Goodbye push-up bra

A breast enlargement is an ideal choice for patients that wish to increase the size of their breasts. A breast enlargement / breast augmentation procedure involves making a small incision usually in the inframammary fold beneath the breast and inserting an implant. Breast implants come in a variety of sizes, shapes and profiles to help give patients the look they are dreaming of. At The Private Clinic breast implant surgery is performed by some of the UK’s top consultant plastic surgeons who have decades of experience.

Tatler Beauty & Cosmestic Surgery Guide 2023 – Investigations

The Private Clinic’s Consultant Plastic Surgeon, Mr Adrian Richards has been featured in Tatler’s Beauty & Cosmetic Surgery Guide 2023 in an investigations article where patient Lily Brown shares her breast enlargement journey.

Goodbye Push-Up Bra

There is no time limit on boosting your silhouette with surgery. Newly perky Lily Brown describes her age-appropriate boob job.

Who has a Breast Augmentation in their forties?

That’s what the twenty-something me would have thought. Life is practically over by then, I would have mused, sucking on a Marlboro and throwing back a Cosmo at the Met Bar. I would have imagined that by my fifth decade I wouldn’t be caring much about my appearance, I’d be more interested in gardening, Radio 4, and picking out upholstery fabrics.

Well, newsflash to my younger self – I still care very much. In fact, I’m more invested than ever in keeping both my inner- and outer self healthy, vital, and attractive. Perhaps it’s a post-divorce thing: I have more autonomy over what I do. And what I’ve wanted to do for the longest time is have a boob job. Not simply because I want to feel sexier and more confident – though both have definite appeal – but because I realise that my life is far from over. In fact, I hope I’m only halfway through.

The truth is I feel hampered by my deflated windsocks. Once upon a time, my breasts were my best feature; now they are very much the opposite. It takes a push-up bra and chicken fillets to give me the silhouette I want.

Still, there are several things holding me back. I’m worried that going under the knife will be a waste of money when there are so many other demands on me financially. I’m anxious about it going wrong, leaving me looking like a fading glamour model. I live in fear of being judged. But these negative emotions are becoming increasingly drowned out by an ever-louder voice that says it’ll be a much-needed confidence boost: one which will pay dividends, and enable me to whole-heartedly embrace this next chapter of life.

Stage 1 – Virtual Consultation

I ask my friends for recommendations. Make-up artists, journalists, models – they always know the best people. I whittle it down to a few surgeons, but I only Zoom with one: Mr Adrian Richards. Warm, friendly and chatty, he is the opposite of the brusque, intimidating surgeon cliché. We just click.

Mr Richards is accompanied on the call by Melissa, his clinic coordinator and right-hand woman. She is a reassuring presence. It feels like she’s cheering you on from the sidelines; that she will take time to understand what you want, and has the experience to help you achieve it. Together they put me at ease.

We chat away and I tell Mr Richards I want a boob job that is age-appropriate. I think that – in the same way a forty-something woman looks unnatural with a wrinkle-free brow, bottom-length hair or a thick fringe of lashes – so they look strange with watermelon breasts that sit right beneath their chin. Instead, I want them to look natural – to be a similar size to the ones I had before having babies. Perky, not pneumatic; stylish, not stripper. Not like I’ve been shoplifting footballs.

I’ve been asked to wear a robe to our Zoom session and, towards the end, Melissa asks if I’m comfortable to take it off to show Mr Richards my chest. When I say yes, she instructs me to stand front-on, then sideways. It could very easily feel weird, but it doesn’t, and both Melissa and Mr Richards are super-professional. I remind myself that they must have seen a thousand boobs before.

After our chat, I sent through some photographs of my chest. Melissa runs them through Crisalix 3D software and returns simulated images of how my breasts could look post-surgery. It feels like Christmas when I open her email. There I am, sporting various sizes and shapes – some fuller, some higher, some rounder. The options are overwhelming. I book an appointment.

Stage 2 – In clinic appointment

At the office of The Private Clinic of Harley Street, Melissa again by his side, Mr Richards and I have a convivial chat. As we discuss my quest for the age-appropriate boob job, Mr Richards says he is opposed to breasts that look ‘bolt-on’ and that his aesthetic is ‘natural’. His ‘before’ and ‘after’ shots of procedures that he has previously performed bear this out. Still, a ‘natural look’ on a 40-year-old patient must be somewhat different to that of one who is in their twenties, I suggest? Surely their breasts should not be as full, or as high? Mr Richards agrees and explains that, for the breasts to appear natural, there are a multitude of dependent factors – most of which are at the patient’s discretion.

What breast implant shape is best?

First, shape. The options are round or teardrop. I’ve come with the preconception that a tear-drop-shaped implant is subtler; however, Mr Richards disagrees. ‘I don’t tend to recommend the teardrop shape. If the implant rotates, which it can sometimes do, then you may need a correction further down the line.’ Instead, he strives to make a rounded implant look super-natural and is a fan of the Ergonomix implant by Motiva. He hands me an implant and I inspect it closely. It’s round but very soft, with a smooth surface. Mr Richards explains that, were I standing, the implant would relax into a more anatomically-correct tear-drop shape. Better still, it moves with the body, so the effect is wonderfully realistic; and it has a very low risk of capsular contracture (a condition whereby scar tissue forms around the implant before hardening, often resulting in pain or misshapen breasts).

What breast implant profile is best?

Next, profile. Simply put, this means how much an implant projects forwards. Mr Richards generally uses Demi and Full, the middle two offerings. Those looking for something near-undetectable do well with the Mini; those seeking a more bionic look opt for Corsé. For me, the desired aesthetic is natural – and Mr Richards proposes the Demi implant.

