Who needs breast implants? What is the 'deformed breast'?

Do you need breast implants? The majority of American women are not happy with their breasts, and that makes the majority of women potential customers for the breast augmentation/breast implant industry.  Images in the media and in the ads may be the main influence in getting women to believe their breasts are "inadequate" - but breast augmentation websites are happy to feed the fire with their usage of language. In essence they want to leave the impression that asymmetrical breasts, small breasts, sagging breasts, large areolas, small nipples, etc. are deformities - something supposedly not formed well, out of form - or instances where the breast didn't "fully develop" or is "underdeveloped". By classifying many of these normal variations in breast shape as breast deformity, the surgeons can then be ready to "correct" these "problems" and "deformities" and "lack of development". Shouldn't we rather classify breast development in terms of milk ducts and the milk producing cells - the glandular tissue? See for example these excerpts taken from various breast implant websites: "Breast deformities can be developmental or post surgical. They can be associated with size differences, shape differences or scarring related to implants or previous surgeries. Developmental Deformities ...can present during puberty as asymmetric breast development with one breast being much larger then the other or associated with strange shapes of the breast." www.thebreastexpert.com/breastdeformities/bdefomities.htm "Breast augmentation is a surgical procedure to increase the size of the breasts. It is usually performed to enlarge small, underdeveloped breasts that have decreased in size after pregnancy. It can also be performed in cases of breast deformity, or where one breast has not developed in proper symmetrs y with the other." www.drdrehsen.com/breastaug.htm Bra industry statistics from a few years back reported that about 60% of women have a bra cup size A or B. In these days of widespread obesity, the average bra cup size has become cup "C" - but we can still understand from those stats that A and B cup sizes are very normal and common. We can NOT in any way call small breasts "underdeveloped". But the magazine images are at work again... presenting supermodels with augmented breasts as the standard of beauty. Then is no wonder women themselves start considering the normal and the usual breasts as 'small'. Also, the majority of women have (at least slightly) asymmetrical breasts (just as most men have one testicle hanging lower than the other)- so in reality (slight) asymmetry of the breasts is the norm and perfect symmetry is the rarer occasion!  We need to wake up from the fallacy that media and plastic surgeons are airing to us! Hypoplastic or under-developed breasts Now, it is possible to have true under-developed (hypoplastic) breasts where there is little glandular (milk-making) tissue. So we could say this is a true deformity (possibly congenital) where the breasts do not contain enough milk glands. Outwardly it shows as small, widely-spaced breasts with a tubular shape (see a picture on a different page). Women with hypoplastic breasts often have milk supply problems since there is not enough milk glands to be making the milk. In the US society such a woman is very likely to feel a need for breast implants to look normal - and nobody can blame her for that. The following comment is from such a woman: I have had breast augmentation to correct tubular, asymetric small breasts and without it I would have died from depression. Plastic surgery is not wrong, it is a personal decision and for me it saved my life and made me feel complete and normal. Although I had complications it was nothing that couldn't be sorted out and was entirely worth it as it was a matter of life and death. There is no way I could ever have accepted my breasts before surgery, I cannot put into words how badly it affected me psychologically and even made me feel physically sick as I felt so abnormal. Read the comment in its entirety Now, if the media culture didn't value breast size to such an extreme, even these women would have it much easier, and not feel such a pressure to have breast implants. True, this condition is a deformity. But how a person with deformity feels about it, is largely influenced by the society around him/her. Wouldn't we all feel so much better about our bodies without these totally fake media messages? Teens are welcomed, too There is a sad, recent trend concerning teenagers and breast implants: receiving them as a high school graduation gift is becoming more and more popular. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons officially recommended the augmentation surgery only for teens 18 and older, but is not enforcing this recommendation. So while some surgeons wisely turn away teenagers, others don't. The problems with teen girls and breast implants are many-fold: Teens are often overly optimistic, glossing over the negatives, and cannot fully realize the long-term consequences of this surgery, or the possible risks. Teens can regard it as having your hair done. No matter how "mature" the teen says she is, research has proven that a certain part in our brains that has to do with judgment and taking responsibility for one's actions does NOT develop fully until well into one's twenties. Read for example Kacey's story. Teen girls' bodies and breasts may still be developing. There are lots of women who can gain a cup or two even after they hit eighteen. Almost all teens in the USA are self-conscious about their body, and a teen who gets implants in order to "fix" this one body part may later go into depression if the results aren't as desired, or continue feeling bad about some other body part of hers. Small breasts = disease ? But the worst of it is perhaps how The American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons wants us to believe that small breasts are a DISEASE!  This is what they wrote in their petition to FDA in support of breast implants in 1982: "There is a common misconception that the enlargement of the female breast is not necessary for maintenance of health or treatment of disease. There is a substantial and enlarging body of medical information and opinion however, to the effect that these deformities (small breasts) are really a disease which in most patients results in feelings of inadequacy, lack of self-confidence, distortion of body image and a total lack of well-being due to a lack of self-perceived femininity. The enlargement of the under-developed female breast is therefore, often very necessary to insure an improved quality of life for the patient." (emphasis mine) This would mean (according to the organized plastic surgery) that most women have a disease and are in need of a breast augmentation procedure.  The TRUTH is quite contrary.  The "small breasts" they are talking about are the average and typical breasts. In fact, it sounds strange, but the breast augmentation websites are great places to see normal female breasts.  The BEFORE pictures in their before/after galleries usually show a collection of perfectly average size breasts.  It is as though the surgeons wish to point out to the reader that "This is the size of breast that needs augmented", when in reality those breasts were just fine-looking and AVERAGE size (cup B) before surgery. Thinking experiment Now, a little thinking experiment.  Picture a head, hands, and feet to these upper torsos.  