TOUGH TITTIES

Samantha Holender had two breast reductions before 30 and despite horrible complications she’d do it all again.

- 

et's get right to the point: I hit puberty around 12. My boobs went straight past bug bites to melons in nine months tops. My double-A cup friends were mesmerised – such is the tween way. But with one breast resembling a rockmelon and the other a watermelon, hiding my wildly unsymmetrical boobs became my number one priority. Minimisers bras were my best friend, and my wardrobe was exclusively filled with flowy tops and high necklines. Cleavage? Yeah, never showed her.

Getting a breast reduction was always top of mind. Not only did I have all the usual complaints like back pain, difficulty sleeping comfortably and constant irritation when working out, but plastic surgery was a never-taboo topic in my household. (My uncle is a plastic surgeon, my father is a facial plastic surgeon, and my mum has had a tummy tuck and breast reduction/lift.)

It was always a fact of life that I would eventually go under the knife. The Big Question was when. Most doctors advise waiting until around age 18, when the breasts are fully grown. I played it on the safe side and waited til I was 21.

It was my senior year of college. I had a consultation in October and went in for surgery come December. I was warned I would be a somewhat complicated case. Not only were my boobs huge, but they were also two wildly different sizes. My left breast was a DDD or F (depending on who was measuring), and the right breast was a D. Congenital Breast Asymmetry is a common condition, but it does make the surgery more difficult. Not only is there more breast tissue to remove, but correcting the nipple placement and achieving visual symmetry requires both time and skill.