What my experience was like with my boob job and how I prepped and recovered.

Breast Augmentation: My Story

After many years of deciding whether I wanted to take the huge jump, I finally decided to get myself breast augmentation. I’m here to share with you the before and after of my experience with my recent breast augmentation: my pre-op preparation, my thoughts during the process, the recovery period, and the aftercare. So, if you’ve ever thought about having it done or have had it done, this article should be very useful to you.

Why I Wanted Breast Augmentation

Ever since I hit puberty and knew my growth spurt was over, I knew I’ve wanted larger breasts. I patiently waited throughout college to see if my boobs would ever get to a larger size and HOPED that some magical puberty spell or freak accident would make them just ONE size bigger. I couldn’t help but compare myself to all the girls I knew who had rounder, fuller breasts than I did. Even my mom had perfect C’s, and I was stuck with a large A/small B. I would never have cleavage unless I wore my Victoria’s Secret Bombshell push-up bra which promised to make my breasts 2 sizes bigger when wearing it.  It was as if I was automatically enrolled in the “itty bitty titty committee” from birth.

On top of internal conflict, I also had external confrontation as well. Both my male and female classmates would taunt me for having a “flat chest” (I used to only be an A before becoming a small B) and they would ask me why my chest was flat as a board. Every time they’d ask me why I just had no answer. No matter how much I would eat or try to gain weight, my breast size would never increase. I felt ugly. I felt like I could never be beautiful. And worst of all, I felt like I could never become the woman I wanted to be.

Building My Confidence

As I grew up and went to college (and wore push-up bras every day), I worked on building up my confidence. I consistently told myself that I was more than just my lack of breasts and that they were aspects of me that could also be appreciated as a whole. I started going to the gym a lot so I could have a nice body (and a nice butt), I made a lot of friends, worked on my fashion sense, and practiced doing my makeup well. After college, I was able to land two stable jobs that offered a higher starting salary than most of my peers. As you could imagine, my confidence level was at an all-time high.

Then shortly after starting my career in corporate retail, I launched my blog, TheStyleWright. Little did I know that while I was jumping through many prestigious, corporate jobs throughout the years, this side hobby actually turned into a full-time career.  You can actually read about that leap of faith here. (Funny how my new career was super image-oriented…)

Anyways, when I decided to become a full-time blogger/influencer in 2017, my confidence in myself became even HIGHER than it did after actively working on my self-esteem. I was now my own boss and had control of my own hours. Unfortunately, I started to have back issues and discovered that I had back arthritis and a herniated disc. For a year and a half, I was unable to go to the gym, which in turn made my body not as nice, and it made me lose the butt I had been working on for so long. My confidence started to wear off again. (I go more in depth about my bullying experience in my recent vlog, Chapter 1 of my #BreastAugmentation Series.)

The Decision: Getting Breast Augmentation

So, AGAIN, I had to work on loving myself for a couple more years and told myself that I was NOT my body and that I was beautiful, regardless of what I looked like. Even then, I still wished to be the woman that I so yearned to be. No matter how much weight I gained and no matter how much I went to the gym, I would never be able to get the breast size I wanted (which was a full C). I realized that even as confident as I had become, I still wanted to feel like the woman I deserved to be. And that’s when I decided to finally get my breast augmentation.

I realized that even as confident as I had become, I still wanted to feel like the woman I deserved to be.

After a year and a half of research, I found a trustworthy doctor to do my breast augmentation surgery. From the work and the ratings I saw online in addition to his work with other well-known influencers and models, I knew I’d be in the right hands before, during, and after the surgery. With that said, I decided to fly out and get my surgery done with Dr. Eugene Kim in Beverly Hills. After an initial, digital consultation, we planned on getting me silicone implants just under 300 cc’s, so I could finally obtain the full C-cup size I have always wanted.

Breast Augmentation: Before

After Dr. Kim said I was a good candidate for surgery, I had to get a number of things done. I needed to get pre-op surgical clearance from a physician with bloodwork but I didn’t know that the doctor needed more bloodwork than the usual check-up. So, I actually had to go back in again to obtain more bloodwork to test for HIV and my clotting factor. I also couldn’t take any form of birth control or NSAIDS (Advil, Aleve, etc.) 2-3 weeks prior to my surgery. And any alcohol? Forget it. I had to drop that 2-3 weeks prior as well (that was a tough one). I actually made a video detailing all the pre-op preparation you need to know in advance in Chapter 2 of my #BreastAugmentation YouTube series.