Imagine it is your sister, your daughter, your mother, your friend - someone you know. If she was your friend, would you advice her to have surgery to have her 'boob job' done? If she was your sister, would you feel she is less intelligent or less of a person, or lacking somehow, because her breasts have a 'lack of development'? If she was your mother, would you feel that the breasts that fed you are deformed and need 'a lift'? Yet that's exactly what the breast surgery proponents, ads, and media forces try to say to women - not outright or in those words, but in implications and indirectly.  If you wouldn't comment on your friend's, sister's, or mother's breasts in such a way, why let the beauty industry and organized plastic surgery tell you that exact message? You talk about a money-making scheme in a medical community, there you have one!  And surgeons doing breast augmentations are faring well.  In the year 2002 over 240,000 women got breast implants. In year 2006 it had increased to 383,336 women - a huge increase from 32,607 in 1992. Are implants safe? The public has been led to believe for years that breast implants are safe and that they practically are life-long devices that need no care.  That is simply not true - and never has been.  Implants do rupture at some point; the more time passes, the more probable it becomes.  They will need replaced or removed.  The local complication rates are high and within 10-12 years, most women will need at least one additional surgery. Even the myth of breast implants improving mental health does not hold water.  Inameds (a breast implant manufacturer) recent "core study" of silicone breast implants studied complication rates and also evaluated patients' mental health and quality of life before and after receiving breast implants.  It was found that on average, women reported poorer health or mental health after implants compared to before.  Almost every measure of emotional and physical health, including social relationships and self-esteem, declined after getting breast implants.  The only improvements were in self-reported sexual attractiveness. Time to celebrate normal breasts! It is high time we quit believing that an anorectically thin female body with huge 'boobs' is "beautiful" or "ideal".  Hopefully you have visited the breast gallery pages on this site and other pages, and can agree that normal and typical female breast varies a lot in size and shape; that most women actually have asymmetrical breasts; that breasts are for breastfeeding and not to make products sell better. And it isn't enough to just not believe this mentally, because the pictures surrounding you still affect your mind on subconscious level.  To spare our daughters, we need to protect them from exposure to most women's magazines, to television soap operas, and other warped presentations of woman's body, and instead provide some healthy materials body-image-wise for the developing minds.   ... i am a teen with a breast problem, ive been thinking about a breast implant on only one boob. I have the breast deformity, but its so bad that its 2 cups smaller. I do understand its not right but it does lower my self esteem. I have a cousin with full round breasts and she is a year younger than me. It is humiliating. I do see the attention she gets and I get left in the dark. I have a great personality and it hurts me so much that guys these days only love woman with perfect body figures. I cry almost every night because I have this deformed body, as surgeons say. I am only 17 and I work at a job that pays minimum wage. I do not come form a wealthy family and I have to pay for my own college. This would change my life so much. I would have more self confidance and I feel I would be much happier, I know its wrong but I want to be in the image to, like every other girl. I want to be noticed too. And obviously it doesnt work if you only have a personality that's great. I just want to be pretty like all my friends. I'm so confused because I know the risks, what should I do? I really want this.. I can't even wear a bathing suit buz it looks so horrible... please help Samantha Samantha, Even when you can't afford an implant, there is still something called "breast forms" or enhancers that can work for dressing situations or swimsuits. Just search the internet for "breast form". Also consider these: * Just about all of us have something wrong with our bodies, or difficulties in our lives. Many people are born with deformities of their body parts, some people are blind, some are tied to a wheelchair. And then many people have other kinds of unfortunate circumstances of life: they may be hooked on drugs, or fatherless, or jobless and depressed because of that. * You already have a job, heading for college, a family, sounds like. That's a lot to be thankful for!!! It truly is. There are so many people today without a caring family, without a job, etc. * Almost no woman has 'perfect' breasts anyway. Check our galleries! * A true love overrides body part deformities... you are much better off when your future husband will be appreciating YOU for what you are, and not just get hooked on you because of breasts. I am 18 years old,and have been self-concious about my breasts my whole life. I am considering implants, however I'm worried of the consequences. I do know everyone woman has their own imperfections... but I am doing this for myself. Not because of the media, nor because of how others made me feel. I have shown my breasts to a few people, and never got a complaint. But I feel they are spaced too far apart... and a few cup sizes too small for me to feel confident. .. as well due to the comments I've read from the men, a lot have said men do not care about your breasts size or shape in a relationship... but is it not, usually... the first thing they are usually attracted to? "quick glance" or not... Is it wrong to want to feel beautiful outside of a relationship? How else do I get confidence, without feeling comfortable about sex when I cant be with my own body ... please, please help :( steph Hi Steph, I just wanted to note to you that many men—MOST I should—say do NOT like the FEEL of implants on a woman. So, while men might glance over a large chest, then if you get to have a relationship with a man, like I said, most men will NOT like the hard touch of an implant. It is going to be hard to touch... not like soft skin, soft breast. The first things to be attracted would vary, but your HAIR, face, and smiliness/friendliness would count for sure. Then men vary if they initially might like skinny or less skinny women, tall or short, large or small breasted, glasses or no glasses, etc. etc. It is NOT wrong to want to feel beautiful outside. However, your hairdo has more to do with it than your breast size. Plus, like I said, those hard balls inside your chest can be an actual turn-off for a man when he gets to touching them. With special bras, you can create illusions of breasts that are close together or larger than they really are. Those could be useful for example if you want to wear some special dress to a prom, wedding, or other special occasion. However, I feel your natural self will still be the best in the long run. Sources & resources Breastimplantinfo.org - The Implant Information Project A web site sponsored by National Center for Policy Research (CPR) for Women & Families. The Implant Information Project tries to give women access to accurate, unbiased information. FDAs October 2003 Summary of Research on Inamed Implants. Complications and symptoms. Breast Surgery Likely to Cause Breastfeeding Problems You can't wear your self-esteem on your chest A news article about how record numbers of parents are giving their teenage daughters breast implants for high school graduation. San Fransisco Chronicle, Sunday, June 27, 2004

