To have felt a bit judged over the last few weeks for having breast implants?

[RainbowSheep]

I have breast implants. I had them done when I was 24 as I had always had very small breasts (AA cup) and I wanted to feel more in proportion & fill certain tops properly. That was 8 years ago and I have never regretted having a breast augmentation.

I found out last week that I have PIP implants which are at the center of the French implant contoversy and I plan to get them replaced as I'm a bit worried.

The media coverage has brought up a lot of opinions on women, mainly along the lines of women who have implants are bimbo's who want to look like Jordan which in my experience simply isn't true.

AIBU to feel quite judged?

nooka - I agree with you, although I have no stastical proof to back up my opinion and it is through personal experinece only I imagine the majority of women who get breast augmentations do so as they are unhappy with their bodies after childbirth or have always had small breast and feel somehow less feminine because of this. I may be wrong though! I imagine there are a lot of young women who want implants to look more like glamour models but I also imagine by teh time they have saved up they have reached puberty realised that they have great boobs naturally

I generally believe that if you have paid for them yourself then you should be free to have whatever you like done. However, I was a little bit about a friend of mine (who had implants) once complaining about porn/page 3/photoshopped models etc effecting the body image of girls as in my opinion, she was just as guilty of presenting the acceptability of distorted body images. However, as long as you aren?t going to be a hypocrite, it is fine! Hope your implants are ok btw.

I agree wholeheartedly this is a feminist issue, and think we need to be questioning hard how society creates norms which leads to women choosing to undergo surgery (which carries the risks - including risk of death from anaesthesia), possibly repeatedly, to fulfill norms of "beauty.

(Obviously this doesn't cover reconstructive surgery, or the correction of gross defamation; but those cases are a minority).

But isn't having breast reconstruction after surgery to 'normalise' your breasts or having breast deforamtion corrective surgery to 'normalise' your breasts or having breast augmentation/reduction to 'normalise' your breasts all similar in a way - although yes, clearly to differing degrees

Bunbaker actually as the owner of an Fcup bra size, I know fully well what it's like to not be able to find tops etc to fit properly. Many tops will not fit over my bust without turning into some kind of ridiculous crop top. And forget slashed neckline dresses which make you like some grotesque porn star wannabe.
It swings both ways you know.
I have no problem with women wanting breast implants but I hope they're aware of the down-sides should they choose to go above a C/D cup.

The decision to have any cosmetic surgery is a feminist issue, but this whole furore is not about the rights and wrongs of women's decisions. It's a straw man and most on this thread are still debating the morals of it!

It's legal, paid for by the women concerned and should be safe and licensed. It's in no way the fault of any of the women that the surgery has turned out to be unsafe.

Why are we even talking about breasts an body image when the whole conversation (not just here but in the media about this) should be about malpractice in private cosmetic surgeries and a lack of proper checks and balances in the industry?

The woman I saw being interviewed on the news was planning to sue the surgery (fair enough) and the interviewer was making moral judgements of her as a vain gold-digger. Not on.

If I eg spent thousands on an unnecessary car or gadget that then turned out to be poisoning me, you can bet your bottom dollar we wouldn't be discussing the ethics of buying the item or being treated on the NHS.

But ooh look it's about boobs, let's talk about them and judge the women who choose to enhance them instead

Adversecamber - I think you've demonstrated judginess very well in that last sentence.

It is legal to have cosmetic surgery, whether you or anyone else thinks it's tacky, tasteless, vain or anything else doesn't come into it.

Are you saying OP is NBU because you approve of the size of her breasts - but if she'd gone say to a G-cup you'd say she was BU because then you would be judging her?

The whole judging thing is entirely sexist, without doubt. Which is ironic really...but it it still the NHS's concern if someone is at risk of ill-health. One could say that smokers have received 'implants' of carcocenic nature, by choice, so why should we pay for the illness so attracted?

I think there was fraud involved, well that is according the to the cosmetic surgeon interviewed on radio 4 yesterday. He said that PIP had likely given a good protoype to the licencesing (sp?!) company and then proceded to manufacture faulty ones after the licence had been issued. No one was to know originally, but know they do yes they should be helf accountable

Th eNHS isn;t there to judge every smoker, over eater, drinker, extreme sports person so can't judge people who've had surgery either.

Hugo'sGoatee: I agree with you. Risks should be minimised, and checks and balances carried out properly (see also Beeaware's thread on lapses in BSE precautions and age of untested cattle entering the human food chain),

I was commenting here on the feminist angle, as it had been raised by another poster. And it strikes me that if one cannot see the difference between gross deformity and post cancer or trauma reconstruction, then that is an example of entrenched some "norms" have become.

Please excuse my typos, on my second glass of Christmas cheer

I totally agree with HugosGoatee.

I have 3 friends/acquaintances who have had implants, 2 had small breasts (A, AA I'd say) and one went to "average" the other to " big". Both said it hugely improved their confidence, the one with the large bust though does complain men no longer look her in the eye :o

The other had about average boobs and went large, she is less satisfied, I think she was expecting more of a benefit, but I also think she was using it as a way to avoid dealing with personality issues.

I have heard other friends be a bit judgey over the 2 with big boobs, seems to evoke envy?

I also had a good schoolfriend with enormous breasts, she was teased mercilessly by other girls and boys, and said they hurt ( she was tall and slim otherwise) and had them reduced in her late teens and was very glad of it.