgery.

Complete or partial loss of sensitivity in the nipple area.

The growth of coarse scar tissue at the site of postoperative scars.

Repeated increase in breast volume. The causes of secondary hypertrophy can be hormonal disorders, pregnancy and breastfeeding, growth of glandular breast tissue in girls under 18 years of age, and sudden weight loss.

Deformations of the areolar-nipple complex, nipple retraction.

Thrombophlebitis, thromboembolism.

Methods for reducing breast size

The choice of reduction mammoplasty method depends on the initial situation, the severity of aesthetic defects, and the wishes of the patient. There are several techniques for breast reduction. The incision can be made:

only around the areola;
around the areola and down to the inframammary fold;
around the areola, then down and along the inframammary fold;
in the form of a comma, directed with the ends towards the armpit (spair technique of visually invisible incisions).

Most often, depending on the volume of tissue that needs to be removed, the doctor creates surgical access in one of two ways:

performs an anchor T-shaped incision - this method is optimal for large volumes of tissue to be removed;
makes a vertical incision using the shortened scar technique if it is necessary to excise a small amount of tissue.

The second method is less traumatic, leaving only a barely noticeable scar around the nipple and a scar directed downward, masked by the inframammary fold.

How to dress correctly to visually reduce large breasts

Properly selected clothing will help women hide large curves. This, of course, will not solve the problem, but will enable the fairer sex to look more restrained and elegant, without a hint of depravity.

Stylists recommend that girls with large breasts wear a minimizing bra that does not add volume to the mammary glands. Active women should pay attention to the type of bodice. It should be designed for sports, have a wide base and harnesses, creating a reliable corset for the chest.

To make the mammary glands visually appear smaller, a woman needs to pay special attention to her wardrobe. Helps to divert attention from the décolleté area:

refusal of tight-fitting clothes, as well as tops with a V-shaped cut that emphasizes the chest line;
do not wear T-shirts with horizontal stripes; it is better if they are directed vertically;
buy clothes exclusively in your size;
give preference to tunics, shirts widened at the bottom and T-shirts with a shallow neckline;
combine the top with full skirts to highlight the hip line.

Stories from our patients:

Irina Shevchenko05/03/2021

To the best plastic surgeon in Russia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I would like to express my deep gratitude to Valery Grigorievich for his professionalism and my beautiful face. She had surgery on September 31, 2020, at the height of Covid19 restrictions. The clinic complies with all the necessary requirements for conducting surgery during Covid19. The operation was VERY SUCCESSFUL. Coming out of anesthesia was easy and not noticeable. My face is getting better and better every day and every month. Also, many thanks to the entire Estet Clinic team, everyone is in their place and all great professionals. Highly recommend!!!!!!

Yulia29.01.2021

Many thanks to the wonderful doctor Valery Grigorievich! I had rejuvenation surgery in 2021. Several years have passed, nothing has changed, only everything has gotten better! Especially the neck, you have no equal in this! There is no need to wait for quick rehabilitation and quick results! Everything will be great, but in a year... At least in my case, everything is individual! But, you are the best! I hope to meet you again, health permitting!

Tatyana K.07/17/2020

Thank you very much, Valery Grigorievich! I am so glad that I chose you for my surgery. I look 20-25 years younger now (at 59). I myself did not expect to see such a young face. I am very happy. My husband is surprised that this could happen. He also really likes the result. Many thanks to everyone who helped you - Tatyana Alexandrovna and Anna Sergeevna. Many thanks to the anesthesiologists and nurses. The operation and recovery from anesthesia were very easy for me. Thanks to Alexandra, she has always been and remains in touch. For those visiting the site and reading this review, I can add that the intervention was extensive: forehead endoscopy, SMAS, platysmaplasty and lower blepharoplasty. All this was done in 1 time - clearly, quickly, professionally. Therefore, there were no blue-black bruises at all. On the 3rd day, pale yellow bruises appeared under the eyes (already passing). There was no severe swelling. A week later, I calmly (wearing dark glasses) went out into the street. By now, 2 weeks have passed since the operation. The scarring process is completely painless, it is not visible from the outside. There remains a slight numbness of the chin, neck and forehead. But gradually sensitivity returns. You can feel it too. In general, the rehabilitation process is easy to bear, especially with such an emotional high from SUCH a stunning result. I don’t even want to wear makeup))

