For some women, body confidence comes from within. Others can start to love themselves only after going under the plastic surgeon’s scalpel.
One in three British women has undergone cosmetic surgery, according to research, with breast augmentation the most popular, followed by nose jobs and eye surgery.
Four of these women have had plastic surgery, but the fifth, a mother of six, would never dream of going under the knife. Can you guess which is which?
SASHA LEWIS
Sasha Lewis, 29, is a holistic therapist from Loughton, Essex. She is engaged to Matthew, a company director, and they have three daughters, aged eight, seven and 14 months. She is a size 10. Sasha says:
After giving birth three times, my breasts changed beyond all recognition. I used to be a C-cup, but breast-feeding had reduced my breasts to an A. But it wasn’t so much the size I minded, it was the droopiness. I loathed the way they looked.
I would hide my figure in baggy clothes to disguise my lack of bust. Matthew and my family tried to reassure me, but I was unhappy and had no confidence. My post-baby body was making me so unhappy that, at the end of last year, I decided to investigate breast augmentation.
I was naturally anxious about having elective surgery and worried about what would happen to my children if something went wrong, but I simply couldn’t carry on feeling so deeply unhappy about my body.
I was reassured by the doctors and by a friend who’d had the same surgery. I went to Brussels for the operation because it was cheaper. At £2,500, it was still a lot of money, but it felt like a small price to pay for my self-confidence.
I stressed to the surgeon that I wanted my new breasts to look as natural as possible, and he certainly didn’t let me down: I’m thrilled with the outcome.
It was never about discovering a ‘new me’; I only ever wanted to feel like my old self again — and that’s exactly what has happened.
My self-esteem has returned along with my womanly curves and it’s nice to be able to enjoy wearing all my favourite clothes again.
For me, surgery was a one-off. There’s nothing else I’d consider doing because this was a specific area of my body that was making me feel insecure. Now that it’s remedied, I feel so much happier.’
SUZIE PARTRIDGE
Suzie Partridge, 48, runs a bridal boutique in Bath. She is separated, with four children aged 18 to 29 and three grandchildren, and is a size eight to ten. Suzie says:
The birth of my first grandchild in 2005 was the moment I decided enough was enough. I was 21 stone and a dress size 30.
I would get out of breath just talking to people. I realised that if I wanted to play an active role in the lives of my grandchildren, then my life had to change. In an instant, I decided I had to have gastric band surgery.
I’d been large since childhood, but from my 20s onwards I was clinically obese. From the Cambridge diet to the cabbage soup diet, from step classes to swimming, I did it all. But nothing worked and the weight kept piling on.
With a family history of coronary disease, I was also worried about my long-term health, so when I booked in for surgery in November 2006 at the BMI Bath Clinic, I felt overwhelmed by relief.
It’s no exaggeration to say that the £8,000 procedure changed my life.
During the first months, the weight-loss was dramatic because I was eating so much less than before, but after three years of restricted portions combined with regular gym sessions, my body stabilised.
I was a size eight to ten and ten stone — and that felt perfect.
But I’d lost so much weight that I had surplus skin on my tummy, combined with the overhanging flesh from my pregnancies — all of which was an unwelcome reminder of my former size.
I’d been thinking about having a tummy tuck for a couple of years, and a year ago I finally went ahead with the £6,000 operation at the same clinic where I’d had the gastric band surgery.
I was nervous, but excited as I trusted my consultant. My family were incredibly supportive.
A whole year has passed since my surgery and I still pinch myself whenever I look in the mirror — I can’t believe it’s me!
With the excess flesh gone, I have a waist for the first time in my life and my tummy is as flat as an ironing board. Finally, I can wear the figure-hugging clothes I spent so long lusting after, and it’s lovely to dress to accentuate my figure, instead of struggling to hide it.
Last summer, I wore a bikini for the first time in my life, which was an emotional moment.
I didn’t opt for plastic surgery to stand out from the crowd — quite the opposite, in fact. What I wanted more than anything was to blend in, to look just like everyone else. That’s exactly how I felt. And it’s simply wonderful!
ANNA BELL
Anna Bell, 30, a hairdresser, is married to James, a company director. They have two children, Finlay, six, and Henry, five, and live on the Isle of Wight. She is a size eight. Anna says:
When I was 13, a friend asked if I’d ever broken my nose because it had a big bump in the middle. I’d never noticed it before, but when I looked at my profile in the mirror, there it was.
From that moment on, it was all I could see when I looked at my reflection. I resolved to have surgery as soon as I could afford it.
My family and other friends told me not to be silly, that my nose was fine, but I hated it for making me feel self-conscious: it totally affected my self-esteem.