Finally, I had to buy a sports bra with a zipper-front one size bigger than my current breast size so Dr. Kim could put this on me right after the procedure for compression (and every day for 3 months). I bought these super inexpensive ones HERE.

Breast Augmentation: During, After and Recovery

After flying into LA, getting my consultation, and finally meeting Dr. Kim for the first time, I was ready to go under the knife. I was both nervous and excited, but overall, very happy about my decision. After the surgery, I really only had pain the 2nd night after, but I was able to walk around every day after the surgery – it was really amazing how fast the healing process was. The only annoying part was asking my boyfriend and everyone around me to help with anything and everything that required my arms (including eating, flushing the toilet, opening doors). Since Dr. Kim cut under my pectoral muscles, I couldn’t really use my arms to pick up ANYTHING until a week after. Once the week was over, I was able to fly back and rest up for a few more weeks until full recovery at month 3 (which is almost a month away!).

Treating the Scars

When I came back home, I was able to start the proactive healing process two weeks after. After consulting with Dr. Kim, he said it was okay to start scar medicine treatment and stretch mark ointments. Because I decided to go with an areolar incision instead of the inframammary incision, the visibility of the scar would already be minimal. Still, you could see the scar outside the bottom of the areola, so I decided to buy this plastic surgeon-recommended healing gel called Silagen +SPF 30.  It’s expensive, but I don’t think skimping out on recovery would be a good idea. The Silagen is made of medical grade silicone and zinc oxide, non-comedogenic, and non-irritating – many plastic surgeons and patients swear by it. After all, I’ve invested so much into my surgery, so I might as well make sure my healing process goes swiftly and error-free as possible!

Stretch Marks Aftercare with Palmer’s

And as for the stretch marks…you unfortunately might get some after the breast augmentation. I first saw some on the side of my breasts, and since I opted for high profile implants, my implants stretched pretty far from the original breast tissue. I also noticed a few on the top of my breast as well. (You can see what exact size, CC’s, profile I got, and why in my latest video). What I found was pretty great for the reduction of my stretch marks was Palmer’s Skin Therapy Oil. This oil is made with their amazing Cocoa Butter Formula, and it actually works! In fact, I talk about the benefits of cocoa butter in a previous blog post featuring Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Jar HERE.

Quoted from Palmer’s website, “Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Skin Therapy Oil is an advanced multi-purpose skin perfection product that can be used all over the body”. In addition to its amazing and warm cocoa butter scent, it is preservative-free and lightweight so my skin doesn’t feel greasy after applying it to the sides and top of my breasts. It not only helps with stretch marks, but it also helps with the appearance of scars, dry and damaged skin, uneven skin tone, and aging skin with fine lines and wrinkles. How’s that for a killer product?

I’ve been using Palmer’s Skin Therapy Oil religiously every day after I shower in the morning and at night and I already see that my stretch marks are beginning to fade away. And the plus side is that it is priced at only $10.95 on their website and only up to $12 from other retailers (only $10 on amazon)! It’s not only a must-have product for post-breast augmentation – it’s also great for other stretch marks on the body gained during pregnancy or anywhere those bad boys tend to appear (like them thiiighs!)

Anyways, with that said, I hope ya’ll found this blog post informative and helpful in giving you a deeper insight of the before and after of my breast augmentation journey.

Products Purchased for Use Before and After my Breast Augmentation Surgery:

Sports Bra I Wear Every Day for 3 Months for Post-Op Compression (super affordable (2 for $16.99 and comfy!)

Scar Silicone Gel to Help with Post-Op Scars (what I use every day – works wonders)

Skin Therapy Oil to Help with Post-Op Stretch Marks (I also use this every day)

 

Check Out My #BreastAugmentation Series on YouTube!

 

Make sure to check out my Breast Augmentation Series on my YouTube Channel! I already documented Chapter 1: Why I Got Breast Augmentation and Chapter 2: Breast Augmentation Surgery Prep & Consultation. In Chapter 1, I talk (in a very animated way), about my parents’ reaction to my surgery, when I decided it was a good time to have it, and how I chose my doctor. And then following up in Chapter 2, I talk about surgery prep, obstacles faced, and I include a featured Q&A with Dr. Kim himself. Check them out if you’re curious, and please subscribe so you’re the first to know about the next chapters of the breast augmentation series! Chapter 3 is coming out next week where I will show actual behind-the-scenes of the surgery! (whoa – could be slightly graphic, BUT informative).

 

Xoxo,

Kasey

 

Photography: @tabletopography with my Sony A7Riii

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