Candice

My before & after

Why did you want a breast enlargement?

I had been considering having breast enlargement for around 2 years before deciding to book a consultation. I was always slim build and stopped growing at 5ft 3, with a heavier bottom half than my top half. Once I started more extreme physical exercise I went from having small boobs to NO boobs. My boobs, or lack of, had always been an uncomfortable subject for me growing up and only magnified as I became older. I was a confident person, I loved myself on my good days and had my body hang ups on my bad ones, but knowing I could exercise to lose weight or get stronger gave me no comfort when it came to my boobs. There was nothing I could do to make myself more in proportion, or comfortable with the way I looked. It was upsetting. I didn’t enjoy clothes shopping, I didn’t feel comfortable being naked in front of a loving partner, I hated working in tight leotards for work that didn’t allow for bras.

The tipping point for me was a holiday abroad when I was dismayed at the way I felt when I saw myself in a bikini.

I decided to book a few consultations and seriously educate myself on breast augmentation so I could make an educated decision. I had to think about time off from work, and how long my recovery period would be before I could start regaining my strength again.

When I told my Mum, she was really quite supportive. As a woman who has worked in a medical field for some of her career, she understood the risks of the procedure, but also the high success rate and how routine the procedure has become in recent years. She also knew how upset I felt about myself. I was a confident young woman who wanted the way my body looked to identify with the way I felt inside!

My boyfriend at the time was also very understanding. It wasn't about him, but it was great to have his support. Whilst he was very happy with the way I looked and loved me regardless, he understood how big of a deal my lack of boobs was and so was helpful all the way, even coming with me to my consultation and helping me research different size implants and methods. He became just as much as an expert as I did in the end!

Proud to be part of the @myacosmeticsurgery team

How were your consultations with MYA?

I went to around 4 different consultations. I decided on MYA for more than one reason. Firstly, I had a friend who had gone with MYA and I loved the way her boobs looked and she had only good words to say about their service and aftercare. Secondly, with work commitments, travelling, and my not knowing where I would be from one month to the next, MYA were very flexible in allowing me to use different clinics to keep in contact and have follow up appointments. Thirdly, as soon as I met Lauren, my PC, I felt at ease. She had all the information I needed, and when I heard about the history and experience of my surgeon I was impressed. I got to get a look at the different implants and try some on for size.

At my follow up consultation, I met Mr. Mounir. I was worried beforehand as I was unsure how comfortable I would feel having to take my top off in front of someone but there was a MYA staff member sat in on the consultation so I wasn’t alone at any time. Mr. Mounir was super chatty and made me feel so comfortable. He asked all the right questions so I told him the look I wanted to achieve - natural, not too big, in proportion to my bottom, tear drop shape etc - and thankfully the faith I put him payed off because I got exactly the results I wanted!

Officially a MYA Girl

How did you pay for the procedure?

I paid £1000 deposit and then financed the rest through MYA. I opted for a 2 year payment plan and I found the payments really affordable and barely noticed the money going out. My boobs were payed for before I knew it!

Were you nervous about surgery?

I was so nervous and also excited in the run up to my procedure*. All I did was think BOOBS BOOBS BOOBS. I was obsessed! Chatting with other patients on the MYA Forum, researching before and after pictures, talking to other women who had been with Mr. Mounir, messaging my PC to check small queries, saving photos, looking at the underwear I was going to buy, making sure I had everything I needed for surgery...

Me & also me

How was the day of your operation?

When I arrived at the hospital, it was clean, bright and the staff were all friendly and calming. However, I had a moment of cold feet.

Sitting in my hospital gown I had to go through an internal battle. As an opinionated feminist, who believes that girls should care more about what they DO than how they look, I asked myself if I was truly choosing to get a BA for the right reasons. Was I a hypocrite for conforming to societies ideals of how women should look? WHY was I really doing this? For myself? Or because external pressures in the media and social sites like Instagram made me feel I should be? In the end, I came to the conclusion that it was going to make me happier, to feel like a woman, and it wasn’t harming anyone. The only harm was in continuing to live unhappily when I had the power to change! I took a good look at myself, and found peace in my decision.

I decided I wasn’t going to worry that anyone would think less of me for having cosmetic surgery, or that I was vain or self-obsessed. I was going to improve a portion of my body that I was personally not happy with, and then continue being the kind, motivated, strong woman that I was and prove that we can want to look good for ourselves but that it doesn't define us as women!

I have never, ever regretted my decision for one second.

These girls

How was your recovery?

I was home the same night of my surgery, and although the weeks after were quite honestly, PAINFUL*, I had chosen to have my implants under the muscle and pretty soon the new shape of my figure was emotionally as fulfilling as it was now filling my new D cup sports bra! It was great being pampered by my mother and boyfriend too!

I waited 8 full weeks before doing any exercise, as not to set myself back and then need a longer recovery time. On my first day back I cried. I couldn’t do any of the moves I had done before my op and I honestly thought the world was ending. But within two weeks, lots of perseverance, taking good care of myself and training slowly and properly, I was soon back to full health* and able to perform all my moves with no trouble. There was no difference in my abilities, however, there WAS a huge difference in how I was performing them. I LOVED how I looked, and I practiced and later worked with a different aura.

I felt great. It showed.

How do you feel now?

I am so happy with my boobs now, I have never had any complications with them*. My friends are perplexed that I don’t show them off as I usually keep them covered up, but the fact is that I chose to go for surgery for my own benefit - not to show others my body, but to feel at ease in my own skin.

One thing I can say, is that it wasn’t as body image changing as I thought. Before my BA, I thought that once I had bigger boobs, all my other hang ups would go away. In reality, that’s not the honest truth. As women, we will probably always have these insecurities about our bodies that we face on a daily basis. But I look at my boobs now and I smile. I go swimming and I feel great. I buy dresses without worrying which ones I’ll be able to wear without a bra. I get intimate with my boyfriend and feel amazing.

But it’s not just about how I look.

My life has changed in other ways. Having a BA was one of the first, big decisions I made for myself as a young woman. I was afraid of course. But now, I feel braver, I feel like I made an educated decision and it paid off. I can advocate the mental benefits of the aftermath of my cosmetic surgery, and I can help other women understand my feelings and their own. I have managed to combat negative opinions on surgery and women who have it and that makes me feel very proud.

@myacosmeticsurgery thanks for making me feel a million dollarssss

What advice would you give to women considering cosmetic surgery?

To anyone who is thinking of having cosmetic surgery, my only advice is to do your research! If you know what you want, how to achieve it, and the best people to help you do it, then you won’t have any doubts. Armed with all the info you need, you won’t feel like you have any regrets or made any mistakes.

The MYA Forum will help you so much with realistic expectations of what to expect in the immediate aftermath, so get on there and get conversing with other people who have experienced the surgery you are considering.

Most importantly - choose MYA!

Follow me on Instagram

@candicetaylorcircus