Other people's comments

---

The following comments are from various visitors to www.007b.com. 007 Breasts is not necessarily endorsing everything written in the comments. The comments and opinions below belong to the commenters who made them. The comments are posted here because they might further help and encourage men and women who visit this website; however 007 Breasts is NOT responsible for the comments nor for any loss or damage caused by reading them.

---

Seeing this site brought tears to my eyes. I got implants about 5 months on a bit of a whim, meaning I researched the procedure but I didn't think long over if I really wanted them. I don't like the way they feel, I don't like the decreased sensitivity, I hate the scar, and I don't like not being sure if I can nurse a future baby or how accurate my mammograms will be. My breasts were small but still beautiful. I feel a bit foolish now.

Me

---

I felt bad for my small breast for a lot of years. Now I feel that I am a joy. Each woman is separate and there exist always men that they will like.

---

The thing that we as women do not realize, is that it is not what "society" thinks of us, but what we think of ourselves that matters.

Many have claimed that "men" or someone outside of themselves judge them by how they look, and that in order to feel accepted or "attractive" they feel they must change what they look like. More than likely they are wrong. I have known a few men who preferred small breasts over larger ones, and may who have said they did not like "fake" ones.

When you say that you are depressed, and do not like yourself.... it is not because others do not accept you as you are, but because you are not accepting yourself. If you can't do it, no one else can..... at least not in your eyes. There may be a special someone who loves you to death, and doesn't think twice about your physical imperfections, but when you yourself focus on them.... there is no amount of love from another that will make you feel different, until you yourself begin to see yourself differently.

When you get this or that done, meanwhile claiming that it is what is on the inside that matters, your very actions contradict your words. I am not saying whether one should or should not have plastic surgery, but I have learned enough in life (age 29, with two beautiful children that were breastfed to one year before weaning themselves) that if you are indeed every going to be loved, it is going to be for who you are on the inside (otherwise it is not love at all).

When you fall into depression, and the like, due to physical features, you yourself are the one making light of your personality and heart...... you are treating yourself in the very way you complain about others doing. You are telling yourself that it is not your personality that matters, or your love, but it is your body.... And by telling yourself that, you send that very message out to those around you.

You'd be surprised how many men (and women) are attracted to those who are happy, confident, and have a good sense of who they are and what they have to offer, and NOT what their breasts, etc. look like. If that is all they're worried about, you can forget about "love" ever being part of the picture.

Love is something that must be built, too many people want the easy way... It is easier to get someone to be physically attracted to you, than it is to love and be loved by someone else. Don't shortchange yourself. Grow into the person you are meant to become. Sow the seeds of love within yourself by loving others, water and tend them, and then.... someday you will have a harvest; BUT if you try to take shortcuts, and settle for lesser things you will neglect the real work that needs to be done.

I think it is a GREAT misconception of our time, that one must first find you sexually attractive before they can ever love you, and the greater that sexual attraction the greater the love. This is pure fallacy. Love does not start out as sexual attraction, yes it can lead there, but true love starts when you let down your guard and allow someone to really get to know the person on the inside. Knowing someone and them knowing you leads to love, and sex is a natural healthy expression of love. We do things half backwards in our society.... and no wonder people are considered objects to serve whatever purpose we designate for them..... for we truly ever take the time to get to know them as a person before deciding what it is we can get out of them.

Nancy

---

I just turned 18, and I have been suffering from low estrogen, FSH, LH, and progesterone and low thyroid. I know it's a lot to digest. Anyway my mother also has low thyroid, and had the same physical symptoms as me when she was a teenager. I have 34A breasts and she has 36D. She said her breasts were small B's when she was my age and that they kept growing until her 30's. My periods are completely irregular and I have had acne since I was 8. Everything has been slower for me, recently my breasts grew a little and I just grew from 5'3 to 5'4 3/4 over the past year. I have very small puffy nipples. My hormones are in post menopause level's. Is it possible that all of my hormonal problems have caused a delay in my development? I have a whole slew of symptoms that I didn't mention because it would be too tedious. Thank you. I hope this is helpful for other young women and teens.

Cassandra

I would say that low hormone levels definitely can affect breast development and can delay it. After all, it is the hormones that drive the development (mostly estrogen and progesterone). I hope there is some help for you out there. I personally do not know how to deal with this kind of complex situation.

---

I just found this webpage accidentally and just wanted to say that you are doing a great job.

I am originally from Spain but now I live in Los Angeles. In the past years I noticed this taboo about breasts. I grew up in a place where they are not seen as something merely sexual. In fact we see them on tv, the beach... I am not saying that is how it should be, but I just feel the way I grew up it was a more natural way of seeing a woman's body. I think as a kid I have seen my aunts, mother, sister and even a couple of my friends' mothers breastfeeding. It didn't feel weird, just natural and I would go and watch the baby do it. No one there felt something wrong was going on.

Also I like the normal breast pictures you have. This should be shown in high schools so girls wouldn't get so worried about theirs not looking like the ones on TV. I see many women that have had surgery, specially here in L.A, and I don't judge them, it's their choice. But it is a good idea to teach our kids how beauty goes together with natural. And there are many ways of feeling good with your body!

Keep the good work. Mara

---

I feel that the increase of implant surgery has created a rather distorted image of what breasts should look like.

I have small and uneven breasts. I have had 2 breast enlargements and finally had the courage to remove them (after 10 years). I'll be honest, I was devastated at the results.

What were once small but even breasts now had scars and one side is noticeably smaller than the other. Over the last 3 years since having them removed I have gone through an emotional rollercoaster of a journey to accept myself. (As little as 4 months ago, I went back to my surgeon about having them re-done and intended to save up.. again - have wasted 10,000 so far)

I have suddenly turned a corner and realised that my breasts aren't as bad as I thought. Half of the battle is in your own mind I think - the odd man that makes you feel inferior about your breasts doesn't help admittedly (as I experienced in my youth). In my mind I had been used to looking a certain way in clothes and bras for a whole decade and it's only very recently that I have occasionally caught sight of myself in a bra or top I am wearing and felt normal and attractive and most importantly happy with myself.

I have started to focus on taking care of myself and eating well and have gone from an AAA cup to a 32A. I will NOT be having any more surgery and urge others to accept and love themselves for who they are.

Dee

---

At 20 years old, I have always had very low self esteem about my breasts. They are small enough that I still wear training bras because I can't fit into normal, women's bras. I "StumbledUpon" your website, and after viewing the galleries and comments from other women like me, this site has totally changed my self image. There really is no such thing as "perfect breasts" and I now realize that my body is beautiful exactly how it was created. Fortunately I have an amazing fiance who has always loved and embraced my body for what it is, but it's not until now that I could feel the same way. Thank you so much for creating this website, I can't even imagine how many women you have helped with this.

-Alana

---

I am 19 years old and one year ago I made the worst decision of my life. I GOT BREAST IMPLANTS AT 18. I took out a loan for $6500 and got the procedure, ignoring comments from friends and family that I was beautiful naturally. I went from a 32 small B to a 34 Large C. The reason this was the worst decision of my life is that they feel simply awful. Sure, they look like a bimbo's boobs, but I am constantly aware of these toxic bags sitting inside my body and I want them out! I asked my plastic surgeon to have them removed, explaining that I was in pain and discomfort, and she said "no" and gave me a bottle of v@lium.

