I am the only one on here to have had cosmetic surgery? If you have, what, where and when? And if you haven't is there anyone who would like something done if so what? I'm not being nosey, it is nice to talk to people who have been through similar things.

I had a breast augmentation in May 2003 so they will be 2 years old next month. I have had no regrets what so ever, my confidence has grown considerably and I love them. Had no pain or discomfort with the op and everything has gone really smoothly (fingers crossed) Went from a small 34B to a 34DD. They look great and the scars are nearly completely faded, on the crease of the breast so you can't see them anyway. People who don't me wouldn't know.

I expect there are going to be people who disagree with cosmetic surgery but please remember it is a very individual choice and unless you have a problem with part of your body then you can not understand the reasons behind wanted it. I had been unhappy since I was 16 and realised they were not going to grow any more. I decided to wait until I had had my kids and I am very glad I did because the breast feeding had made a better pocket for the implant, I was so small before I breast fed they would have looked un-natural and I would not have been able to go as big.

Come on there must be others who secretly would like something altered :-)

I had an operation which you could class as cosmatic surgery but it was done on the NHS.
8 years ago last month I had a bi-maxillary- osteotomy.
My top jaw was pulled forward and up, and bottom jaw pulled back, as I had a protruding bottom jaw.and my teeth closed on top of each other and not a scissor bite.
I had braces on for 4 years. HDU for a night. Jaw wired up for 6 weeks. My face looked like a hamster for weeks. And I was on strong pain killers for weeks.
Would I do it again. YES.
My confidence went from rock bottom to sky high. I feel ALOT better about myself. I look alot better and I would have it done again even if the pain was twice as much and had to be in braces for longer!!!!!
Lea

What were the braces like? I am on the waiting list to have full fixed braces, top and bottom. I have had my teeth bleached and bow waiting to get them straightened. I will probably lose one of my front teeth which was damaged and now crowned. If that happens then I will need an implant, which is a titanium rod screwed directly into the jaw, then a tooth attached. At the end I will hopefully have perfect, straight teeth. May need some veneers along the way too. Very excited as I am so paranoid about my teeth and don't smile properly because of them.

uncomfortable when they are put on and a few days afterwards, but you forget about them!!!!Its the same when they are adjusted, the ache for a few days and then are fine again. Normally adjusted once a month.and normal pain killers help if it is too uncomfortable, just until the teeth settle down again. Sometimes the wire can irritate the skin on the inside of your mouth, but you can be given a wax that you coat the wire with if that happens.
I have 4 veneers on my front teeth, and they kept popping off but didnt cause to much of a problem.
The titanium implants are good. Have seen it done. Although the time inbetween having the implant and the tooth, when you cant wear any sort of false tooth might be hard for you. I THINK its a couple of weeks.
Go for it, you wont regret it, I deffinatly havnt :D
Lea

My dentist has assured me that there is a way to do a temp bridge so I wont be without a "tooth" at all. Don't think I could do it otherwise. Thanks for the info.xxx

Hey Lea I have had two jaw ops ! :)

My bite is so bad that my cross bite caused my cartilidge to dislocate Very painful :(

I have had two Ops as the first did'nt work :( Not nice as it caused me so much pain and grieve during my teenage years :( )

I was unfortunate as the second op left my right hand side of my face paralysed for six months :(

Lucy
xx

Eeeeeek Lucy :(
Painful :(
Ar you back to 'normal' now??
I also had to have my joint irrigated and a steroid injection into the joint as my jaw joint was sore. (Arthrosentesis) But that didnt work :(
It has just eased off over the years.
Lea

Normal No  ! :D Steroid injections

Lea

Ive had a breast reduction in 1999, on the NHS, they made a right mess, it got infected i contracted MRSA, and i had an infected hole that deep that the nurse couldnt feel the end when she put the tweezers in there to pack it. I was a 36H, when i had them done i was a 36D, im now an E. Even through all that i dont regret it though, but wish id had them smaller as i still find it hard to get nice bikinis. I had it done because of problems with my back.

