Why more women dey comot dia breast implants?

BBC News

13-04-2025

Wen 32-year-old Ukrainian blogger and nutritionist Kateryna Krupkina share on social media say she don comot her breast implants, she neva expect di massive impact her revelation go get.
Her Instagram video don attract 7.5 million views, and she tok say she don receive "more dan one thousand" messages from women wey dey consider to comot dia own too.
"I just realise say bigger breasts no make me happier, healthier, or more beautiful," she tell BBC News Ukraine, adding say her decision ultimately come afta her young daughter tok say she wan get "big breasts like mommy".
"Di moment make me realise say I dey set di wrong example for her," she tok.
Kateryna no dey alone. Around di world, growing number of women dey choose to comot dia breast implants. But why?
Multiple reasons
Di latest data from di International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS), di world leading professional body for board-certified aesthetic plastic surgeons, indicate say breast implant removals, wey dem dey call "breast explants", don increase by 46.3% since 2019.
Meanwhile, breast augmentation, wey remain staple in cosmetic surgery through di 1990s and 2000s, only see 5.4% increase during di same period, dropping 13% from 2022 to 2023 alone.
Medical experts believe say di primary reason for breast implant removals na for aesthetic and cosmetic. Dem tok say pipo don dey trend toward "smaller, more natural-looking breasts".
"Women wan look different in 2025 dan dem bin look five or ten years ago," Dr Kristy Hamilton of di American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) tok. She dey chair di Social Media Subcommittee of ASPS.
"Di implants wey dem dey place in di 90s and 2000s dey veri large. Now, women wit implants dey either downsize or, if dem get plenty of natural breast tissue to begin wit, dem fit dey explant completely, doing lift, and adding fat transfer or not to regain portion of di volume," she tok. She add say "smaller breasts overall na im dey in vogue".
Dr Bruno Herkenhoff, president of di Brazilian Plastic Surgeon Association (SBCP) for Rio de Janeiro, agree.
"Some patients no longer identify wit highly enhanced breasts," e tok, and add say e dey perform more breast implant removals dan augmentations for im practice.
E say anoda factor be say "some women prefer to avoid di need for future implant replacements" since implants typically last 10-20 years and require surgical removal and replacement afterward.
Dr Herkenhoff also tok say di growing awareness of complications like breast implant illness and autoimmune reactions don influence some women to comot dia implants or avoid augmentation altogether.
"Now more information dey about silicone disease and autoimmune reactions. Di body fit react to silicone and develop symptoms such as joint pain, hair loss, and weight gain."
Also some cancers dey, wey dey associated wit implants, e tok.
"E fit form in di capsule surrounding di implant. Wen dem diagnose am, to remove di capsule usually resolve di issue."
"E dey exceptionally rare but real," e tok, and add say e dey happun wit certain types of implants wey she no dey use in her practice.
Kateryn get one of di implants, and she say her decision to comot her own "multiply by ten", although no medical tests reveal say she get cancer.
"But I no think say dat na di primary reason more women dey do explant. I believe say na about di aesthetic shift," Dr Hamilton tok.
She argue say di changes in breast implant techniques fit also drive di trend of breast implant removals.
According to her, older techniques position implants behind di muscle, e dey make di breast movement look unnatural look wen dem dey waka.
"Wen you see women wit older implants, dis na major problem for many—dem go flex dia chest while exercising, hugging someone, or even doing yoga, and dia implants go fly to di side."
She tok say for newer techniques, dem dey place implants in front of di muscle, leading to more natural results.
Wider trend
Both experts highlight say di trend toward more natural look extends beyond breast implants.
"Dat na true across di board - for di face, nose, breasts, and body," Dr Hamilton tok.
Dem say di overuse of some non-invasive cosmetic procedures, such as fillers and Botox, in di past dey lead to unnatural results, causing patients to reconsider dia approach.
"We don see examples wia too much filler look very unnatural," Dr Hamilton tok.
"Facial harmonisation don almost become facial demonisation. Many pipo end up wit di same face. Now, patients wan more relax appearance, without exaggeration," Dr Herkenhoff tok.
Dr Hamilton also note say many of her patients dey avoid fillers entirely, especially pipo wey dey unfamiliar with dem.
"A lot of patients wey dey new to dis treatments no dey interested at all to even try dem becos dem don see too many examples of di misuse."
She add say industry previously emphasised di need for frequent filler injections, go backfire.
"Wen dem tell us, 'Oh, you need to get filler every three to six months,' I tink say na mistake driven by di aesthetic industry… and I tink say e don backfire becos pipo don dey start to look odd."
Patients now dey focus on subtle treatments, she tok.
Among di new procedures gaining popularity, collagen stimulation, wey dey enhances skin quality without excessive volume, dey at di top of patients lists, according to Dr Herkenhoff.
Collagen na di most abundant protein for di body, dem dey find am in bones, skin, muscles, and tendons. However, di level dey decrease wit age.
Di reality of 'natural' look
Kateryna embody dis new trend. Afta she comot her breast implants, she also reduce her lips to dia natural size and she stop to dey use Botox to mask wrinkles.
"I dream of my actions becoming trend and women no longer dey obsesse ova dia look," she tok.
One senior source from one leading global cosmetic company don confam to di BBC say di industry dey bet on di "natural beauty trend".
However, "e no mean spending less on beauty products or avoiding cosmetic procedures; rather, na about refining your look in a way wey go appear effortless and enhances natural features," dem tok.
In 2023, global beauty market retail sales grow to $446bn, up 10% from 2022, according to one McKinsey consultancy report citing data by market research company Euromonitor.
Di source add: "Women still dey wear makeup, but di 'natural look' no necessarily mean wearing less - na about using products wey dey create di illusion of natural skin while maintaining polish appearance."
Medical experts also tok say di shift toward more natural look no mean say pipo don abandon cosmetic procedures, both invasive and non-invasive.
"Instead of simply adding volume to di face, we don dey focus on procedures wey dey lift and reshape," Dr Hamilton tok.
International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery statistics show say plastic surgeons perform 15.8 million surgical procedures worldwide in 2023, 5.5% increase from 2022. Non-surgical procedures also see nearly 2% increase during di same period.