Ladies, do not get implants if you are considering it. I urge you to love your breasts the way they are. I would give anything to have my beautiful mediteranean natural breasts back, but now I have to find a surgeon skilled enough to return me to normal. The stress is huge, I can't workout well, sleep is impossible, and I attract only jerk guys now. I regret it everyday. And if a woman with implants tells you they dont have discomfort, they are lying. I am telling the truth.

Rebecca

---

I enjoyed looking at your site very much and am happy you have devoted the time to putting it up.

I have a comment that I think many people on your site might not agree with, but I wanted to share anyway.

I am now 30 years old and have had breast implants for about 10 years. Before getting the implants, I could not fit into AA cup bras; I suppose I was a AAA, but maybe I was smaller. The woman shown on your site as "almost completely flat-chested" and a AA cup was definitely larger than I was. I had puffy nipples, and that was it. I'm also thin around my entire chest, so you could in fact see my rib cage through my breasts, except directly below the areola. My gynecologist said it wouldn't be clear whether I could produce enough milk until after I'd had children.

I decided to have breast implants not because I felt pressure to look like a Playboy model or be sexier. I don't think there is anything wrong with being flat-chested, but for me, getting implants was a personal decision that I'm happy with. I loved myself before getting implants; I love myself now. I was dissatisfied with how I looked, and I admit I'm vain, but I do love myself. Anyone who really feels like less of a person because of appearance should try to work through that issue, because it can be dangerous.

I think women should love themselves however they look, but I don't think a decision to get plastic surgery is something that should be judged negatively. People seem so much more open to the idea of other plastic surgery (nose jobs, for example) than to breast implants, and I can only think that it's because of the way we feel about breasts sexually. In fact, I think it's a symptom of our society's negative attitudes toward women and sexuality that we are made to feel bad on either side of the implant question. If we don't get implants we're faced with images of so-called perfect breasts. If we do get implants, we're judged for that as well, often by other women. I find that many men like to look at fake breasts but don't actually want the women they are with to have implants. It really sends a conflicting message.

In my case, I was fortunate to know a very nice female surgeon who did a lot of work on mastectomy patients. I wanted to become only an A cup, but she suggested I go to a B cup in case I gained weight later, because she thought my breasts would not develop even with weight gain. Still, my implants were rather small; she had to order them specially, as my size is typically used only for mastectomy patients. I am now about a 32B and am happy with it. I do sometimes look at large-breasted women and feel inadequate, but I think my breasts are pretty cute.

That said, I'd like to offer some advice to women considering implants. It might sound strange, but I wouldn't have gotten implants if I had been even an A cup. I don't judge anyone who would want to do that, but I can tell you that the surgery is quite painful. It won't give you "perfect" breasts, and I've heard that the breasts feel very different and not as nice. (Never having had fatty breast tissue, I couldn't say for certain.) You'll have to have the implants replaced after 10 to 15 years; that's just how it is. And if anything goes wrong and they have to be removed, they may end up looking worse than before. In my case, I didn't have much sensation in my breasts anyway, it wasn't clear that I could ever breastfeed, and "looking worse" and "seeing ribs up to my areolas" were pretty much equivalent to me.

And before I go, I'd just like to make it clear: You should love yourself and not feel like you have to conform to an idealized beauty. But you also shouldn't judge people's actions. I can't tell you how many conversations I've been in with women who commented on how horrible women with breast implants were and how "flat chested" they themselves were, when they were actually a very nice A cup and had no idea that the non-big-breasted gal talking with them had implants!

Thanks,
J

---

I am a 28-year old male from Germany and I am kind of shocked after visiting your website. I never liked the way the media presented "big plastic breasts" as something adorable but not just because I never saw a breast in my life that is unpretty... (Actually thats not true... I saw breasts I didn't like: Thoose "plastic tits" on TV.)
I can really understand if someone gets breast surgery after an accident or losing a breast by cancer, but pumping breasts up? Destroying them by surgery? It makes me really sad to read how many woman are even considering this idea.
So if any woman who's uncomfortable with her breasts reads this: Please don't do it not even (or probably especially) if you have AA sized breasts.

(Another sad fact: I had two girlfriends with very small breast who didn't believe me when I told them that I think that they had awesome breasts... How far did we come, that those woman were so unsecure that the didn't even believe their boyfriend about this?)

And a (final) note to breastfeeding: It's great that you fight for this. In Germany it's common and I am really happy about it. It is normal. NOT breastfeeding is a problem....

Keep this great website working...
Julian

---

I am 54 years old. My breasts never even begun to develop. I still have the breast the size of a 5 year old. I have worn padded bras all my life, just to look normal, not overly padded. Mainly, bras that I have altered myself, because you cannot find padded bras in the stores anymore. It's just too late now to even think about doing anything different.

Lois

---

I am 17. I developed very early like around 9, and my breasts were somewhat big for my age, but for the past 5 years they have sagged. badly. I read your site and see that being overweight is a cause for this, and I'm scared that after I lose all my weight, "All 120 lbs. of it" my breasts will be destroyed and even worse. I look at surgery as my only hope. I don't want to be another "statistic of young women in our generation obsessed with their appearance" but I can't stand to look at my breasts and have them be the way they are. I don't feel that it's normal for them to look this way and it makes me cry everyday when I get dressed and see them. The bras I buy, push up and full coverage, only work at least twice and then they just turn into basically a hammock for my breasts, so they can sag inside of a BRA! I've read some of the risks and I'm frightened but at the same time want to love my breasts, but how can I when I think they are so ugly? I feel that they hold me back from true happiness and expressing myself. I feel stuck. I just need some direction and help. My mom got breast implants and hers seem fine, she's ok with them, but I can't ask her about them because she gets mad when I do. I just feel stuck. I wanna feel beautiful.

Sincerely,
the girl who just wants to feel beautiful inside and out.

Hi,

On implants. It is too bad your mom doesn't want to talk about it, which makes me wonder that maybe she isn't truly happy with her decision.

There's one thing with implants, they will first of all take some of the sensation away from your breasts (skin and possibly nipple will be numb or partially numb), and then you will be able to somewhat feel/sense the artificial balls inside you. I strongly doubt you'd be happy with them either - you'd probably be even less happy with your body then. Maybe you can compare it to getting a false leg - it might look nice to other people but it wouldn't feel "natural" for the person wearing it.

