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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Alahna Kindred

'Before my breast reduction surgery I was self-conscious and suffered back pain'

A woman who had back-breaking size 32G boobs is now unrecognisable after going to Turkey for a breast reduction.

Phoebe Howie, 20, was just 12 years old when she started having to double up on wearing bras to support her chest.

By the time she was 14, she was wearing 32F cup bras and hated her breasts.

Phoebe, from Aberdeen, Scotland, suffered severe back and shoulder pain, and her cup size made her feel self-conscious as they drooped down to her stomach.

After trying to get on the NHS waiting list for a breast reduction since she was 17, Phoebe, a bar supervisor, decided to take matters into her own hands by saving up and flying to Turkey for a £3,800 breast reduction surgery.

Phoebe flew to Turkey for the operation (phoebehowie / CATERS NEWS)
Phoebe went from a size 32F to 32D (phoebehowie / CATERS NEWS)

She's now happier than ever with a 32D cup size, and said that she would now happily walk around with no clothes on to embrace her smaller and perkier boobs.

Phoebe added: "I had big boobs for my entire teenage years.

"The first time I realised they were becoming a problem, I was around 12 and wearing a D-cup bra.

"I would wear a sports bra with a normal bra on top just for the extra support.

Phoebe after her breast reduction (phoebehowie / CATERS NEWS)
Phoebe after her breast reduction (phoebehowie / CATERS NEWS)

"I went to a school where we didn't have uniforms and I found it so difficult to find clothes that I felt comfortable in.

"Having big boobs just ruined everything. All of my friends would wear nice dresses and tops to parties, but I covered up in baggy clothes, jumpers and jackets.

"It was awful and I was so self-conscious. I could never shop in normal shops or order clothes from the same websites as my friends because I knew they'd never fit my chest.

"They also restricted my movement. I couldn't join in like everyone else during PE in school and I couldn't enjoy the gym because I was self-conscious about what to wear and was in constant pain.

"I just wanted to live a normal life, borrow my friends' clothes, and wear what I wanted.

"They covered my whole stomach area and it really bothered me because I like my back and my waist, but I could never wear any backless tops or dresses.

"If I wore high-waisted trousers, my boobs would cover everything. They made me feel a lot bigger than I was, and I was just a size six everywhere else. It's not like I am bigger.

"I was 17 when I started seriously thinking about a breast reduction. I spoke to my doctor and joined the waiting list. However, Covid delayed everything and I couldn't wait any longer.

"So last summer I decided I would fly to Turkey to have the surgery."

In June last year, Phoebe travelled to Turkey and spent £3,800 on her breast reduction and lift surgery, which took her from a 32G to a 32D.

Phoebe is over the moon with her results and can't wait to enjoy her new boobs this summer.

She said: "My friends and family were nervous for me to go, but I was so excited.

"I wasn't thinking about it too much and just decided to go for it.

"My boobs were in plaster when I woke up and I was too scared to look at them for a couple of days.

"I felt so overwhelmed with emotion and it took a while to process my new body.

"I was in shock at how different my boobs looked, but I was so happy with the results.

"They were so big, saggy and droopy so I also had a lift as well as a reduction. I'd also had my areolas moved up because of how low my boobs were before, they were pretty much pointing down.

"I'm so much more confident down. I have gone from always wearing about four layers of clothing to cover up, to wanting to wear nothing.

"I'd happily walk around my house with nothing on now because I love them so much.

"I love wearing little tops and dresses now too.

"I can buy cute underwear sets and bikinis and I can order clothes from wherever I like because I know they will fit.

"I don't have to go to specialist bra shops and spent £40 on a huge bra that I hate.

"I can also run around with my dog which I was never able to do before. It's literally taken a huge weight off of my shoulders and body."

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