I had boobs like Baywatch’s Pamela Anderson but had a reduction – it’s my biggest regret, they’re tiny
IT seems big breasts are no longer in style, as #breastreduction attracts more than 1.5billion views on TikTok.
Women across the world are sharing how surgery has eased their discomfort and backache, and improved their look.
Plastic surgeons are now seeing a ripple effect as thousands opt for smaller boobs.
Dr Yannis Alexandrides, of 111 Harley St, London, says: “Statistically, we’ve seen a 20 per cent spike in breast reduction inquiries to our clinic from January 2022 up to the present.
“That could be due to the procedure trending on social media.”
According to the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS), there has been a 120 per cent rise in the procedure since 2021.
But many women now say they bitterly regret their decision to go under the knife.
Property finder Andrea Hewitt, 48, used to be a 30F but opted for surgery after breastfeeding left her chest saggy.
She says: “I grew up in the Nineties, the era of Baywatch and Pamela Anderson. I wanted to be like her.
“Suddenly, in my teens, my wish was granted. I developed 30F breasts and was so proud of them — they became part of my personality.
“Then I got married and had a son. After breastfeeding, my chest went south and I longed for my pert boobs back.
“Six months ago, I decided enough was enough. I found a private clinic and they told me they could lift me up with a reduction.”
Andrea, who lives with husband Steve and son Byron, 13, in Chobham, Surrey, had surgery to take her down to a size 30D.
But she was immediately sorry she had done it.
She says: “When I came round from surgery, I felt where my big boobs had once been and there was nothing there.
Scars and lumps
“And when I’d recovered well enough to try a bra on, I was so disappointed. They were non-existent. Yes, they were perky but they were tiny. I could just about fill a D-cup and I remember wailing, ‘Where are my boobs?’.
“They had always been part of the loud, gregarious me, but now they were gone.
“When I told my husband how much I missed them, he looked relieved and said, ‘I miss them too’.”
Andrea now cannot wait to return to the surgeon’s table to restore her breasts to their former size.
She says: “When I’ve fully healed, I’ll have implants. I want to go back up to an F. I thought smaller, perky boobs were what I wanted, but now I know that this isn’t the case. My ample chest was what made me.”
In the UK, breast reduction surgery costs around £6,500, plus the cost of any consultations and follow-up care.
It is usually carried out under general anaesthetic and involves moving the nipples and removing excess fat, glandular tissue and skin from your breasts.
A drain may be inserted to prevent a build-up of fluid from forming and causing swelling and discomfort, and also to minimise any bruising to the area.
Although rare, breast regrowth can occur post-surgery, owing to pregnancy, weight gain or hormonal changes.
Teacher Kerrie Goodwin, 43, from Caerphilly, South Wales, had her breasts reduced from a 36II to a 36C. But they grew back over time, only with unsightly scars and lumps.
She says: “When I was 15, I was already a 36E and I hated my boobs.
“Boys — and even grown men — made comments and I swore one day that I’d get them reduced.
“When I was 33, I’d ballooned to a 36II. I had to get bras from special online shops because no high street store sold them that big. Because I had crippling back pain, and due to the general misery of having such large breasts, I was offered surgery on the NHS.
“When I came round from the op, I was in agony, but I told myself it would be worth it.
“Then, ten days later, I had my dressings removed.
To my horror, my boobs were not only much smaller than I had imagined, but I also had terrible scarring and holes or dimples underneath them.
“I asked my consultant what was going on and he said it would settle.
“But even a year later, the holes were still there and the scarring was still visible.
“I wondered what on earth I had done. I had traded attention and unwanted groping for painful, scarred breasts.
“I’ve since put on some weight, which has made my boobs grow slightly bigger, but they haven’t grown back in the same way — they’re lumpy.”
Kerrie, who is single, was also left unable to feed her baby.
She says: “When I gave birth to my daughter, who is now 15 months old, I couldn’t breastfeed.
“The surgery had involved nipple detachment and reattachment, so I knew that my breasts would never function properly.
“But I was devastated and now just wish that I had never undergone the surgery at all.”
Similarly, in March this year, IT manager Marianne Berry, 52, had her breasts reduced from a 36G to a B-cup on the NHS after experiencing back pain, skin sores and under-boob rashes — and complications arose soon after surgery.
Marianne, from Milton Keynes, Bucks, says: “After having my two children, now aged 19 and 14, my boobs were a 36G and barely recognisable.
“I couldn’t buy bras that fitted properly and the back pain affected my work.
“I was thrilled to get surgery, but when my drains were removed it tore a small hole in my right boob. Within two days it started seeping and smelling.
“A week later I was then rushed to urgent care and had to have the wound debrided.
“Doctors placed a special vacuum bag over the wound to remove fluid. It was attached to a pump that I had to carry around for two weeks.
“I’d wanted perky, smaller boobs but instead they are scarred and misshapen.
“The pain of the infection and treatment lasted for six weeks and even now I still don’t feel like I’ve recovered.
“I thought reductions were less risky, but it’s made life more complicated.
“My boobs are now an odd shape and I feel I’ve lost the natural, curvy look I used to have. I’ve lost my confidence.”
BAAPS President Marc Pacifico warns: “Think twice before going ahead with any cosmetic procedure — have two consultations and give yourself time to reflect on your decision and your choices.”