On losing weight. Your breasts will lose some fat if you lose weight, but you won't lose your breasts - you won't lose the milk-making glands, or the ducts from there.

Don't worry, breasts can sag inside a bra, yep. You're not to only one. Bras cannot cure sagging, just hide it. You need to look at pictures on our galleries, all 6 pages of them.

I get the feeling that it isn't your breasts that are keeping you from expressing yourself, but maybe your own thinking about them is.

Just read some more on our site:
Being large-breasted - Being small-breasted - Questions and answers.

---

I experienced pressure from my mother to have a REDUCTION when I was 18. In hindsight I wish I had been strong enough to have told my mom "no". In our society we are so quick to hack up our bodies. Thankfully there wasn't enough damage to my milk ducts to prevent me from nursing my daughter!

Rachel

---

Thank you so much for this web site. During my whole life the only breast I could ever compare mine with were what I saw in magazines and on the screen. Seeing that I am normal and they are out of the ordinary (breast implants included) was such an eye opener for me. They should actual publish magazines with normal woman from all shapes and sizes. Unfortunately young girls are developing low self-esteem because of what society has dictated to them. Thanks again.

Susan

---

Thank you for this site. I was searching the web for reasons not to get implants. Most of my searches no matter what I typed in results in plastic surgery websites. I think it's a conspiracy.

wendy

---

Thank you so much for this web site. During my whole life the only breast I could ever compare mine with were what I saw in magazines and on the screen. Seeing that I am normal and they are out of the ordinary (breast implants included) was such an eye opener for me. They should actual publish magazines with normal woman from all shapes and sizes. Unfortunately young girls are developing low self-esteem because of what society has dictated to them. Thanks again.

Susan

---

Is there any way to correct tubular breasts without the use of implants? Is there a way an implant could be used to shape the breasts and then be removed later on in life. I have a severe case but do not care about breast size, I am more concerned with breast shape.

kennedy

Search in Google or some other search engine for 'breast form' or 'breast forms'. Those are made of silicone, shaped like a breast, and worn inside bra.

---

I'm 17, and a 32A. I absolutely love my breasts. I was self-conscious about them at one point in time, but I have successfully changed my mindset. And it is quite empowering, let me tell you.

I think my breasts are beautiful and wouldn't want them any other way. It's not about the fact that they will take longer to sag, or that I don't "need" a bra, or that I'm less prone to creeps. No, they are beautiful because they are, well, me.

I encourage other women and girls to love their breasts (as well as the rest of their body!) no matter what the size. Women are so very beautiful just the way they are.

Margaret

---

Thank you for your wise and wonderful site. I am a 47 year old mother of four and recently only discovered that I have hypoplastic tuberous breasts. Now I can let go of the guilt and failure I felt at having to supplement my four sons' infant diet with formula. My husband is a wonderful super hot guy who looks like a rock star (no joke!) and he was horrified when I once asked if he would want me to get breast implants. He says my boobs are beautiful and any implants are GROSS. I do NOT consider myself to be deformed. I am tall, slim, healthy, look young for my age and am frequently complimented for my looks. The day they invent a 'cure' for underdeveloped milk glands I would recommend women go for it. Having insufficient breast milk was a heartwrenching experience. But to put plastic pillows into your chest so you can have 'normal' breasts? Ugh! Ladies, get your priorities straight: go on a diet. Take up a hobby. Hug a friend or paint a picture. Don't date morons. Forget your boobs. Leave well enough alone. Stop helping the plastic surgeons retire early! Hugs to all of you!

lara

---

Your site is so real and healthy. I am just beginning my career as a mental health therapist. Your response to "Samantha", 17 year old with a job and one breast smaller than the other, is poignant, empathic, and honest. Honesty is a value often lost by the media; or if we're lucky, captured in the last 30 seconds of a 7th Heaven episode.

On a more personal level, I am 31-years old and my bust measurement is 32 AA. I suppose that makes me "flat." All of my life I have experienced low self-esteem, envied other women's chests, and even resorted to starving myself to make the rest of my body somehow "match" my tiny top. Still, every man I ever had a relationship with told me I was "sexy" and "beautiful" and that my breasts "didn't matter." And to be honest, when I was with them, size was irrelevant. It only mattered when I had to be around other women and consciously compared myself.

You read the stereotypes; big boobs better sex; please your man....blah blah blah. None of that is true. If it is your fate in this lifetime to experience intimacy and love, you will regardless of what you look like. From ages 13-90+ if all you concern yourself with is glossy magazines, going to the "mall" and "checking people out" then that is what you're life will be like - and that is they kind of people you'll end up with.

If you want more in life, then grab a book and read it. Work until you drop from exhaustion. Be productive. Eat the foods that will make you live longer and feel as good as you did when you were a young kid full of energy. Get a pet you can take care of, clean your house, be neat and clean. Create something. And stay away from mirrors!

Natalia

---

I am a married woman and fixing to get a divorce because my breast size did not turn him on. Instead he went to porn sites and then attempted to have an affair with his bosses daughter just because they all had much larger breast than me. I want larger breast but not for him. He made me feel unloved and unwanted to the extreme point that I could never let him touch my body again. This has such an impact on my life that I now feel like less than a woman and feel that if I had implants that maybe I could feel better about my self image and get a little revenge on him at the same time. What's a girl to do when all the world is full of images of women who make men think that women like me are less than women and not worth loving, except get implants.

Rosa

---

Hi- I have to say I love your website and believe that it brings healing to a lot of women and girls. Whoever you are, I want to thank you for your fortitude in creating this site.

I do want to comment on one aspect of the website. I think it is important that we not blame men for this "breast mess" that we are in. Here is a copy of an article written by Collin McEnroe in 1997 Cosmopolitan magazine and I think the most important quote in the whole thing is "Men love all breasts in a sort of idiotic and genial way, but the breasts they love most are attached to women they adore." I think most young girls grow up believing that if they do not have perfect breasts they are somehow less womanly and will not be attractive to a man. This is simply not true as is evidenced by the fact that most of the women featured on your site are breastfeeding mothers so some man certainly liked them enough to make children with them!!

So I think it is important that we not blame men for women's self-hatred. Afterall, most of the fashion magazines have female editors.

