According to The New York Times, approximately 400,000 women in the U.S. get breast implants every year, with around 300,000 patients receiving implants for cosmetic reasons and 100,000 for reconstructive procedures. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) reported that breast augmentation was the most popular cosmetic procedure performed in the United States in 2018, with liposuction and rhinoplasty taking the next two spots. Around the globe, the number of women with implants shoots up to around 10 million.
Despite these ever-increasing numbers, countless women are now taking to social media to reveal they’re removing their implants after experiencing what’s being called breast implant illness (or BII), a broad condition with a range of symptoms that can include fatigue, muscle pain, hair loss, and general malaise. This movement started to gain momentum on social media in 2013 after Nicole Daruda of Canada realized the breast implants she received in 2005 were making her sick. She began the private Facebook group Breast Implant Illness and Healing by Nicole to share her story and support other women through their explant surgery. As of June 2019, the group has over 81,000 members.
After years of stories like Daruda’s, the noise is finally starting to reach the right people. In March, the Food and Drug Administration held a conference to discuss breast implants in light of new research linking them to lymphoma and autoimmune diseases. According to NBC, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons/the Plastic Surgery Foundation also agreed to work with the FDA to launch the National Breast Implant Registry on July 1, 2019. Having a registry of breast implants in the U.S. will help manufacturers, doctors, and researchers gather more information on what could be causing these health issues.
The mainstream media is also speaking out about breast implant illness, with John Oliver mentioning the illness in a segment on Last Week Tonight on HBO and RuPaul’s Drag Race host Michelle Visage discussing her explant surgery on the season 11 finale.
Armed with a story to tell and using the hashtag #breastimplantillness, women everywhere are shedding light on an illness that’s still in the early stages of being understood. Here is just a brief sampling of those women.
In 2010 at the age of 21, IFBB bikini competitor Tawna Eubanks McCoy received smooth, saline breast implants, but by April 2019 she had to have them removed after experiencing symptoms such as hair loss, skin irritation, allergic reactions, head fogginess and pressure, light sensitivity, and fatigue. This eventually progressed into severe shooting pains in her skull and numbness in her limbs. She had no idea her breast implants could be the issue until her friends told her to go onto the breast implant illness Facebook and Instagram pages. You can hear more about her story below.
Sia Cooper removed her implants in December 2018 after years of experiencing failing health and being unable to get answers from doctors or tests. Cooper received her implants in 2011 at the urging of her then-husband. Throughout 2018, Cooper experienced symptoms such as extreme fatigue, hair loss, weight gain, and swelling joints. You can see her full story on YouTube.
Former IFBB bikini competitor and fitness influencer Courtney King knew that 23 years old was too young to be feeling this sick. In early 2017, she began experiencing a variety of health problems, including intense acid reflux, bloating, and other digestive issues. She felt sore and exhausted, and her muscles ached constantly, even when she hadn’t worked out that day. After months of trying different doctors and approaches, King discovered a breast implant illness group on Facebook and realized what was happening. She had her implants in for eight years and had them removed in February 2019. You can hear more about her story on YouTube.
One of the running jokes on RuPaul’s Drag Race is host RuPaul making comments on his IRL bestie and fellow judge Michelle Visage’s breast implants. Visage, 50, told Larry King in an interview that she had her implants in for 30 years, but had decided to remove them for her health. Visage has been suffering from symptoms of Hashimoto’s disease, an autoimmune disease, due to her implants. She is happy to use her platform with RuPaul to spread awareness about breast implant illness. You can hear her full interview with Larry King below.
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https://www.instagram.com/p/BxgVSOzHMps
Sarah Anne Stewart
Sarah Anne Stewart removed her breast implants in April of 2018 after suffering from fatigue and muscle and joint pain. All of her tests came back negative and doctors didn’t know what could be causing her to feel so bad. A year later, she is thrilled with her decision to explant and wants to help other women dealing with breast implant illness as well. Listen to Stewart share her story on a podcast below.
Shelley Hopper is a 31-year-old Instagram influencer who talks candidly about her experiences of motherhood and endometriosis. Being diagnosed with endometriosis made it even more difficult for Hopper to find answers for her joint pain, fatigue, thyroid and adrenal issues, and chronic inflammation. After reading the stories of women suffering from BII, Hopper made the decision to have her implants removed. She is feeling better than ever and is encouraging others to do their research about implants and their symptoms, especially if you have already been diagnosed with a chronic illness.
Tamra Dae is a fitness YouTuber and owner of the small self-tanning business, PRIVĒ. She had been suffering from breast implant illness symptoms for three years before getting them removed in March 2019. Her symptoms included breast pain, hair loss, hormonal acne, fatigue, head fogginess, and a weakened immune system. She would get sinus infections regularly, usually developing into bronchitis, but could not get any answers from doctors. She found the Facebook group and finally figured out what was wrong with her. You can hear her full story here.
Amanda Morris is a fitness Instagramer who had been experiencing breast implant illness symptoms for two and half years before explanting in April 2019. According to her Instagram, Morris is already feeling healthier and more confident than she has in years.
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https://www.instagram.com/p/Bv2muTND0DE
Karlee J
Karlee J is a holistic health coach on Instagram. Her symptoms of breast implant illness included fatigue, muscle soreness, fogginess, and sharp pains in her breast. Karlee got her implants in September 2017 when she was 19 years old and almost immediately began experiencing mild symptoms such as weight fluctuation and hair loss. The symptoms got worse, and Karlee explanted in April 2019.
Health and lifestyle blogger Lauren Faulk’s symptoms began as chronic fatigue and a weakened immune system, getting sinus infections constantly, despite doing her best to take care of her immune system and health. In summer 2018, these symptoms escalated to brain fogginess, hair loss, skin irritation, and digestive issues. By November 2018, her muscle soreness became so severe she could no longer work out. She tried acupuncture, yoga, and detoxes, but they were only short-term fixes. She didn’t realize her implants could be the cause until she saw other women discussing their experiences on Instagram. She explanted in April 2019. You can read her full story on her blog.
