When you look down, what do you see? Whether your chest is on the small side, the large side, or what you’d consider the perfect size for your body, you probably have a few complaints.
Sarah looked down at a very small chest—barely a size A—that couldn’t hold up the clothes she wanted to wear. Elise looked down at a very large, triple-D chest that couldn’t easily fit into clothes and got in the way of her daily life. Both of their breast sizes became part of not only how others identified them, but part of their own body images, as well. Uncomfortable with their own chests, both wanted to better reflect the confident women they really were.
So they did something about it. They underwent surgeries to change their breasts, and neither could be happier with their decision.
Growing, in more than one way
Sarah had that all-American image Hooters customers look for when she spent the summer before her freshman year waitressing there. But something made her different from the quintessential Hooters Girl.
“I was like a -32A,” says the senior writing, literature & publishing major. “I had nothing.”
But that summer, Sarah turned 18, which is the minimum age the FDA requires a woman to reach before she can get a breast augmentation. After gaining her parents approval, she met with five cosmetic surgeons, chose one that made her feel most comfortable, and spent the next several months making sure her eagerness for implants wasn’t just a fleeting feeling. “You have to go into it knowing you’re putting your life on the line,” she says. “You have to really know you’re not going to be happy unless you do this.”
Sarah also had to make sure it would be well worth the price. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the national average fee in 2009 for a breast augmentation was more than $3,000, and the surgery isn’t covered by health insurance. Sarah says she spent more than the national average for what she feels was better care and better results than some girls get spending less money. Sarah also says she covered the cost herself.
“I could not imagine my dad paying for my boobs,” she says. “You have to know what the surgery costs, and I don’t think at 17 you really appreciate what it costs you, financially and emotionally.”
Sarah went under the knife and got saline-filled implants right after her freshman year ended, more than two years ago. Her surgery was a success, but it took her a while to get used to her new 34C-sized chest. “It probably took almost a year for my mind’s eye to adjust to what was there,” she says.
While the surgery wasn’t a “cure-all” for body image, Sarah says it made her feel more comfortable in her own skin and is one of the best things she has ever done for herself. “I had hips and no chest, and clothes would just flop over on me,” she says. “I don’t feel like I look like a little boy anymore. You feel like you’re actually a woman for the first time.”
That’s how most people out in the real world view Sarah, at least. “People just think that I have a great rack,” she says, laughing. “Every once in a while I put on a v-neck shirt, but they’re not Ds. You can’t tell at all.”
Losing to gain
Much like Sarah, Elise also stood out from the crowd—especially in middle school, when she frequently had to ask her mother to bring her shopping for bigger bras to fit the size-D breasts on her thin adolescent frame. Along with her breasts, Elise developed a good sense of humor for when her friends would poke fun at them.
“It effects your body image and your self-image a lot,” the senior says. “I’m a confident person, so it’s not something that I took to heart too much, but it’s something that did affect me.”
By the time Elise was a sophomore in college, her bra size was larger than a triple-D, and it was starting to affect her academic career. As a musical theatre major, she was physically uncomfortable dancing. “That’s kind of what motivated me,” she says. “I thought, maybe I should do something about this thing that affects my whole life.”
Elise spent her spring break that year researching breast reductions. She met with a few doctors, chose one, and had her surgery right after her sophomore year ended. Soon after, she put on a sweatshirt, zipped it up, and realized how much had changed for her. “It didn’t pull, and I was like, huh, this has never happened before,” she says.
According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the national average fee for a breast reduction in 2009 was more than $5,000, but health insurance may cover it. Elise says her parents were very supportive and were willing to pay for her surgery, which was less than $5,000. Her health insurance did not cover the procedure.
But the price was worth it. Elise’s breasts are now a small size D, which might not seem like much of a reduction, but it made a big difference for her. Elise says she is not nearly as conscious of, or self-conscious about, her chest as she used to be. “It was weird to think, ‘Oh, I really like my boobs now,’” she says. “It was kind of the starting point to having a better body image and feeling more confident.”
The risks
With any surgery comes risks. Read Mayo Clinic’s guide to the risks of breast reduction, and these guides from the FDA about the risks of getting breast implants and what goes into their maintenance, which usually requires additional surgeries. Also, read a New York Times report on the FDA’s recent finding that breast implants pose a small risk for a “rare but treatable” type of cancer. Sarah says this risk does not cause her any more concern than other risks associated with her surgery.
What about you?
Both Sarah and Elise had successful experiences with breast surgery. How do you feel about your chest? Would you do the same, or leave yours as is? Comment, or tell us on Twitter: @HCEmerson.
Author’s note: Sarah’s and Elise’s last names were omitted so this article would not appear when searching their full names online.