I’m cupping a set of perfect breasts. They overspill my palms a little – they
are roughly a C – so it’s hard to keep them steady. Their shape – round,
medium projection – is what many women dream of. Well, they’re not breasts,
strictly speaking. I am holding a set of £200 (wholesale price),
state-of-the-art silicone implants. In these clear, rubbery sacs, filled
with something that looks like grey turkish delight, lies the key to
happiness for a fast-growing number of British women.
Breast enhancement is now the most common cosmetic-surgery operation in the
western world. In Britain, boob jobs have been steadily gaining popularity
since the 1960s, but last year the number of operations rose by 30%. The
official statistics from the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic
Surgeons (BAAPS) say that 6,156 breast augmentations were carried out in
2006, but, since many practitioners are not members of BAAPS, experts agree
that trebling that figure would give a more accurate picture.
Talk to any surgeon, and they’ll tell you that the reason for the sudden
increase is that intelligent, middle-class, thoroughly un-Barbie-ish women
want to improve their cleavage – subtly. The women looking for juicier jugs
are not dolly birds. They are businesswomen, mums, marrieds, divorcées and
well over 30. They don’t want Playboy-bunny, look-at-me tits – they just
don’t want pity-me ones. These are women whose beauty icons are Cate
Blanchett and Nigella Lawson. They don’t even want new boobs, really; they
just want the old ones back. And, these days, they can get them. Changes in
the operation have helped: the old-style missiles occurred because the
silicone sac (saline was always the other option, but, frankly, not as good)
was placed on top of the pectoral muscle. For the latest “teardrop”, Liz
Hurley-style shape, you can elect to have the sac placed under the muscle.
You can also choose a slightly pendulous silicone sac, to avoid the
lap-dancer look. Dai Davies, one of Britain’s most in-demand cosmetic
surgeons, says: “Fifteen years ago, the typical woman coming for breast
surgery was young and single and sort of out there. They wanted bigger,
rounder, noticeable breasts. Now, she’s in her late thirties to early
forties, she has had a couple of children and she wants something discreet.
Something her friends may not even notice, but that will make her feel more
confident and look better. Over time, women lose volume from their breasts,
and the typical candidate now wishes simply to correct that.”
Patrick Whitfield, medical director of the Harley Medical Group, has been
fine-tuning breasts since the 1960s. “There will always be young girls who
want them as big as they can get them, but most women now want a natural
look, and the clientele is getting older. I gave a 56-year-old woman
implants recently. They were a wedding present to herself.”
Even a decade ago, a grown-up woman might simply have accepted the state of
affairs on her chest once it had passed its peak pertness, and booked an
appointment at Rigby & Peller. But no longer. In the 21st century,
there’s a sense of injustice at what happens to our breasts when we hit our
late thirties. If you embrace complex carbohydrates, Pilates, Crème de la
Mer and a good hairdresser, you can look roughly as hot at 38 as you did at
26, but without a bra, your rack will let you down, especially if you’ve
breast-fed a baby or two. There are no muscles in our breasts that we can
train or tone into youthful submission. Tits can’t lie. Tits will say you’re
middle-aged at 35, regardless of whether the rest of your body submits to
age. Getting them to keep shtoom costs about £4,000.
Louise, who runs a business in Harrogate, has just celebrated her 35th
birthday. “I felt I was in my prime, but my boobs were like empty sacks.
After I had my daughter, who’s now eight, I was a size 16. I finally lost
the weight and got down to a 10. Everyone thought I had the perfect figure,
and I did look good in clothes, but I was so unhappy with how my body looked
naked. I hated taking my bra off in front of my partner. I even kept it on
for sex.” Six months ago, she got some round, softly pointy implants, and
she says she couldn’t be happier. Two of her friends have followed suit.
Once they’ve had the operation, many women find scores of others coming out of
the closet. Julianne, 40, who has just come back from a holiday, says: “It
was the first time I’d been in a bikini since I’d had them done, and I’ve
got to say it was a wonderful feeling. My bust isn’t much bigger; it’s just
better. Once you’ve had them done, you find it very easy to spot others who
have, and there were plenty round the pool. By the end of the holiday, we
were all drinking cocktails and comparing notes. It is a comfort to know
that everyone’s doing it.”
