Voice of London

Medical reasons or pure vanity, why do so many millennials turn to breast surgery?

Breast augmentations and implants may not be as popular as 10 years ago but breast surgery continues to seduce more and more young people worldwide. The development of new plastic surgery techniques and procedures such as remodelling or lifting makes boob jobs very popular especially with the X generation.

Leopoldine, a 23 years old French law student had breast remodelling for her 18^th Birthday. Meghna, a 20 years old Indian student, on the other hand, had breast surgery for medical reasons. These two millennials shared with us the story behind their boob jobs.

The culture of social media and selfies has changed people’s perception of their physical appearance. It became an obsession for the young generation to look like the photoshopped or filtered version of themselves. This is the reason why plastic surgery became so popular. It appears like the easy solution to get the perfect body features that would be impossible to get naturally.

The multitude of young celebrities that had plastic surgery also helped popularize it in the eyes of teenagers. From Kylie Jenner’s lip fillers to Heidi Montag’s breast enlargement, it sets an example for their fans that makes cosmetic surgery banal.

Leopoldine, like many other women, was always focus on the asymmetry of her breast. “My breasts were unequal and it was always a big complex for me”. She was set on having a boob job since she was 15 years old in order to have the perfect cleavage she desired.

It is another story for girls, like Meghna, who have medical reasons behind their operations. In her case, she had to get rid of a cyst and needed the operation. Another popular reason for medical breast surgery is breast reduction. The weight and volume of large bosom are often the cause of severe back problems and an operation is often necessary.

Whatever your motives are to go under the knife, you should take it very seriously as it is a heavy medical procedure. Breast surgery is often seen as an easy fix with instant results and gratifications. It can be good solution and bring positive changes to someone’s life, but it is not as easy as it looks and has serious consequences.

Leopoldine remembers her journey from her operation to her recovery:
“Before the operation, the doctor asked me to take a disinfectant shower and have empty stomach on the D day. Then I was under total anaesthesia for several hours during the procedure. When I woke up I was in a lot of pain. The painkillers helped but the recovery was still a bit of a journey. I had to wear a medical bra day and night for two month.”
Meghna went through a similar process. Both are now very happy with the results despite the inevitable scars.

No matter where in the world you go for your operation, breast surgery is expensive. It goes from £2500 in Eastern Europe and the Middle East to over £5000 in the UK, Germany or the USA. It is a considerable budget especially for young people.

Most of millennials’ plastic surgery operations are paid for by their parents. Boob jobs became a very popular 18^th birthday present especially for girls in South America, like in Brazil and Mexico. It is very common in Europe as well. Leopoldine, for example, had her breast surgery as a gift for her 18^th birthday.

Surprisingly it also became very trendy to give your children a new pair of breasts to celebrate their graduations. Dr Dara Liotta is a plastic surgeon in New York City who is affiliated with RealSelf. In an interview for fashionista.com, she said: “Graduation is a popular time for these kinds of gifts because it gives graduates an opportunity to enter the next phase of their life looking on the outside how they see themselves on the inside.”

The evolution of mores and mentalities helped the popularization of breast surgery. There is no social stigma anymore. You will not be automatically categorized as a bimbo if you decide to have breast surgery. Meghna said that she was “very pleased with the reactions of her friends, family and people in general”. Same for Leopoldine: “my friends and family were very supportive of my project. They knew it was what I wanted and needed. Now I feel confident and happy in my own skin.”

In conclusion, breast surgery can be a positive and life changing event that will allow you to feel more confident and at ease with yourself. But it needs to be taken seriously and be well thought about. Even if this procedure is very popular, it is important to realise that there are no perfect bodies even with the help of plastic surgery. The results vary from a body to another and there are a lot of factor to take into consideration.
So, if like many other millennials, you decided that breast surgery is something for you, choose a trustworthy surgeon and take the recovery process seriously.

Words: Victoire Bret / Subbing: You Zhou