Occasionally breast growth can be unusually excessive in the young teenage female. Breast over development can be severe enough to result in social withdrawal leading to a delay in developing important social skills. Young teenage females with excessively large breasts often fail to participate in sports or other athletic activities. If large breasts significantly impact the quality of a young woman’s life and prevent normal social development it is reasonable to consider breast reduction as an option. Ideally one should wait until breast development has stabilized which often occurs in the 16-18-year-old age range. If over development of the breast is severe enough, however, it is reasonable to proceed with breast reduction even as young as 14 knowing that breast growth has not finished. In order to determine whether or not insurance will cover it pre-authorization will be required. After you consult with your plastic surgeon a letter will be sent to your insurance company. The letter will include specific complaints and appropriate codes required by the insurance company. The letter will be accompanied by photographs and the recommendation regarding how much breast tissue is to be removed. Very commonly it takes 6-8 weeks to receive an answer.