Jamie Marr-Castillo

---

After pouring over the website for a second time, I feel once again reassured that my small (34A) breasts are not shameful. However, my husband of one year has been unhappy with my breasts since the beginning of our relationship and because of all the images he has seen in his life, he believes that large and perfectly round breasts are the only ones that are desirable. When we make love, he never takes my bra off and has even admitted that it is because he does not like my breasts. This has been devastating because while I think my breasts are beautiful, I have little hope that he ever will. After watching me cry for nearly four hours last night, I think he has realized that something needs to change. I plan on showing him the pictures on this website, but I think he will always prefer fake to real. Because I know what he thinks of my breasts, I am terrified of letting him see me naked. This culture's attitude towards breasts truly makes me sick and I am afraid that it will destroy my marriage.

Margaret

---

dear 007b.com
i have always been obsessed with my 'small' breast - 34a - I now know I am not 'flat cheasted' and am actually the norm....iv found your site inspiring - im nearly 20 years old and my older brother has harassed me for years about my boobs which has scarred me for life - I only wish there was the acceptance (be it hidden and only availible on the net) of small/average breats here in the UK....people view small breats as a problem, especially due to the popularity of the page 3 spread in the newspapers and celebritys like Jordan and Jodie Marsh whose whole career has arisen because at some point she has been able to afford a hugh breast implant...i know most people have cosmetic surgery because they are totally insecure about themselves, and these people are often the ones who are most aggressive and hostile towards people with small breasts (i use 'people' as many transgender women feel inadequate if they grow aonly small amounts of breast tissue).... I still feel bad about my body and mught do forever, but at least I now have the satisfaction of knowing that there are more people in the world with ''abnormal'' breasts as the media likes to call them, than those with this ideal of perfection....doesn't it makee you more of a woman to accept whats natural than change it to please a man??

von

---

After reading some of these comments, I just feel sad for the hopelessness in the way these girls feel about themselves. A couple of years ago, I breastfed my son for 18 months on only one side (he just rejected the other breast and the milk dried up because I got tired of trying to make him nurse on that side). Needless to say, I became extremely lop-sided. One breast was an A-cup and the other a C or D-cup. There were times when I was tempted to feel self-concious but I just padded one side and hoped noone would notice. And noone did. When I look back at pictures of myself I looked like a beautiful, glowing young mother. I pray that the hope these ladies lack in wanting to correct their bodies is found in the fact that they are loved by the One who created them.

Beth

---

I'm a happily married 43 year old male, and feel I had to comment on your website after having visited briefly. I wish I could get across to every woman out there who allows her breasts to affect her self esteem in a negative way: let me assure you that most men I know don't REALLY care about your breasts. A good guy knows personality is more important than cup size. Personally, nothing turns me off faster than hearing a woman is considering breast enlargement, regardless if they are completely flat or not... don't let the media dictate your self esteem.

Surgically enhanced breasts are a real turn-off, except perhaps in the case of plastic surgery after treatment for breast cancer or an accident... where plastic surgery for any portion of one's body makes sense to correct self-esteem issues. That said, I personally think it's unecessary in those instances as well, although I understand why some might not feel the same way. Think of it this way: we all collect our scars throughout life. Whether they are simple stretch marks or something more noticable, accept them. We all have them in some form or another. Noone is exempt.

Every woman has an inner and outer beauty that is irrisitable to a good man. Forget about the bad men. Remember that you are feminine and beautiful just they way you are, and a good man will find you if you let him. We are out there, despite what Hollywood might have you believe.

Harry

---

Just a note to all of the girls out there that are mortified over their "small" breasts. I am 16 and almost a DD, I was in an A in 5th grade, I got teased because of it. Also my breasts arent perky as they would be if I had smaller ones, they sag, and its just going to get worse. I would like smaller breasts, a B would make me happy. Let me spell it out...smaller= less back pain, more attention paid to you as a person and not a pair of boobs, being able to participate in sports or any physical activity without 2 sports bras, dont look top heavy, easier to find shirts that fit, (and of course bras that dont look like ugly frilly plastic milk cartons.) Just learn to be happy with yourself, we all have things we dont especially love about our bodys, but dont let anybody, not a boyfriend, the media, or people at school make you ashamed of what you have.(and if he mentions breast implants for you ask him about testical implants, just more weight to carry around and more to get in the way.It doenst make a person any more a man if they have large testicals or a woman any more feminine if she has large breasts...plain and simple.)

Erika

---

I think that this website is good for people who have small breasts and are self concious, but im 16 and have tuberous breasts which means they are different shapes and sizes my left breast is a c cup and my right is an A cup, it has affected me and my confidence, I have seen a plastic surgeon and he is going to perform breast enlargement in 6 months and I feel more reassured that I will be able to live my life to the full and be cofident and wear low cut tops instead of hiding my chest. so sometimes breast enlargement is nessary

amanda

---

I think this site is fantastic!
I spent all my youth feeling very uncomfortable about my small breasts (A cup). I wasn't helped by meeting my husband in my twenties, who when I first undressed, told me my breasts were too small, and not in proportion to my tall body! Why did I listen? Why did I stay with this guy??? He spent his life reading porn-mags, and sometimes i'd sneak a look at these pictures of skinny, huge breasted women, and feel hopeless, and depressed. But I also felt angry; I am so sick of the media- world we live in, and the power it has to shape people's ideas. Guys feel they can come up and joke, "What do you need a bra for, Sarah?"
At thirty I had a daughter, and breast-fed her for a year, very successfully, but had to endure comments from folk, like, "I'm surprised you have enough milk". Anyhow, here I am at forty two, and feeling feisty!
I left my husband, and after some time, went on to have a short, but sweet relationship with a man who loved my body! In his words,"It's not the size of the breast that matters; for me it's the nipple ...and you have GORGEOUS nipples!" I threw out my padded bras; what a relief!

I LOVE this site; it's voicing all that I've been feeling, and latterly crusading for. My daughter is nine, and approaching puberty in a culture that has never been so obssessively body-concious. I'm determined to help her feel positive about herself. If only I had been able to see this site when I was in my teens!