After meeting my husband in 2000, I told him how I felt and how much I wanted to have a nose job but, like my mother, he was concerned about complications. All that changed one night when we watched a TV documentary explaining how common place cosmetic procedures have become.
There was a woman with a nose just like mine whose life was transformed by the procedure — finally James could see why I wanted it.
I took Mum with me when I was choosing a surgeon and even she felt positive about what I was doing by the time I went ahead with the operation. I eventually chose Transform for the £4,000 procedure, which I had three years ago.
Apart from my family and best friend, I didn’t tell anyone else because I was sure of my decision and didn’t want people trying to talk me out of it.
From the moment the swelling subsided, I fell in love with my new face. The surgery has given me a bigger boost than I could ever have imagined. The results are even better than I’d hoped for and everyone comments on how much more outgoing I am.
I know many people consider cosmetic surgery to be a vanity, but for me it runs deeper than that. I’m proud of myself for being brave enough to go through with it.
My nose affected how I felt for a long time, but I finally feel as if I have the face I was born to have.
CAROLINE KYRIACOU
Caroline Kyriacou, 50, runs a business with her husband Greg. They have six children aged 14 to 28 and live in Stanmore, Middlesex. She is a size ten to 12. Caroline says:
After six children, my body has been through monumental changes that have taken their toll.
Before I had my first child, I was a size 14 and weighed 11 stone, but I never exercised or gave my figure a second thought.
I put on nearly five stone with each pregnancy and lost most of it again. But after my youngest was born, I was a size 16, which felt way too big for my frame.
While I saw an extra dress size as a small price to pay for having my children, my breasts and tummy had slackened significantly and I’d lost all my muscle tone.
I knew I had to change things, not least because I wanted to set a good example to my children. But I never entertained the thought of cosmetic surgery because it seemed so drastic and prohibitively expensive.
I decided to go on a diet-and-exercise regime to see what I could achieve on my own. I joined a gym, but with a family and business to run it was hard to find the time.
Then I discovered PowerPlate — a vibrating platform on which you do toning exercises. I loved the fact the sessions are short and intense, just 25 minutes long.
After six weeks, I noticed my clothes were looser. When my family expressed their amazement, I decided to keep it up.
I’ve been using the PowerPlate for five years and I’m the slimmest I’ve ever been. It wasn’t an overnight change, but by sticking to a routine I’ve toned up all over, while keeping a feminine physique.
I’ve also changed my diet and eat lots of healthy foods — though I still have chocolate when I want it: it’s all about balance.
As a mother of six, I know better than anyone that shifting baby weight takes commitment, but I’m proof that if you set your mind to it you can get amazing results.
I never thought I’d wear a bikini again, yet now, at 50, I feel more confident than ever before.
Surgery is a great solution for some, but when others compliment me on my figure I feel proud I’ve achieved it through hard work.
SUZANNE LISTER
Suzanne Lister, 44, is a teacher from Sheffield. She is divorced with two teenage children, and is a size 8. Suzanne says:
Four years ago, I decided to have surgery to remove the drooping skin on my upper eyelids, while eliminating my eyebags and tightening the lower lids.
It was a snap decision made on my 40th birthday when I looked in the mirror and realised I was turning into my mother.
I’d been feeling depressed about my age, but my reflection was a stark reminder that all the older women in my family develop dark eyebags — and I was no exception.
I made an appointment with a consultant and booked in for eye-bag removal a week later, so I wouldn’t change my mind.
The £3,500 procedure removed the dark circles beneath my eyes, but it was immediately clear it hadn’t solved all my problems. My heart sank as I realised that all the negative feelings I’d been experiencing were still there.
Over the next year, I hit an all-time low. By September 2009, I’d separated from my husband and suffered a bereavement. I wasn’t eating properly and, though I’d exercised regularly, I was no longer going to the gym. I was at rock bottom and hated the way I looked.
Experience told me that more surgery wasn’t the answer, so I booked myself in for a week at the Prestige boot camp in Devon.
Like all the other guests, my goal wasn’t so much to lose weight, but to get my mind and body in tune with each other.
I was taught the importance of eating properly but, more importantly, the trainers addressed my mental as well as physical state. Every day started with a run to clear my head.
Today, I’m like a new person: through my new-found passion for exercise, I’ve learned to love my body, and I feel confident.
I don’t regret my decision to have eye surgery, but it’s clear I was looking for an instant fix for my low self-esteem. I realise plastic surgery isn’t a magic solution because true confidence comes from within.
source : (dailymail.co.uk)
