Goodbye, breast implants: why I went back to having a flat chest

For 22 years the author lived with saline breast implants, then chose explant surgery — removal without replacement — to model ageing naturally and because implants felt increasingly at odds with an active life. She decided to speak openly about staying flat so other women facing implant removal or mastectomy might consider it as an option.

She originally had a small augmentation in a period of low self‑confidence after breastfeeding left her chest very flat and wanted a modest result. Over time implants hardened and became uncomfortable, and attitudes toward breast appearance shifted: demand for implant removal has risen in recent years and some patients now favour a smaller, more athletic look.

Medical issues that led her to consider removal included capsular contracture, a condition that causes scar tissue to harden around implants; about 10–15% of women with implants develop it, and the risk is higher with over‑the‑muscle placement.

saline breast implants, explant surgery, flat chest, mastectomy, capsular contracture, over the muscle placement, small augmentation, breastfeeding, scar tissue, implant removal demand