Sarah Williamson

---

hi, I love your website. I am 13 years old and have a flat chest and I hav started my periods. I accept my body the way it is and I think the image that is being created is a really bad one, I think the idea of breasts being useful for feeding a child is the perfect image that should be spread and noone should beleive that breasts are 100% sexual.

amanda

---

I don't feel that women should have breast implants,and teenaged girls shouldn't even be thiking of it. they should get some counsuling insted. and the Doctor's should have their licences taken away for doing them. The only women who I think should even think about it, are the ones who need reconstruction surgery. From a mans point of view. a real man doesn't care how big your breast are only shallow,ignorant,and perverted men do. And what would you want a man like that for anyway. size doesn't matter. I like women with breast of all shapes and sizes. In fact about 20 odd years ago I was at a nude beach in Point Loma (San Diego Ca)and I met two students from the Christian college up the hill who were topfree on the beach. They had some of the most beautiful breast I have ever seen and they couln't fill up an A cup. There was nothing special about them. Perhaps it was there pride in themselves and their self confidence. For the young girls I have to say this Don't worry about your breast they're fine just the way they are, and don't worry about a little bit of fat around your waist hips etc. It is suppose to be there. It's what helps give you the curves that make you look like a woman. and it is what atracts guys to you. You can be too thin and that can be just as bad as being overwaight. just eat right and don't worry about it. you'll be just fine, and don't be ashamed of your breast or your body. go topfree with pride. Remember we all have flaws even the super models.
Jerry Gautier

The comment about "breasts being 2 mounds of fat" I found funny because that's how I've always seen it. My breasts are not even an A32 and im 19, I know they will not grow because my mom is small and I started having my period at the age of 10. All I want is to be able to wear any shirt I want without feeling uncomfortable. I do not think large breasts are attractive and have always felt smaller ones are nicer to look at. I have a consiltation booked for breast augmentation Feb 17th. I will probably only go for a full B cup, definitaly nothing bigger. I'm still concerned about the pain and I love how having small breats like mine now is so comfortable. I'm still not sure If I'm going to go through with it.

alana

---

Thank you for such a great website! Too many American women waste time and mental effort on worrying about their breast size.

Emily

---

I'm really glad that u made this website. I'm 13 yrs old, and I thought that my breasts were deformed before I came to this website. But now I realize that just because mine may not be as perky or as small or big as my friends' or my sisters' doesn't mean that there is something wrong with me. Thank you alot, you really made me feel better about my self. The reason I thought that they were deformed was because the color around my nipple area seems big, and they seem to sag alot.

---

Excellent article!! I also like to say that it is very sad these days that women are rated by their breast sizes and that at some point in the past I was one of the males who beleived "Big breast = beauty" but now I'm more mature and know that what I thought was wrong. But I think the entertainment industry should stop glamourizing the "big breast = beauty" theory and pay more attention to the female's NATURAL beauty than artificial cosmetic "beauty".

David

---

I totally agree with all of your comments, and I am even doing my senior project on the popularity of Cosmetic Surgery, and teenagers. I say that there should be a law that does not allow anyone under the age of 25 to have cosmetic surgery unless it is a medical condition.

Tamara Ilharreguy

---

I really like your articles on who needs breast implants but I'm sorry to say I still don't feel so good. I'm 32 going on 33. I have a flatchest like in grade school. I have severe depression just walking outside to get in my cadillac because there's always a prettier woman or girl passing me by and I have to face it, men like boobs to look at. Is there anything that will make me feel better with surgery because I'm looking forward to going to work in nursing home soon? thanks so much for your time,
tig

Hi Tig,
I understand that having a small chest can be embarrassing in this land where big breasts are adored and emphasized to such an extreme... Actually, flat-chested women have breast tissue AND are able to produce milk... so you're NOT lacking in that sense. You are a woman.

And not all men are so totally obsessed about breasts. You can read some of their comments for example on these pages: Breast obsession, breast gallery, and Being flat-chested.

On the other hand, I want to make sure you know that you are not alone. There are lots of flat-chested women out there - you just often don't know it since they often wear padded bras.

We have a whole page devoted to being flat-chested - I'm sure reading that can help you even more!

---

God made breasts years before man made implants. Keep what God gave you unadulterated while you are breast feeing your children. Children born to women who had silicone implants and breast fed are developing the same health problems as their mothers. Manufacturers have known the damage and risk of breast implants for years. They just don't tell you.

Elena

---

My teen years I spent much time worrying my breasts were to small... In my twenties I spent much time worrying my breasts were to small.. At 34 yrs. old I found a lump which turned out to be nothing.. Now I think "WOW"! What pretty,HEALTHY,little breasts I have! Both of them are still here... I'm alive and well..Unlike many other women.... So seriously! Was there ever a problem to begin with? No! Don't waste your time thinking about it.. Smiling big time in Michigan,

Jody

---

I think it is horrible the way these "doctors" (or so they are called) have butchered the breasts of women of all ages. Plastic surgery is a cowardly way to address one's own issues regarding physical insecurity and or lack of body confidence. Women should spend more time on developing and enhancing the person they are rather than on their exterior appearance or namely the size and shape of their breasts. Breasts are a part of the human anatomy for perpetuation of the species. They are there not only for our own pleasure, but to feed our babies. We will all get old, and wrinkled and saggy, and we will all die... these my friends, are the inevitable facts of life (and death.) We should embrace this reality rather than avoid it, or pretend that we can turn back the clock by cutting, tucking, pulling and ultimately maming our bodies. Be proud of what God (whatever you concieve that to be) gave you. Never allow the mainstream media to dictate to you what beauty is... beauty is in the eye of the beholder and we should appreciate and recognize beauty as an inner, not outer strength. The ugly duckling, can always "evolve" eventually into the graceful Swan. Do not interfere with nature, allow life to follow its natural path.
Thanks for the opportunity to voice my opinion...

Heather Melinda

---

I'm a 16 year old who is still in high school. I was embarassed all the time because I have small breasts. It runs in my family, and all my friends have large breasts. I was afraid to wear bathing suits, dresses, tank tops, and pretty much and cute shirt. But because of this site I have a new confidence in myself. I play volleyball, soccer, surf, snowboard, and love dancing. But my small breasts held me back, and yes I did think ALL THE TIME about getting implants. All the girls on my teams had nice large breasts and they bragged about them and showed them off in revealing shirts. Now that I really think about it, it is the people who mark you for your breast size who need to grow up. THANKS!