It has to be said, too, that plastic surgeons have benefited from Britain’s
rising number of failed marriages. One postop woman told me: “I didn’t mind
my exhusband seeing the state of my boobs. At least he knew what they were
like when I was 25, and he appreciated the work my breasts had done for the
children we had together. We split up when I was 41, and the thought of
being back on the market with tits like floppy puppy’s ears was too much to
stand.”
The middle-youth clamour to go under the knife also reflects a new confidence
in the very notion of cosmetic surgery. A few years ago, a filled-out bosom
was something of a freak show. We associated it with the likes of Lolo
Ferrari and – bless her – Dolly Parton. Collectively, surgeons in Britain
now have tens of thousands of successful operations under their belts, and
there is a wealth of expertise in London. Rajiv Grover, a sought-after
Harley Street surgeon, says: “Women are a lot more knowledgeable about what
is available. They are aware that implant technology has come on in leaps
and bounds. There are rarely concerns about the safety, and they know they
can have a natural-looking result. They don’t have to have a shelf under
their chin; they can have a gentle slope – something that’s appropriate
for their age.”
With all the talk of perfectly angled nipples and just-so gradients, it’s easy
to forget that there is a rather gory operation under general anaesthetic at
the centre of things. The typical, simple operation involves a 2in incision
at the bottom of the breast, through which the implant is fed. Some choose
to be cut under the armpit for discretion’s sake, or, in very rare cases,
the bellybutton. Some even have a postpartum tummy tuck and boob job
simultaneously – with the surgeon tunnelling upwards through an opening
in the belly. If an uplift is included as well as an implant –
increasingly common for the new breed of client – the nipple is cut out
around the areola and repositioned a few centimetres north. According to the
plastic surgeons, you are officially droopy if your nipple is below the
crease under your boob. Sufferers can probably hold a pencil or two, hands
free. The cost of correcting that sorry state and popping in some implants
is about £6,000.
Cynthia, 38, a divorcée from north London, was “lifted and filled” a year ago:
“I sort of blanked out the fact that there’d be an op and thought only of
the end result. I woke up with these ridiculously swollen orbs. Nobody had
misled me, but I was shocked. There was a lot of water retention, and they
were tender and uncomfortable. It was a week before I got a proper night’s
sleep. I’m so happy with my body now; I wouldn’t have it any other way. I
just hadn’t considered the discomfort that would come.”
There are other downsides to consider. Capsular contraction, a condition in
which the breast hardens as a reaction to the introduction of a foreign
body, occurs in about 5% of women. Of course, there’s no way of telling
beforehand whether your body will react in this way. Some just live with the
unsatisfactory result; others have the implants taken out. The hardening can
occur up to two years after the operation, and not always in both breasts.
One surgeon I spoke to suspects that capsular contraction provides an
explanation for Victoria Beckham’s unaccountably fierce bosom. “The fact she
is so slight doesn’t help, but they aren’t right.” He was not the only
surgeon to say that one of the most common worries expressed by
thirtysomething patients was that they might end up with Posh boobs.
Silicone leakage, however, is no longer considered a worry. A study by US
surgeons last year found that, after 12 years, only 8% of women had even the
slightest problems with their implants, and those were more likely to cause
discomfort rather than any serious health issues.
How they feel is another consideration, and although, according to surgeons,
man-pleasing is rarely the motivation for the new candidates, men do,
inevitably, become closely acquainted with them. One told me: “I’m happy
that they make her happy, and they look great, but they don’t feel real.
They spring back like firm jelly when touched, and you can feel the edges.”
For thin women with little breast tissue, an implant under the muscle may
look and feel more natural, but in truth, the only things that feel like
real breasts are breasts. One problem with saline implants was that they
would feel cold in winter. Says Grover: “Silicone is a better conductor of
heat, so they feel warm. A good surgeon will make sure they feel as well as
look good, but the better endowed you are to begin with, the more natural
they feel to the touch.”