Sorry to hear thet Minniedog. That is one of the problems, as it is with any surgery. I was very lucky. Could you not have it done again? Or would you not want to?

I would but i wouldnt think it possible cos of all the scars it would be a bit hard to heal. I still only have half a nipple on one side.

Hi Minniedog (and all)

I'm sorry to hear about your breast reduction.  I too had a breast operation on the NHS, and fortunately mine was a complete success.  I went from a 36FF down to a 36D, and I don't regret it, it was the best thing that I ever did!  It was so wonderful to be able to buy strappy tops and go without a bra now and again.  Everyone also told me that it was the 'most painful operation' you could ever have, but I didn't find it that bad.  I'm sure it was much worse for you with all your problems though - such a shame, I do feel for you.

It wasnt too painful, just extremely tedious and i ended up crying at one point with the nurse. I couldnt lift my arms for 3 months! And the skin didnt start growing over the wounds til after 10 weeks. Still glad i did it though, i not only had huge breasts but they were nearly touching my knees too. Now they are quite pert. :D

Yes, that's definitely one of the advantages!  I think I'd even go so far as to say when I have children I'd happily have them 'perked up' again if I could!  The pain would be worth it to have them back where they belong, ie, above the navel!!

OMG,
You are brave.  I wish I was brave enough to have a reduction, but I've already had 4 ops (all for medical reasons, 2 emergencies) and I'm afraid I'd end up looking like Frankensteins wife   It would be sooo nice to be able to buy nice tops tho instead of tents and not have to take out a mortgage every time I have to buy a bra (if I can find one that fits)

Hi Dill,

You should seriously consider this op if you are wanting it.  Trust me, it's not as horrific as it might seem.  I realise that some people (as the poor lady above) have difficulties with it, and you can't be guaranteed a 'perfect' result, but I've actually had the op done twice as one side ended up a little bit bigger than the other side, and I was quite happy to undergo the surgery again as I knew it was not too painful at all.  I only ever took painkillers once after the operation, and that was when I had a little problem with a healing scar and it was a tad sore.  I can assure you that it was the absolute best decision I have ever made, and I would heartily recommend it!  As it happens I work for a plastic surgeon (just do his typing) and whenever anyone rings up to cancel their appointment because they're frightened I know its usually to do with a breast reduction so I call them back and reassure them and most of them end up coming to the clinic for assessment and then having it done!!  Seriously, it didn't hurt me hardly at all, it was just awkwardness in sitting yourself up and using your arms for a while, but hey, you get four weeks off work!!!!

i would if i had the money,id have lipo,my teeth sorted & boobs lifted abit

Hi Michelled, why not apply to go on extreme makeover UK - then you could have all of them fixed at once?!  :D

If i had the money, and the courage, id have my teeth done and liposuction !

i know!!!!! but the whole world would see! ;)

:D i did, and i got on, i was on the last series (series 2) it was an amazing experience and anyone that wants anything doing should get it done, it does your confidence the world of good, and i am a much happier person for it too !!!

I would have plastic surgery tomorrow if I could afford it, I'd have a tummy tuck as I have the jelly belly/apron from having the children, it's my one thing I'd love done, love a nose job too, and a bit of under pinning on the boobs although they are big enough!  Having said this I'd go for the tummy tuck but the others are just things for a personal reason they don't affect my life although i'm forever concious of my stomach and always have been.  To the lady re the fixed braces, my daughter was 10 when she had hers put on, she's had them on almost a year now and loves them, hardly ever complains and in the first few weeks we saw the most improvement in her teeth, now it's just getting them to sit in place, she also wears elastics and hopefully by the time she's had them on two years she will get them off and wear a retainer for a while.  Her confidence has grown immensely even with the brace on, from around 9 yrs old all she wanted was a brace!

