Our annual Most Worth It list recognizes the most-loved aesthetic procedures—from noninvasive tweaks to the gold standard in surgery—as chosen by RealSelf community members like you. This story highlights one or more of the 44 Most Worth It honorees for 2022; you can see the full list and learn more about patients’ favorite procedures here.
Plastic surgery is more art than science—there are things even the most competent doctors can’t guarantee and that the most prepared patients can’t know, like how your skin will heal from a scar, how your nipple sensation might change, or whether you’ll actually love the size of your new breasts in your favorite dress. After seeing the final results of a procedure, it’s normal to look back and wish you’d asked more questions or considered different options—even if you’re ultimately happy with your decision.
Hindsight is 20/20, so we asked six women who’ve undergone breast augmentation what they would change about their experience, if they could have a do-over.
I would have gone more natural
“I would have considered the shape more. I asked for a lot of cleavage and a really round look. I liked that my implants sat higher when I was in my 20s and wearing more revealing clothing, but now that I’m older, I want a more conservative, teardrop shape. It’s obvious my boobs are fake, so looking back, I’d go more natural.” —Chelsea, 34
I would have gotten a breast lift
“I recently explanted the breast implants I’d had for over three decades—they were pretty perfect until they became encapsulated, so no regrets there—and got a fat transfer to my breasts. I didn’t know if I needed a breast lift, but I told my doctor I didn’t want my nipples to point downward after the implants came out—that was very important to me. She said she’d evaluate how things looked while I was in surgery. When I woke up, she told me she’d done an internal lift, to avoid scars. I’m not clear on what an internal lift is, but I still have long scars under each crease and I’m not happy with the shape and angle of my nipples, so I wish we had decided to do a traditional breast lift. I’d take breast lift scars, if it meant better nipple placement.” —Dee, 69
I would have gotten my implants placed over the muscle
“I got my implants 20 years ago, and when my doctor told me they’d be placed under the muscle, I didn’t even think to question it. That was the only way he did it, but I feel like it’s less common now. The recovery was absolutely brutal—I don’t think it would have been nearly as bad, if my implants were over the muscle. Everything’s fine now, but I can still remember that first week of extreme pain.” —Michelle, 41
I would have gone bigger
“My advice: if you’re deciding between two sizes, always go bigger. I went back to my doctor two years after my first breast augmentation because I regretted getting such a small size—180cc. For my second breast aug, I got a size I felt happier and more comfortable with, but I wish I had asked my surgeon to be more meticulous around the areola, because my second surgery left me with a white scar halfway through the nipple. After it was healed, I went to a tattoo shop and had [the artist] go over it with flesh tones.
“I also wish I’d listened to my surgeon about not working out too soon after my first surgery. I started going to yoga class and doing too many planks too soon. The stress on the pectoral muscles caused a capsule contracture, but it went away with prescription asthma medication that my surgeon prescribed for off-label use. It only took about a week, and the capsule was totally gone.” —Tanya, 31
I wouldn’t have done it
“I got my breast aug in 2016. I was happy with it for about a year, then I started experiencing numbness and tingling on my left side pretty regularly. I didn’t know about BII [breast implant illness] at the time or connect the two. And I didn’t go that big—I was a small C—but they always felt really heavy. Working out was harder, and my posture got worse. So I got my implants out four years later and am glad I did. Basically, it was a huge waste of money and recovery time.” —Maddie, 30
I would have gotten a second opinion
“All in all, I am happy with my results, but in retrospect, I would have gotten a second opinion. My natural breasts weren’t the same shape, due to a hormonal imbalance, so my doctor did reconstruction, to make sure the implants would fall into the same shape. It was kind of a last-minute decision. I wasn’t fully aware of how significant the scarring would be—it’s along my underboob, up to the nipple like a T, then around the nipple—so I wish I’d looked more into ways to avoid that.” —Erica, 33
