'I feel liberated. I feel I can be my own person. A sexual identity was placed on me when I was 12 years old and that really restricted and defined my identity. Now, all of my options have increased, from the clothing I can wear (the same size top and bottom!) to the activities I enjoy to the parts I am offered. I'd say it was the best decision I ever made. It truly changed my life...for the better.'

Shrink your breasts, build your career

In an exclusive interview in Marie Claire, Janeane Garofalo says, 'One of the first things I did to move forward with my career was to get a breast reduction...being a small person with big boobs standing in front of an audience was not going to be easy. It would be really hard to get people to pay attention to me without mocking me.'

Similarly, Walker, the opera singer, says auditions were especially difficult. She was automatically type-cast because of her breast size, and not offered a wide range of roles.

'Whether auditioning for a part or just meeting friends in a social setting, people identified and categorized me by the size of my breasts. And hey, there's a lot more to me than boobs!' says Amelia.

You certainly don't have to be a performer to feel frustrated when people make assumptions about you and your personality based on your appearance. In any career, large breasts can taint people's perception of you and even affect your credibility.

Breast size through the ages

The motivation for having breast reduction surgery varies with a patient's age. For teenagers and young adults it's primarily an emotional decision; as women get older it becomes more of a practical choice.

'I've never had a teenage patient not cry when they first come to me,' says Dr. Casas. 'For them, it's such an emotional issue. They suffer from teasing and embarrassment along with all the physical pain and functional abnormality. Big breasts are devastating, socially, when you're a teenager.'

View before & after photographs of breast reduction procedures.

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