I would love to have a breast reduction however was put off by the programme that was on tele a while back.  I know that they were only a couple of stories amongst the 1000s that must take place every week but it was scary.  The woman was off work for 6 months and had infection after infection.

I'm currently a 34FF and would love to be a DD cup.  I've been this size since I was about 18 and its a real pain not being able to find any really nice bras that don't resemble one of my grannies!!  I get the Bravissimo catalogue and have got a few of the bits they do however I really begrudge having to pay £30 for a bra when smaller sizes are catered for in all normal shops and are a lot cheaper!!

My OH doesn't want me to have the op either and although I don't suffer with back pains (yet) I would like the reduction purely for vanity!!

Did you go private for the reductions or did you go on the NHS?  How long are the waiting lists for something like this just as a matter of interest?

Hi Charanda,

I think the guidelines have become tougher for this op to be done on the NHS, but its basically measured by a few things, a) how big your boobs are (in comparison to the national average), b) whether they give you any problems such as being unable to exercise, social problems, not undressing in front of your boyfriend etc etc and c) causing back and neck ache.

I must admit I didn't suffer greatly with back and neck ache but still made it out to be a small factor on my consultation, and I had the op on the NHS.  The waiting time to see the Consultant here is approximately 4 - 6 weeks, but that will vary from Hospital to Hospital obviously.  I think the basic waiting time for the op is anything up to a year, but you can always say you are available at short notice in case anyone cancels due to ill health etc. 

I think I remember watching the program on TV, and I must admit it made me cringe seeing what happens during the operation, but the reality is you're asleep anyway so it's not as if you sit and cry with every flick of the scalpel!!  There are problems post-op of course, as I said I ended up with a sore that needed cleaning out with saline every day at the GP surgery, but it soon became better.  If you do go for a consultation they have to tell you of the possible problems, ie, nipples not taking and dropping off, wound infections, the scarring (which fades very well, you can't even tell I've had a reduction unless I lift my breasts up and you peer underneath!), and the general risk of an anaesthetic, but I sincerely think it's well worth it.  At last I can purchase a bra that costs less than £35!!  :D  Feel free to ask anything else, I just love giving out advice on my experiences!!

Hi Keeley

Thanks for your reply - its certainly interesting to hear from someone who's had it done.  :-)  Do you know what the national average is by any chance?  I can't exercise easily and I do actually suffer with neck ache though I've never thought that it could be caused by my boobs - that could actually be the cause thinking about it!!

As you actually work for a cosmetic surgeon you are probably in the know to all my questions!!  What happens if your nipples don't take and drop off - do they put them back on again???  Its a daft question I know but I can't imagine not having any!!

I often think that its my boobs that make me heavier than I want to be (I'm sure they weigh at least a stone each)!! - did having the reduction do anything to your weight?

How do you initially go about seeing someone - does it have to be on the recommendation of your GP?

Thanks for answering all my questions!!

I had a breast reduction in 2002. I had lived with discomfort for 20(ish) years. My husband always said that if we ever had any spare money then that's what we would use it for. I was told that there was no provision in our region for it to be done on the NHS, but I'd decided to go privately anyway. It was, and is the best thing I've ever done. It has changed my life more than I can tell you. The back, neck, shoulder pain that I lived with for so long disappeared overnight. The one thing I do get annoyed about is having it referred to as 'cosmetic surgery'. To me, (and my dictionary !) 'cosmetic' means to improve appearence. How can it be that I've had 'cosmetic' surgery ?. I've got scars (lots - but they have faded such a lot), I still have all the horrible stretch marks etc, and by the time I had it done at 39 I'd got used to men talking to them and not my face !. I did it for one reason only, to get rid of the constant pain I was in - not to look good. I find it very odd though, that a girl I used to work with has had two breast increases - on the NHS. Her reason, she didn't feel feminine enough !. She wanted to look really good when she went out like her friends. So, with a letter from her GP, she gets to have two free operations. I find it very odd, people in pain have to pay, people who want to look better don't !.
Anyway, here I am, very happy with what I've got and recommend it to anybody who suffers.