“Breast sensitivity finally returned only after four years”

I saw a mammologist, a cardiologist, had a fluorography done and went to the clinic for surgery. Before I lay down on the operating table, the surgeon came to me and drew marks on my body with a marker to understand which skin to leave and which to remove. During this process, you must stand, because when you lie down, the shape of the breast changes. From the outside it looks as if a tailor is making a pattern for a future dress on fabric.

Once in the waiting room I heard patients discussing my doctor: they say that it’s worth going to him only if he changes the anesthesiologist. Then I ignored this phrase and, as it turned out, in vain. When they began to send me to sleep, I felt that something had gone wrong: an allergic reaction began, I began to choke. I just couldn’t breathe, tried to throw off the oxygen mask, and then passed out. The operation was supposed to take three and a half hours, but I lay on the operating table for all seven.

In addition, after the operation I learned that not one doctor, but two, worked with me: no one warned me about the second doctor. He was working on the left breast and, apparently, made a mistake: I don’t know what exactly happened, but due to his oversight, blood circulation in the left areola was disrupted.

I woke up with approximately the same sensations with which I fell asleep - it was hard to breathe. They began to calm me down and put me on a gurney. Then they applied leeches to me. I didn’t feel anything: in general, after surgery, sensations in the chest area become dull. Hirudotherapy helped: later they would tell me that if it had not been possible to restore blood circulation, tissue necrosis would have begun and the areola would have had to be removed along with the nipple. By the way, breast sensitivity finally returned only four years later.

This is what the heroine's breasts looked like after the operation. To prevent this material from being blocked by distribution platforms, the Burning Hut editors had to cover up the nipples. Photo courtesy of Olga Prudnikova

Little did I realize. After the anesthesia it was difficult to open my eyes. When I was able to do this, I felt a burning pain. I saw nothing but blurry silhouettes and spots. As it turned out, this is how the body reacted to the wrong anesthesia. Vision returned only a day later.

My post-op adventures did not end there. Complications related to the nervous system began. I wanted to sleep during the day and stay awake after midnight. I'm a night owl in life. But at that time the biorhythms disappeared completely. The inability to rest gave me a constant headache. To return to my previous regimen, I was prescribed sleeping pills. I fell asleep with him for three months.

A little later it turned out that, in addition to everything else, a clump of hair the size of a ten-ruble coin fell out. Out of fear, I even got tested for lichen. But it turned out that these were also the consequences of general anesthesia. To hide the defect, I shaved my head for the second time in my life.

I didn’t want to sort things out. At first there was simply no time for this: I felt weak after the operation, I had problems sleeping and headaches. But even with all this, I was simply indecently happy and sincerely grateful that my dream had come true. And then everything healed and a new life began.

What was the cause of my health problems - doctors’ mistakes or an individual reaction of the body - I never finally found out.

Rehabilitation after breast reduction

If there are no complications, after 1-3 days the patient’s drainage is removed and she leaves the clinic. The recovery period depends on the volume and complexity of the plastic surgery. For at least a month, you must wear compression garments and come on the appointed days for follow-up examinations and dressings.

At the beginning of the rehabilitation period, you may experience pain, discomfort, swelling, and bruises. They pass on average after 5-6 days, after which the woman returns to normal daily life, with the exception of the pool, sauna, and increased physical activity for 4-6 weeks.

How to reduce breast size with exercise

What needs to be done to remove fat from the mammary glands, in addition to adjusting the diet and quality of nutrition? Naturally, lead an active lifestyle and improve your physical fitness at home or in the gym.

