Breast Reduction Size Chart: Your Comprehensive Guide

Posted May 04, 2026 in Breast Reduction

You know you want breast reduction (reduction mammaplasty), but do you know how small to go? For many women, choosing the right size is more challenging than it sounds. Fortunately, a breast reduction size chart can help you visualize your new breast size and gather the information your insurance company may need to determine coverage for your surgery. This blog covers the basics of a breast reduction size chart, from understanding your body surface area (BSA) for insurance eligibility to determining the right cup size for your body proportions.

5 Min Read:

Aligning Your Breast Reduction Goals With Your Plastic Surgeon

A breast reduction size chart is invaluable for helping you and your surgeon align on your surgical goals. Your surgeon can use a chart to compare your current cup size with the size you would like to achieve to determine how much tissue to remove to produce an optimal outcome.

Your surgeon can combine the breast reduction chart with photos of previous patients to help you better visualize your results. Breast reduction surgery can also alter the shape and position of the breast, particularly if you combine a breast lift with your reduction. The size chart and photos ensure you have realistic expectations for your breast reduction.

Breast Reduction, Tissue Amounts, and Cup Size

Women often equate changes in breast size to cup size, since this is easier to visualize. Your plastic surgeon can use a breast chart like this to determine how much breast tissue to remove:

One cup size reduction = 200–300 grams of tissue per breast

Two cup sizes reduction = 400–500 grams of tissue per breast

Three cup sizes reduction = 600–800 grams of tissue per breast

Multiple cup size reduction = 1,000+ grams of tissue per breast

This chart provides only a general estimate. Actual amounts can vary based on a patient’s breast composition, density, and body proportions. However, the chart can provide a foundation for creating your customized breast reduction plan.

Determining Insurance Coverage for Breast Reduction

A breast reduction size chart is also necessary for women who want to know whether their insurance will cover all or a part of their breast reduction surgery. Insurance providers will cover reductions that are considered medically necessary, which is indicated by:

• Chronic back, neck, or shoulder pain
• Persistent skin rashes or infections
• Inability to perform daily activities due to breast size
• Numbness or weakness in the arms and hands

Women must also maintain a stable weight and have a documented history of physical symptoms for a specific duration. Finally, insurance companies assess the amount of tissue to be removed from each breast using a breast reduction size chart known as the Schnur Scale.

What Is the Schnur Sliding Scale?

A plastic surgeon studying women undergoing breast reduction for medical reasons developed the Schnur Sliding Scale. The chart uses the patient’s body surface area (BSA) and the average weight of removed breast tissue to determine necessity. Patients who fall below the 22nd percentile in this chart are considered cosmetic surgery patients. Patients above the 22nd percentile fall into the medically necessary group when the other criteria are met.

First, your surgeon takes accurate measurements of your height and weight. Those numbers are fed into a body surface area calculator to obtain a patient’s BSA. The BSA is then plugged into the Schnur Sliding Scale (shown below) to determine the minimum amount of breast tissue your surgeon must remove for your surgery to qualify as medically necessary.

The Schnur Sliding Scale Breast Reduction Size Chart

Considering Breast Reduction in New York City, NY?

Breast reduction is often more than a cosmetic procedure. Women may experience relief from painful symptoms and a return to normal activity levels. A breast sizing chart helps you and your surgeon align on your surgery goals and may help you obtain insurance coverage for your procedure.

Dr. Eric Cha is a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York City, specializing in aesthetic plastic and reconstructive surgery. If you would like to learn more about Dr. Cha or breast reduction surgery in NYC, call Fifth Avenue Plastic Surgery at (212) 717-2222 or complete our online contact form to schedule your consultation.