Val.

Hi Charanda,

Unfortunately if your nipples did turn black and drop off there's nothing they could do.  This would happen because the blood supply has been cut off during surgery (as they actually remove your nipples during surgery then sew them back on, usually cut a little bit smaller to look more in proportion with your new boobs) and this causes them to not 'take' again once replaced.  I believe you can have a skin graft from other areas and they can try to create a new nipple, but I'm not really the one to advise on that I'm afraid.

Re the National Average, I don't know - sorry.  It seems to vary, and as I said the guidelines have been tightened, as when I went for my consultation I was put straight onto the waiting list and I was a 36FF, but lately I've typed letters of patients who were bigger than that but had to be referred for funding. 

Initially you have to visit your GP and ask for a referral to a Plastic Surgeon.  The Plastic Surgeon may take a look at your referral letter and say that no, you wouldn't be eligable for funding on the NHS, and will suggest that your GP seek PCT funding first.  Your details would then be sent to your local PCT (Primary Care Trust) who would read through your notes and decide whether they see good reason to fund it or not.  Obviously people suffering with psychological problems as mentioned before (ie, not undressing, becoming upset due to size, can't exercise etc) stand a better chance in my opinion, than someone who just wants rid of their boobs because they are too big in general.

My boobs did not make any difference to my weight no, but then I wasn't the same cup size as you, you would perhaps have more weight taken from your boobs.  I can't remember what weight was taken from each of mine, but it wasn't enough to make a significant dent in my weight - unfortunately :(  ;)

So, as mentioned above in the first instance you need to see your GP, and he/she will take it from there.  You may as well set the ball rolling because you'll have plenty of time whilst waiting for an appointment to change your mind!!!

Good luck!  And remember I'm still here if you want more advice - you can always PM me.

re nipples !... - it must depend on the Consultant who performs the op. Mine used a method where the blood supply is maintained to the nips so there should be no problem, they weren't removed completely, just cut out and pushed up through a new opening - they remained attached to tissue so didn't loose blood supply. The new ones are remarkable ! - if you want to know more please feel free to PM me.

val

Well I am definately in the minority for making them bigger!!! :-)
Really pleased to hear that you guys have been brave enough to do it and by the sounds of it, it has been well worth the discomfort. My friend is on the list to have hers reduced, but she has to lose some weight first, was that the case with any of you? or maybe it is Island policy.
I would love liposuction in a few years, tomorrow if hubbie would pay for it! And in the future a face lift to keep away the years, there is no way I am growing old gracefully :-D :-D :-D the thought of getting older scares the living hell out of me. I may change my mind later though.
So no one else had an enlargement?

Tigerlily, no - I didn't have to lose weight to have my op, I was very top heavy. When the consultant asked me what size I wanted to be I just said, I didn't care, I just wanted to be comfortable and in proportion.
It wasn't a brave thing to do at all, I was so excited, couldn't wait. I even had a party the week before with some close girl friends that knew how I'd suffered and how much I hated my boobs - it was called the 'Good-bye Big *** Party'. !

Hi Tigerlily, I didn't have to lose any weight, although I had already lost a stone and that is what spurred me on to do it.  I do know from typing letters about it that some people who are grossly overweight, obsese (although technically I'm obese now and I weigh 12 stone!!) etc do have to lose weight, as some of the breast size may well be due to fatty tissue, and therefore the breasts reduce in size anyway.

I was the same, I was so excited having mine enlarged, it was the best thing ever. I had a bra burning ceromony!!! I have kept one just to remind me in the years to come. Must be just my friend then, but to be honest she is at least 3 stone over weight.