The main goal of exercise to help reduce breast fat is to engage the pectoral muscles. Pumping them up will improve blood circulation in the chest, normalize its innervation and reduce the percentage of adipose tissue to glandular tissue. Both girls and mature women can take advantage of a basic set of physical activities. They do not have a negative effect on the heart and do not deplete the body.

The following workouts will help make your décolleté and bust more elastic:

the most effective exercises are push-ups from the floor or from the knees, which should be done daily 10 times in three approaches to obtain a visible effect;
The bench press helps remove breast fat in women and reduce its amount on the chest;
bringing and spreading arms bent at the elbows on exercise machines, which gives a real opportunity to pump up the muscles in the problem area;
exercises with dumbbells, which should be raised in front of the chest in a lying or standing position.

Aerobics occupies a very important place in the training program to reduce breast size. With the help of these simple exercises, it is possible to significantly improve tissue metabolism and oxygen supply, which contributes to overall weight loss, including fat deposits in the mammary glands. To get a positive result, experts recommend attending classes at least 3-4 times a week.

Cardio exercises include not only gym exercises, but also sports such as swimming and cycling. This activity helps to quickly burn calories, improves the muscle tone of the body, and makes a woman’s figure slim, chiseled and attractive. The best type of such exercise is swimming on your back, when your arms make movements like a windmill. Half an hour of such training a day will give good results, which will become noticeable after two months.

The main limitation for women with large breasts is running, during which the mammary glands are subjected to intense movements from top to bottom. Which leads to their stretching and even greater increase. Such beauties can only run in support bras specially designed for this purpose. These bras act like a rigid corset and are designed to securely hold the breasts.

Possible complications

decreased sensitivity (skin, areola, nipples) in most cases is restored over time;
hypertrophied scars (surgical excision is possible after six months);
asymmetry of the mammary glands;
deformation of the nipple-areola complex (manifests in the form of nipple retraction, flattening of the contour, dystopia, disturbances in the contour of the areola);
deformation and drooping of the mammary glands due to stretching of the skin of the lower chest;
loss of ability to breastfeed.

Home remedies to help remove breast fat

Many women, in order to reduce their breasts without surgery, resort to traditional medicine. They are helped in this by a variety of masks and compresses prepared in their own kitchen.

To make a popular compress, which can be used to influence the volume of the mammary glands without surgery, you need to take:

poppy heads (pre-chopped using a meat grinder or blender) – 100 grams;
purified water – 1 liter.

Poppy heads should be boiled in prepared water for 15 minutes, and then allowed to steep until completely cool. Strain the resulting composition through gauze, and apply the solution twice a day to problem areas in the form of compresses.

When wondering whether it is possible to reduce breasts, women often come across information about the effectiveness of masks that allow you to burn subcutaneous fat in the mammary glands. As a rule, biologically active components contained in essential oils are used for their preparation. The most famous remedy for a large bust is a mixture of grape seed and jojoba extracts. It is better to mix the components in equal parts and apply the resulting oily complex to the skin of the chest, rubbing in with massage movements. The effect will become noticeable within a month, when the bust becomes smaller and the skin in the treatment area becomes more elastic.

Good results can be achieved if you use an egg white mask. It should be applied to the skin of the chest once a day, keeping it there for up to 30 minutes. After the specified time has passed, the mask should be washed off with warm water. The course of such treatment should last at least three months.

Result of breast reduction surgery

The changes are noticeable immediately, but the final result can be assessed after 6-8 months. The shape of the mammary glands becomes more natural and proportional. The nipple-areolar complex rises and takes its correct position. After 6-12 months, postoperative scars lighten and become almost invisible.

The sustainability of the result of reduction mammoplasty depends on compliance with restrictions during the rehabilitation period and the absence of sudden changes in weight. If these conditions are met, the new breast shape remains permanent.

See all photos

Postoperative period

After recovering from anesthesia, the patient must remain in the clinic for 2 hours under the supervision of a doctor.

Postoperative pain may be felt for up to 7 days. During this period it is necessary:

do not perform heavy physical work;
don't play sports.

