I spent thousands on bigger boobs but ended up hating them – the NHS paid to have them removed and I’m a lot happier

Kerry Sturgess stood alongside her mother, sister and aunt and felt the oddness – with a modest 34B chest.

In 2009, the Pilates trainer decided to spend £5,500 on breast surgery.

9

9

9

Within days, Kerry regretted her decision. And when the cosmetic procedure once loved by celebs like Katie Price and Pamela Anderson went out of fashion, she finally had it removed 12 years later.

Kerry, 52, isn’t the only one shrinking as Google searches for “NHS breast reduction waitlist” have risen by 800 per cent in the last 12 months.

And plastic surgery clinics here have seen a 97 percent increase in women seeking breast implant removal.

Kerry, from Finchingfield, Essex, says: “I always felt uncomfortable about my breasts and thought implants would make me feel better and look better.

“My husband didn’t think it was a good idea, but I’m strong-willed, so I did it anyway. At 40 I had 360cc silicone implants that took me from 34B to 34E.

‘NO SEX DRIVE’

“I suddenly had the boobs I always dreamed of. But I quickly realized that I wasn’t happy.

“I thought I would look feminine. But my clothes looked worse and I was full of boobs – the opposite of what I wanted.

“I ride a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, but I couldn’t fix my biker jacket!

“A few days after I brought her in, I wanted her out. I told myself it was just panic. Then when I turned 43 in 2012, they broke and got hard.”

In December 2021, Kerry had her implants removed at the NHS because she felt they were causing health problems.

She says: “I was so relieved. I wish I had done the ‘explant’ as soon as I got it.”

Breast jobs were booming in the noughties. As of 2010, an estimated 8,000 British women had their breasts augmented each year.

A decade later, the implant bubble has burst. Before Covid, the number of women with breast implants fell by 38 percent.

Speaking last year about wanting to have her own implants removed, comedian Katherine Ryan, 38, described the practice as “a stale noughties trend,” comparable to a lower back tattoo.

Other stars including Shirley Ballas, 61, and Michelle Visage, 53, had theirs removed.

Prior to her explant, Kerry noted that her health was compromised. She says: “I got horrible symptoms – blurred vision, body tremors, no sex drive and hot tremors. But I blame it all on menopause.

“Then, after three years, the implants became rock hard. After six years I noticed other health problems and I still suffer from dizziness, tinnitus and blurred vision.

“I joined a Breast Implant Disease (BII) Facebook group and found that most women have similar issues as I do.

“No one could pay me to go through the process again.”

Breast implant disease is not a medical diagnosis, but there have been many reports of various health issues associated with all types of breast implants.

A few days after I had them in, I wanted them out. I told myself it was just panic. Then when I turned 43 in 2012, they broke and got hard.

Kerry Sturgess

Leading cosmetic surgeon Dr. Riccardo Frati says: “Breast implant disease is still not a defined syndrome encompassing a wide range of symptoms.

“These include brain fog, fatigue and joint pain. There have also been reports of a serious condition where the immune system mistakenly attacks the body.”

Silicone implants have been used for 60 years, peaking in 2013 with 11,135 surgeries here. Last year there were 4,023.

Mr. TK Sankar, board-certified plastic surgeon at The Harley Medical Group, says, “There is a significant increase in patients wanting a more natural look.”

Twenty years after her implantation, Deborah Mitchell, 56, founder of Heaven Skincare, spent £5,000 to have them removed.

Deborah from Telford, Shrops says: “Fashion changes. I wouldn’t encourage anyone to have them unless a girl is emotionally upset and desperately needs them.

“I’ve always had flat breasts and I was concerned about it.

“In my mid-thirties I was married and putting chicken fillets in my bra to build it up! I would throw them in the closet before bed.

“One day my little daughter found one and chewed it. I was devastated. After that I was determined to get breast implants.

“My husband said, ‘Do you want a new car or breast implants?’ I said the implants so he bought them for me in 2001. But he loved it so much he got me the car too!

“I switched from 34B to 34D. But over the years I gained weight and didn’t enjoy my larger bust size.

“Since removing them in September 2020 I have lost a stone and my health has improved. I felt weak beforehand and my body ached. I look a lot younger now.”

Writer Jane Lavery, 52, from North London, had implants in her early 30’s. But last September she had them removed.

She says: “Growing up there was pressure to have a skinny body with huge breasts, which was impossible to achieve naturally. At a 32AA I felt inadequate.

“After having a baby at 23, I had breastfeeding problems and they dwindled to nothing. I had them done in 1999.

“My implants were only small, 260cc saline, size 34B, and they fit my frame. But after 18 years I started to believe that they were not good for my health.

“I had gained some weight and felt a bit matronly. I also suffered from a variety of undiagnosed autoimmune diseases that have been linked to the breast implants.

“The explant was a catalyst for so many things. I lost half a stone because I could train more. I feel full of energy and young again.”

9

9

9

9

9

9