~*~*Gillian*~*~

---

I agree with this 100%. Since adolescence, I have had asymmetrical breasts. Now I am a mother of 2 children, and have been happily married for almost 10 years. It doesn't bother my husband at all. I think that people should be content with what God gave them. Asymmetrical breasts aren't painful like invasive implants, and their side effects. Keep up the good work with this site!

Jessica

---

I think women no matter what size breast they have, all look attractive, and should not ever have surgery on their breast (Way too risky). Stay with your natural self (IMPLANTS ARE NOT NECESSARY). I am a 33 year old male and think all women should be looked at as human beings and NOT meat factories.

john doe

---

I learned the hard way. I got saline implants in july of 2003. My breasts looked fabulous, but the pain in my crease would not go away. I could not work or even do simple things. The pain got so bad that I had to have them removed 10 weeks later. I had them under the muscle which was reccomended. I had two major surgeries in 10 weeks. It is now Feb 2004 and I am still recovering and still have pain. My breasts are totally numb and may be this way permanently. I am now back in the gym and can do some exercise. My pectoral muscle will never be the same. I was never told that it was possible to have pain of that magnitude. I thought I was going to die. Luckily my breasts are not deformed and look ok. I was duped into believing that this would make my life better. If I would have known that I would have an incredible amount of pain, I would have run for the hills. Of course the Dr. got a lot of money to maim me and got away with this like all of them do. If you are even thinking about getting implants, please forget it. All those celebrities that have them will be having or have had many problems and will continue to do so in the years to come. And they do slosh and saline does not feel real at all. They were pretty hard and unnatural too. And mine were only 10 weeks old.

Jan

---

I just wanted to thank you for your wonderful site. I breastfed my 2 kids for a year each. Recently lost over 40 lbs. and my belly and breasts "deflated". I recently had a tummy tuck and have now been obsessing over my breasts. I actually have a date booked for surgery, despite the fact that I always said I would never put anything fake into my body. After much resistance from family members about this surgery and reading your site -I finally woke up - I was in a 2 week "fog" over this - and I finally woke up! Why would I want to put something fake and dangerous in my body that would have to come out a few times in my life time??? My husband loves me just the way I am - I would actually do this just to look good in a bathing suit and feel like I can keep up with celebrities??? I have been in such a horrible state over this - I have been feeling like I was inadequate because I have sagging breasts with loose skin and I am only 34 and the rest of me looks great. It is normal for a woman who has breast fed for 2 years to look like this! The women with implants should feel inadequate because they are fake!!!!! I can understand women who have cancer and want reconstruction - but young girls who are 20 and no kids yet - that do this just to be bigger - are going to feel very sorry in the future! Your site has helped me to accept my breasts - be thankful I am healthy and beautiful even with saggy boobs - and I am cancelling my surgery first thing tomorrow!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Angela

---

The reactions, without more, that I've seen from many doctors tell me that there is a serious problem in the medical community. Whether it is a knee jerk distrust of consumer/patients and the "L" word, or it is a deliberate cover up I don't know. But if I survive surgery and all of this, I'll never have implants again. No matter what. I now have 2 20-year old ruptured implants and multiple autoimmune problems, at a time I recently graduated from law school and should be starting a second career.
Sometimes rage is justifiable. This is one of those times. Oh, the surgeon who did the implants had his licensed revoked in 1994. I tracked him down and talked to him. This last summer and fall has been a nightmare.
There is so much more I could say. I also had a father die of mesothelioma (40 years after exposure to asbestos, in a summer job, unrelatd to his career) and a cousin did from toxic poisoning from her work as a mech. engineer at Rocky Flats Nuclear plant. And now I am experiencing this.
This should say something about how happy I am with the kinds of 'tests' that provide 'no evidence to show danger....".
well, if there is little or no significant data and shoddy correlation studies than I imagine this is a true statement.

Jean Winters

---

Hi, this is a great site which I forwarded to my two daughters. One is breastfeeding my first grandchild, my other daughter is pregnant. I have fought to make them self-confindent, and I have tried to teach my sons about what is normal and natural. I myself are very proud of my sagging breasts, because I have feeded all my 4 children. When we talk about silicone, we always just joke. When I asked my youngest son what he would think about to have a mom with silicone in her breast, he answered "I would send you back to the doctor to take out the silicone. I want you like God has created you." Thanks again for a great site!!

Johanna

---

I just wanted to say that I think this website was informative but really did not hit the mark. I myself have the tuberous breast condition, and no person who has this condition can honestly say that they feel 100% about themselves. I believe that in every single thing, such as surgery, there is good and bad. I have spent countless hours praying for 'normal' breasts, and that is the best thing about this site- although I don't have a fatal disease or disorder that controls each aspect of my life, I do have one that makes me not take small things for granted. Too often women make 'boob jobs' seem like something that isn't a big deal, and that anybody and everybody should have to make themselves feel good. Women with great breasts that want to be 'perfect' daily fill surgeons' offices to make their breasts as impecable as possible, when in reality it is not the breasts that need fixing but their own inner selves.

I have not decided whether or not I will have surgery when I am older or not, but I do know one thing- breats size does not matter at all and doesn't limit a person to accomplishing less than what they wanted. I am certainly not going to feel sorry for myself at all and let media pressure take hold of my life, but I will do what is necessary to make myself feel like a woman, and if that means surgery, I think that that is beautiful. Nobody with a congenital disease should ever feel bad about correcting their problem. Not all surgery is done out of spite, but out of love for themselves.

Jaclyn

---

Great site! I wish I could say, with all the force and expression I can use, to every woman considering breast surgery: "Don't do it! Your breasts are beautiful just the way they are!"

Jochanaan

---

Thank YOU. All should see this! I wish I knew 20 years ago what I know now.

mollybloom

---

I had severe complications from breast implants and had them removed after only 10 weeks. I was ripped off to the tune of 7 grand. I still have the pain and will for a while. What magazines and TV do to all of us women is a crime and I fell for it hook, line and sinker. Get the word out. And men's mags should be outlawed. Porn should be illegal. Thanks for caring.

Janet

---

Thank you for a wonderful website! I hope women considering implants get the message! After almost forty years, the long term effects of having breast implants hardly been studied! After getting sick as a result of breast implants, the size/shape/presense of breasts becomes immaterial! A healthy life is the only thing that matters!

Rogene

---

Justice will prevail when men who got penile implants end up with rotten privates. Congress will act overnight then.

Pooky

---