To avoid an unsatisfactory outcome, picking the right surgeon for the job is
key. Wendy Lewis, the renowned “knife coach” who gives independent advice to
Park Avenue royalty and wealthy UK clients, says: “It seems a simple
operation, but the more experienced the surgeon, the better the result will
be. If the surgeon doesn’t take very detailed measurements, run. Breasts are
like snowflakes: everyone’s are different. Even the two you have are
unlikely to be identical, and you need careful consideration about what to
do with them.”
USEFUL CONTACTS
The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons; www.baaps.org.uk.
Excellent for general guidance and advice
Rajiv Grover; www.rajivgrover.co.uk.
On speed-dial for several UK actresses and models, and hugely respected in
the industry. Very handy with teardrop-shaped implants
Dai Davies; www.reformsurgical.com.
Also enormously popular
Harley Medical Group; www.harleymedical.co.uk.
Clinics nationwide
Wendy Lewis; www.wlbeauty.com
YOU BETTER SHAPE UP
The options are vast in number. Allergan, one manufacturer of implants, has
about 140 sizes and shapes. But they fall into a handful of categories
Round, low profile Imagine something that has been moulded in a large
but shallow bowl – a lot of volume over a large surface area – a
bit like Madonna’s natural ones were in the Justify My Love video.
Moderate profile A very popular shape, but if you’re skinny, be careful
that they’re not too sticky-out, like Victoria Beckham’s. Many women worry
about ending up with “Posh boobs” after surgery.
High profile The Millennium Domes. Usually sitting just under the
collarbone. Very old school. Very Alderley Edge. Very Kerry Katona. Unless
your dream job is at Spearmint Rhino, don’t do it.
The teardrop Nature gave Liz the perfect boobs. For those who want to
get her classic titties, the teardrop is a breast implant that looks... like
a breast. Well done, implant-manufacturer guys!
The rock in a sock This is what happens when silicone is inserted into
a bosom that really needs an uplift instead/as well. What is the point of
spending £4,000 on a boob job, Jade, only to fail the pencil test?
You can now get 0% finance and insurance for cosmetic surgery so these procedures are only going to get more accessible. The good news is that at last women will be protected both financially and physically should there be a bad reaction. I think women deserve to make the choices that are right for them, as long as they are protected and have the right information. If all you really need is a v neck cardigan and a push up bra then I'm with that Gok Kok bloke or whatever his name is from How to Look Good Naked
Denise, manchester, UK
Like a lot of things women do nowadays, we are not doing them to tell men something. We have our own opinions and want our opinions respected. It would take time to get use to this but a good thing to try in order not to fall into the "dated" group.
Jessie, New York, New York
Laura, I bet you are in your twenties with pert boobs and a head full of confidence. Tell me this again when you are fifty. I have always had, and been proud of, small boobs on a standard size 10 frame. When those little bullets start heading southwards it is the most distressing thing that can happen to a woman, my head tells me I am a young, vibrant, modern, successful 50 year old...my boobs tell me (and anyone else who cares to look) that I am 50. At my age I am entitled to make my own decisions - I will have my boobs lifted, it's not half as barbaric as what some of these tribes do to themselves. Please mind your own business, nobody is making you have it done!!
Jayne L, Alicante, Spain
My experience of The Harley Medical Group is that it is run by an incompetent bunch of money grabbing cowboys - don't go near the place, but then how can you be sure that the alternatives are any better.
Claire, London,
That photo is horrible. Breast implants are just awful. You know, I see small breasted women now and think how lovely and sexy they are. They're natural, they automatically look more intelligent, big boobs make women look fat, and small boobs are a refreshing change!
Michael W., London, UK
Might I suggest some serious psychiatry or a frontal lobotomy instead? If you believe "happiness" lies in the implantation of silicone discs under your breasts, and your existence is defined by the reaction this causes in others, you have major mental problems.
Can you imagine trying to explain this to some of the wisest tribes in the world? Yes, this is a Western woman and this is what she does to her body because she is so screwed up in her head. Stop this nonsense.
Laura Roberts, London, UK
Women - don't do this to yourself. They look horrific, they feel dreadful, and they tell us men a lot about the kind of mental attitude you have if you get this done. They tell other women a lot about you too. Do you really want to send these sad signals to everyone you meet?
James, London, UK