Breast Implants: The Emotional Journey Behind It

Residing in Orange County, California, i’m no stranger to breast implants. Every OC girl is constantly surrounded by women and their large chest assets. In an environment like this, does having small breasts make one feel less feminine?

Nude woman covering breasts with breast implants, cropped viewWhen I was 16 years old, I took a leap of faith and went straight to my super conservative parents and told them I wanted a boob job. Thanks to my plastic surgeon cousin, I could receive a boob job for a fraction of the cost; but…is it really worth it? Serious question for myself. I don’t want to look superficial…I don’t want to look fake…I don’t want to attract the wrong type of attention from the wrong type of men. Is it really worth it just for one cup size bigger? Ya know, so I can feel more confident in my bikini and tight dresses (like I honestly ever wear any of the two, anyway). But am I doing it for myself? I’d like to think I am…but I can honestly say I’m probably not. I’m doing it to be more visually appealing to others. Would it be healthy to proceed on with it? (I still haven’t gotten breast implants!)

My Uncle has requested me to write an article about the psychological aspect of breast implants. His wife came to America from Vietnam (aka the land of small breasts) and prior to coming here, she shared her insecurity of not having large breasts like the majority of women in America.

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, breast augmentation is the top cosmetic surgery performed today, with a total of 307,000 women in America receiving the implants in 2011.

Breast implants have proven to be positive for the majority of women who undergo the treatment: an increase in self-esteem, body image and sexual satisfaction. On the other hand, it’s proven to further deepen psychological problems, like body dysmorphic disorder and depression, amongst a good percentage of the women.

breast-augmentationIt’s crucial to step into a breast augmentation with realistic expectations, don’t assume that you’ll come out with a newly found transformation that will result in a highly satisfying life from there forth. David K. Wellische, professor of psychiatry at UCLA says: “[many women I’ve encountered] simply aren’t happy with their bodies and wish to improve them. They have realistic expectations that if this is done, they will look more satisfying to their own eye and to others. But their self-esteem does not depend on it.That’s the key word: self-esteem. Please don’t expect your self-esteem to sky-rocket right after, especially if you enter the surgery with a drastically low one. Breast implants can be a remarkably positive procedure-as long as the women entering it are already emotionally stable and confident beforehand.

Plastic surgeons of the hit show Botched refuse to do cosmetic surgery on any patient who has body dysmorphic disorder. Similarly, Dr. Rohrich in Dallas, Texas, constantly encounters the patient with unrealistic expectations-the one who’s doing it not for themselves: “I want to do it if the patient is doing it for themselves-not for their new boyfriend, or to save their marriage.” He goes on to further say that he won’t treat patients who are going through major life changes, like divorce or death in the family. “I tell them up front it won’t change your life, won’t get you a new job, and won’t get you more dates.”

Unrealistic post-op expectations form in those that have fragile self-esteems. They strongly dislike their physical appearance now and often times, they think they’ll reach their ideal image post-op. Breast augmentation might bring temporary happiness for these women… but no cosmetic procedure can 100% positively transform a fragile soul. Many women seek out cosmetic procedures with the desire that they will come out a new person, and then build a “new found happy lifestyle” right after.

After this procedure, most women who suffer from body dysmorphic disorder or low self-esteem tend to then focus on their other “physical flaws”. “Oh big nose? Let’s get that fixed. How about just a little botox right here? Okay, maybe a lot of botox right here.”

A study was conducted among 24, 600 women by two Universite Laval Faculty of Medicine researchers and colleagues from the Canadian Public Health Agency and Cancer Care Ontario. The findings were published in the American Journal of Epidemiology and revealed that the suicide rate among women with breast implants is 73% higher than in the general population.

With all that said, what is your take on breast implants? Do you think it’s worth undergoing the procedure? Men: would you much rather prefer women keep it natural (even if they have small or “imperfect” breasts)? If the answer is yes, then how come so often are people highly attracted to Playboy models who, often times, have over the top breast implants?

Xoxo,

Chrissy

http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2006/09/21/breast-implants-dont-solve-underlying-self-esteem-issues/

http://www.webmd.com/beauty/breast-implants/how-will-breast-implants-change-your-life

http://www.bayshorecosmeticsurgery.com/category/breast-implants

http://www.kvnuforthepeople.com/finding-right-surgeon-is-crucial-to-successful-breast-implant-surgery/

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  1. I loved when you mentioned how you should have realistic expectations when looking into breast augmentation. It is important to understand that doing this can help you get the results you want. As I see it, checking with a professional can help you understand more.

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