Still here with the big boobies :(

Lucy
xx

Thanks again Keeley - I may well just go and book myself an appointment, at least to find out if I would be eligible!!  :-)

Go for it girl! Seriously Charanda, you have read what the benefits can be so do it, it could change your life completely. Let us know how you get on please, no pictures though

Thanks Tigerlily!!  Its one of those things that I've talked about for years but have never actually got around to doing anything about - you get used to living with it I guess.

I would love to be able to keep one of my "over the shoulder boulder holders" as a reminder as I slink into a little strappy top or a halter neck - something I haven't been able to wear.....ever!!!  :-)

I'll let you know how I get on and I promise no pictures!!  ;-)

Hi all,

My sister had breast augmentation back in the eighties.  She's nearly sixty now, and when unclothed looks like she needs ironing, all except for the perky t*ts!  This never fails to crack me up !

I can understand how you might want to enhance what nature gave you just for vanity reasons, but I'm afraid it's not for me.  I am so laid back as to be practically horizontal, so don't actually give a sh*t about my saggy bits.  OH loves me the way I am, and I love me the way I am too.

This is not to say that I would not have a procedure done if a medical condition dictated it.

As for vanity - nah - tuck your saggy t*ts into your waistband like me and to hell with it ! :) :D

:-D :-D :-D

im only 21, but wanted breast reduction for atleast 5 yrs. I am a size 40HH. and I love going running in the park with my dog, but find it extremely embarrassing. i also cant breath properly when i lie down on my back with and without my bra on. but never thought that those reasons would be able to get it on the NHS as I can no way afford it. Ive lost 2 stone and not sure how, but ive got up a cup size.

I would love a breast reduction I get really bad backache because of the size of mine (FF cup).  I hate the fact that a nice bra costs a small fortune.  Why is it that retailers think if you have large breast you want to wear granny bras:rolleyes:.

I would also love a tummy tuck and liposuction, and laser hair removal everywhere.  Not asking for much am I :D :D

From what one of my doctors was saying the other day I would definitely think that you would be able to get a breast reduction on the NHS.

He was a typical male and said that he got really excited when he was going to do some work in that field but that he was shocked that they were nearly all breast reductions.  So if I were you and your health is suffering that much I would go to your GP and get a referral.  You are having it done for health reasons and not cosmetic, remember that, thus you  should be allowed it on the NHS !

Yeah as Perrogeagua says, you should be able to get it done on the NHS. Just tell them its making your quality of life poor, giving you back ache and making you miserable. My friend had it done on the NHS!

Well, I'll be honest Tigerlily,

Before my children I was a size 10, and had a lovely nice pair of C cups, whilst breast feeding I went up to a DD, don't ask why or how, but I looked totally ridiculous, after breast feeding was finished, I then had a couple of droopy DD boobs which I was totally embarrassed about, (bit like Ulrika Johnson's, she might not mind hers, but I hated them) added to the fact that I had to go to a lot of functions requiring evening gowns, seeing all the other women with their purt bossoms, I was feeling really upset, so I had a boob job and uplift.

I now have lovely C's again and am really happy, no-one has ever commented or even noticed I have had them done, they all just think my boobs just shrunk back. :-D

Tigerlilly,
I am a dental implant nurse,so just make sure the surgeon you see for implants is well qualified as this area of dentistry isn't regulated(unbeleivable)
There is nothing to stop a dentist doing a 'weekend course'and then placing dental implants,over the years,I have seen some stuff,more recently people going to europe for cheaper implants and its a bit of a nightmare.
So,and I am sure you will,just ask how many they have done.

I could drum up some business here ,but I see your too far away!!

Two things, even though i used to swear blind I'd never want anything done - the shadows under my eyes and a big bump on my leg I got about 13 years ago when I sledded into a fence :rolleyes:

The shadows just won't go away, and they make me look so tired - people often ask if I'm under the weather, and it's very depressing when I've put a lot of effort into my appearance for a night out, only to see a knackered woman in the mirror!