Visits to bathhouses and saunas, trips to the solarium and swimming pool, sunbathing on the beach and swimming in open water are prohibited for six months. Correction of the volume and shape of the breast, carried out by a highly qualified experienced specialist who is able to take into account all the wishes of the patient, guarantees the expected breast shape and eliminates subsequent complications.

Photos of patients

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Behind

Scarring skin changes

Scars are an integral part of any operation, therefore, in the case of reduction mammoplasty, they cannot be avoided. At first they will be purple or red, but will gradually match your natural skin tone and will no longer be noticeable. The cosmetic seam is very thin, so it practically does not cause psychological discomfort to the patient. You also have the option of undergoing laser resurfacing. It is better to do this 4-6 months after surgery.

Please inform our specialist if you suffer from keloid disease.

Rehabilitation period after surgery

During the recovery period after surgery, you must follow all medical instructions and recommendations. The plastic surgeon must warn the patient in advance about all possible signs of postoperative complications and negative consequences. The final duration of rehabilitation cannot be determined in advance, since much depends on the individual characteristics of the woman’s body.

Drainage after mammoplasty

During the rehabilitation period, it is worth preparing for a number of circumstances and necessary actions:

Drainage care. The patient wears tubes to drain blood and other fluids until they are removed, which usually occurs at the first visit to the doctor (during the first week).

Caring for seams. The doctor informs the patient about the rules for caring for the incision sites. The seams must remain dry. Contact with liquids or cosmetics/detergents can lead to difficult wound healing and infection. Removal of sutures, if rehabilitation proceeds normally, occurs 1.5 weeks after surgery.

Regular measurement of body temperature. This is necessary to monitor the condition of the body and timely detection/elimination of wound infection.

Soreness. In the first days after surgery, the patient may feel severe pain, which will gradually become less pronounced. It is necessary to take all prescribed medications and follow all medical recommendations. The doctor can install a catheter to deliver painkillers to the wound area (this point should be clarified in advance with the surgeon individually).

Swelling. Surgical manipulations imply interference with the integrity of the tissues of a living organism, so it responds to them with the appearance of edema. Normally, swelling persists for 3-4 months, and at the end of this period it becomes barely noticeable. After surgical correction, the mammary glands will decrease in size and take on a new shape, so swelling is not noticeable in every case. If the problem persists for a long time, moderate activity and drinking plenty of fluids are recommended.

Hematomas. Their appearance depends on the technique of performing the intervention and the individual characteristics of the patient’s body. Other expected side effects include itching in the incision area, numbness/loss of sensation in the nipples, and hardening/swelling of one of the breasts. These symptoms gradually subside over a few weeks, but residual effects may persist for a couple of months.

Hematoma after mammoplasty

Rest and sleep. During sleep or rest, you must maintain an inclined position. To do this, you can place soft pillows under your head and back, or use folding chairs. This helps to quickly cope with swelling and reduce the severity of pain. To maintain a supine position and avoid chest injury, you can use pillows placed on the sides of the body and under the knees.

Water procedures. Before the stitches are removed, the patient will have to replace hygiene procedures with wiping with a wet sponge. At this time, it is also forbidden to raise your hands above your head, so you will need the help of loved ones to wash your hair.

Physical activity. During the recovery period after reduction mammoplasty, doctors recommend that patients take regular walks in the fresh air to prevent thrombosis and minimize swelling. But intense physical activity and activity should be avoided in the first 20-30 days after surgical breast correction. It is necessary to refrain from lifting heavy objects and raising your arms above your head until your doctor removes these restrictions. The rehabilitation period should take place with comfort for the patient. In total, it will take from 1.5 to 2.5 months, depending on the health condition and individual characteristics of the woman. A return to increased sports loads and usual physical activity will occur in approximately 6 months.

Scarring. The type and visibility of scars depends on the type of incisions made by the surgeon. Some post-operative sutures will be hidden in the natural contours of the mammary glands. Of course, scars after incisions cannot be eliminated in a short time, but over time they become less noticeable and merge with the skin. Modern plastic surgery creates all the conditions and makes efforts to minimize this problem.