THE Mayo Clinic explains that people undergo breast implant surgery, also known as ‘mammoplasty’ or ‘augmentation mammoplasty’, for many different reasons, whether to feel better about their appearance or to restore the appearance of their breasts after a disease such as breast cancer.
However, an increasing number of people who have breast implants are reporting what is known as “breast implant disease,” she says Breastcancer.org. They add that it can happen regardless of the type of implant or whether the implant has ruptured. For some, symptoms may appear immediately and for others, it may take years for problems to develop.
There has been a wide range of symptoms, many of them debilitating, that have been reported by patients. These can include fatigue, joint and muscle pain, memory problems, difficulty breathing, sleep problems, rashes, dry mouth and eyes, anxiety, depression, headaches, hair loss and gastrointestinal problems.
Because of their high-profile lives, several celebrities have volunteered to be spokespeople for this condition, describing what they went through and how breast implant removal helped them reclaim their lives.
Ashley Tisdale
Speaking to her fans via a since-removed Instagram post (via Today), former Disney Channel star and aspiring lifestyle and wellness entrepreneur Ashley Tisdale revealed in 2020 that she had her breast implants removed the previous winter because she was “struggling with minor health issues.”
“Years ago I had breast enhancement surgery,” Tisdale said. “Before the surgery, I constantly felt like my body was less than that, and I thought this change would make me feel more complete and more secure about myself. And for a short time… it did.”
The actress went on to add, however, that she had started experiencing “little health issues that just don’t add up — food sensitivities as well as gut issues.” Believing these may be related to her breast implants, the star opted for implant removal surgery.
Crystal Hefner
In a July 2016 post at FacebookCrystal Hefner, wife of late Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, said she had her breast implants removed because they were “slowly poisoning her.” Her illness, initially diagnosed as Lyme disease, began with aches, bladder pain, brain fog and fatigue. However, the model said she developed food allergies, thyroid disease and excruciating pain that left her unable to get out of bed.
“I had to miss my summer DJ residency at my favorite Vegas spot, the Rehab Pool at The Hard Rock Hotel,” Hefner told her followers. “The fatigue was so bad I could barely leave the house or drive. I was afraid to get up there in front of a crowd and pass out from the brain fog.”
Eventually, Hefner realized through fan posts that what she was dealing with might actually be related to her implants. “I found a website about breast implants and a Facebook group with almost 3,000 members. My symptoms matched theirs,” she wrote.
Explaining that the implants can break over time and release chemicals, making the person sick, Hefner said she had hers removed. “Instantly I noticed that the pain in my neck and shoulders had disappeared and I could breathe much better,” she said.
Chrissy Teigen
Chrissy Teigen got her Instagram in May 2020 to reveal that she was having her breast implants removed to feel better about her body.
“A lot of people are understandably curious (and uninterested!) so I’ll just say it here: I’m sticking my boobs out!” she wrote. “They were great for me for many years, but I’m over it. I’d like to be able to zip up a dress in my size, lay flat on my stomach in total comfort!”
Tiegen added that everything was fine. “No biggie! So don’t worry about me! It’s fine. I’ll still have boobs, they’ll just be really big. This is a boob first and foremost. A dumb, miracle bag of fat.”
The extremely outspoken celebrity later responded to followers who doubted her implants were being removed by posting photos of herself in a yellow bikini pulled up to reveal her still-healing scars. “Trust me,” he joked to them (via Yahoo!).
Karen McDougal
Karen McDougal, known for both her work for “Playboy” and her ten-month relationship with Donald Trump, said she got breast implants because she felt it would make her feel more like a woman. However, he responded that adding that if he knew what he was doing now, he would never have taken them (via National Center for Health Research).
Talking to you PeopleMcDougal said that seven years after getting her implants, she started having thyroid and adrenal problems, allergies and was often sick. “It just never went away,” she told the magazine.
“At the time I decided to have the implants removed, I felt like I was slowly dying,” she wrote on the National Center for Health Research website. “All I could do was lie on the bed, cry and pray to God, asking him to please ‘don’t take me away yet..give me one more day!’
McDougal said it was only after a year of researching breast implant disease and doctors who were experts in it that she realized she needed to remove the “toxic bags” immediately.
