“I first knew I wanted a boob job at a young age,” she says. “As a teenager I remember feeling insecure with how I looked: in secondary school I developed a lot later than my other friends,”
“I wasn’t extremely flat chested but I always wanted bigger boobs. Even at a young age I wore push up bras so I could feel more complete.”
She had doubts telling her parents, but despite her conservative upbringing, they appreciated that it was her decision. “[They] didn’t like the idea of me changing my body but when they realised how unhappy I was they supported my decision to get it done.” She even admits: “They paid for more than half of it.”
Rebecca, who went from a size 34B to 38F, says despite the recovery period she is happy she did it. “For weeks after it was agony, then it felt uncomfortable but once the scarring had healed it was fine.
“It seems superficial, but for me it was something I needed to do and I’m so happy that I did.”
Like most cosmetic procedures, breast augmentation is often the most criticised. Cosmetic surgery for women, especially, is a feminist issue. The criticism is that it’s superficial and a procedure done for a male’s gaze.
But why is there strong encouragement for a woman’s right to make choices about her reproductive freedom, but not for body modification? Shouldn’t women’s choices about their own bodies be just that: their choice?
Rebecca says that when others find out about her enhancements, their reaction is one of shock. “Most people have been supportive because they knew it was something I wanted to do. My friends at Uni all call me ‘big t*ts’.” She jokes. “But, I think a lot of people were surprised I’d had it done because I’m not the usual ‘type’.”
What is the usual ‘type’? The Sheffield Hallam student says, “Well I’m not that bothered about my appearance, and I’m really career orientated whereas other girls who get it done usually do it for the purposes of either modelling or because they want to date a footballer or something like that.”
Her answer highlights even more that it’s a feminist issue. The stigma attached to breast enlargement is that it targets one group of women, whereas women of all ages and backgrounds now choose to go under the knife to ‘improve’ their physique.
As an advocator of the natural look, I realise that many feminists want to promote the wholesome approval of the “real” self in response to the bombardment of spotless Photoshop fantasies we tolerate every day as women. Truthfully, I completely enforce self-acceptance and think it’s essential in today’s society.
But is there an alternative oppressive standard beneath critiques of plastic surgery? An ideology that determines only “authentic” beauty is “true,” and choosing to change your external appearance is somehow “wrong” and considerably not feminist?
In defence, there is a pressure by the media to look a certain way. The student agrees, “There’s a desired look,” she says, “Women like Kim Kardashian and Beyoncé are idolised for being slim but curvy. I suppose it can make some women feel inadequate.
“I don’t think the media made me want a boob job, but subconsciously it may have done. I’ve not really thought about it that way before.”
Rebecca has a word of advice for others who are thinking of cosmetic surgery, “I’d tell other women that any changes they make to their body should be done only for their own needs and not for anyone else.” She continues, “Also you need to put a lot of thought on whether it’s actually the right choice for you.”
“I have no regrets whatsoever. Since having it done, I feel more feminine and I like what I see in the mirror.”
Is cosmetic surgery a pressure of the media or is it a sincere choice of the individual? Comment below to have your say.