What breast size is best?

Size is also an issue. ‘For an age-appropriate result, we need to consider the quality and availability of your skin, in addition to your frame,’ explains Mr Richards. ‘Overly large implants on a small chest give the game away instantly.’ To put it another way: if the implants are too large for the chest wall, they not only look artificial, but you are at risk of the dreaded ‘uni-boob’. (The technical name for this is symmastia – where the implants appear to meld together, like one amorphous blob.) Think muffins merging together on a baking tray.

What breast implant placement is best?

There is much debate over implant placement; for example, on top of the muscle, or beneath it? I consult Dr Google, which assures me that going under the pectoralis will give a less obvious result; however, Mr Richards disagrees. ‘Placing the implant beneath the muscle does give a softer appearance, as if cushioned by a duvet – but the downside is that the implant will not move naturally with the chest muscles. I prefer a sub-glandular [on-top] approach.’

Do I need a breast uplift?

He proceeds to examine me. I am lucky because there is a decent space between the bottom of my breast and the nipple so no breast lift is required. This means the operation is a lot more straightforward in terms of recovery.

Next, Melissa whisks me away for a trying-on session. I put on the bra that she hands me and slip in a selection of implants, in order to decide my preferred shape and size. It’s fun.

I tell Melissa that I want to be a 32C. She says it doesn’t work like that – because you choose an implant by volume. Most of Mr Richards’s patients choose between 245cc and 340cc. I surprise myself by going for a 340cc, which feels appropriate for my tall, curvaceous physique. I’m hooked – and now I’m booked.

Stage 3 – Surgery Day

The big day arrives. It is still dark as I travel with my friend Helen to The Private Clinic’s Specialist hospital in London’s Fitzroy Square. From the outside, the hospital looks more like an elegant townhouse; inside, it is reassuringly intimate. I walk in, alone, and my nerves dissipate as I am greeted by the friendly staff on the reception desk.

By 7.15am I am in a gown and chatting to the anaesthetist. Mr Richards comes in to see me and is jolly and efficient as he marks me up; short dots and dashes in black marker pen indicating where his incisions will be. Melissa is a reassuring presence and, as we head down to the operating theatre, I squeeze her hand. Only now do the nerves kick in. The theatre hums with activity, and I gingerly ease myself on to the operating table. The last thing I say to Mr Richards is: ‘Think fashion, not glamour.’

And then I wake up. I feel okay – genuinely – in fact, I’ve had worse hangovers. When I look down, there they are. I get an instant feel-good hit. I’m overjoyed my old contours are back. Another friend drives me home and we chat.

Stage 4 – Recovery & Aftercare

There’s a feeling of slight pressure in my left breast so, under Mr Richards’s guidance, I take painkillers every four hours over the next few days – though I’m never desperate for them. I also wear a support-bra, which is very unsexy but makes me feel safe and secure. There is no oozing, no blood; instead, there are plaster strips over the small entry incisions – each three or four centimetres long – which I’m told to keep dry for seven days.

When I remove the support-bra, my breasts look bionic. They are in stark contrast to my former spaniel’s ears and I’m rather shocked by how big and bouncy they look. Still, I remember Mr Richards telling me that, due to post-op swelling, they will initially appear larger (and harder) than I’d envisaged.

I’m told to take six weeks off running, which feels like a long time. The stitches are dissolvable, so there’s no need to have them removed. However, I’m back at the hospital one week later to have my tapes changed and the wounds checked. Carefully, the nurse peels back the tapes. Everything is healing nicely, she tells me, and I muster the courage to take a peek. The scars are minimal, just as Mr Richards had promised; concealed in the crease of my breasts.

After a week or so, I allow myself to try on some clothes. It’s a revelation: I can wear things I haven’t worn since having children. My shape is much more balanced; but I’m still slightly embarrassed by the size and shape of my breasts. I pray they will calm down a little.

My patience is rewarded: within a few months they sit lower and are softer and significantly more natural-looking. The industry, amusingly, calls this process the ‘drop and fluff’, as the muscles relax and the swelling subsides.

Stage 5 – Results

Almost a year on and I feel no discomfort. My breasts move naturally, the scars have faded almost to nothing, and my wardrobe options have expanded massively. Mr Richards is delighted with the results – as am I. There’s a reason that breast augmentations rank as the cosmetic procedure with the highest satisfaction rate. I don’t think anyone would guess I’ve had a boob job; they would think I had just been blessed with good genes. And that’s the way I like it.

Breast Augmentation at The Private Clinic

• The Private Clinic has been treating patients for over 40 years with thousands of women placing their trust in us each year.
• Top UK specialised best breast surgeons with decades of experience.
• State-of-the-art hospital facilities
• Giving you the best possible results and care is our priority.
• We provide a 10-year implant warranty with £1000 towards your surgical costs.
• Dedicated care with your expert breast surgeon and nursing team, and a 24-hour help line
• Peace of mind with our personal three-year aftercare breast cover.
• The Private Clinic covers a lifetime guarantee on your implant.
• 5 Star Trustpilot Rating
• All of the breast options are discussed not just one type of implant. So you will be happy with your shape
• See our before and after photo results gallery
• Read our extensive FAQs
• Find out more in our informative blogs
• Watch our Breast Enlargement Patient Journey video series with Consultant Plastic Surgeon, Mr Adrian Richards
• We have clinics nationwide in London Harley Street, Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester and Northampton

To find out more about Breast Enlargement Surgery, please call us on 0333 920 2471 or use our online breast implant contact form.