Titty Troubles
Image: Unsplash
It goes without saying: social media algorithms are becoming frighteningly accurate. For instance, my TikTok ‘For You’ page almost always shows me 15 to 30 second videos of women trying on clothes before and after their undergoing breast reduction surgery. As someone who has always struggled with clothing and constantly thought about undergoing the aforementioned surgery, the comments on the videos flooding my TikTok page concerned me. While comments such as “why would you do that” or “they were perfect before” may seem harmless but are often informed heavily by society’s hyper-sexualization of big breasts.
Society’s hyper-sexualization of large breasts overlooks a reality that often includes chronic back pain, shortness of breath and a distraught relationship with bra shopping. Bra straps digging into my shoulder alongside bruises are only some of the many struggles that come along with heavy breasts. Not to mention never being able to properly wear a cross body bag without the straps sitting awkwardly on your chest or worse, disappearing into your cleavage. And while the latter may seem trivial at first, everyday trials and tribulations such as constantly adjusting the car seat belt can have an impact on the quality of your everyday life.
Shopping for bras and shopping in general continues to be challenging for folks with a larger chest. Siv* who recently turned to online shopping during the pandemic explains the constant disappointment that comes with shopping for clothes that fit their body. “I used to think online shopping would be a lot less stressful than trying on clothes at the store. I didn’t really online shop until the pandemic, and boy was I wrong. Having a larger chest and not being able to try clothes on before purchasing them felt harder to deal with. I measured my chest and made sure the measurements aligned with the online store’s numbers but I could never really be sure,” shared Siv* outlining the stress that comes with shopping for clothes that aren’t always made for bodies that are top heavy.
“Society’s hyper-sexualization of large breasts overlooks a reality that often includes chronic back pain, shortness of breath and a distraught relationship with bra shopping. ”
In Ontario, following a referral from a primary care physician, OHIP will cover a portion of the breast reduction surgery for candidates who experience back, neck, shoulder or breast pain. According to the University of Toronto’s Division of Plastic Reconstructive Surgery, the procedure is short and only takes around 1-3 hours. The day surgery doesn’t require overnight stay at the hospital and the swelling and bruising should get better a week after the surgery. However, different bodies will respond in different ways. Aby* who has been waiting for her referral to a hospital to contact her says the decision to look into breast reduction surgery was the best decision she has made. “I always put it off, I was a bit scared of surgery, but I don’t think waiting is going to do me any good. I just want to feel good on the outside and the inside.”
In addition to physical pain, the impact the every day struggles of having to deal with chronic pain on mental health is an important factor to consider. “If we want to change something about our bodies, we should be able to, especially if it is comes in the way of our mental wellbeing,” explained Jen* who has been contemplating a breast reduction for years. For Jen, feeling good is not just physical, it is also mental. “Bra shopping has definitely been something that I’ve avoided for years, I much rather wear nothing or a sports bra. A sports bra has support and it doesn’t feel as painful as wearing a bra that doesn’t fit or wasn’t made for larger breasts,” continued Jen.
For Elle* the connections between a large chest is connected to the images of large breasts we often see on screen. “I think that the porn industry definitely has something to do with the hyper-sexualization of big boobs, and the ones we see on screen are literally constructed to serve a particular image. They also contribute to the sexualization of children. I remember growing up and developing breasts quite early and being super uncomfortable even wearing a turtleneck because the people around me always treated me in ways I did not like,” shared Elle* speaking of the connections between the mainstream porn industry and big breasts. The objectification of large chests informs the comments I mentioned earlier: why would anyone with large breasts even consider surgical reduction. The impact is both physical and mental.
*Names have been changed following request for anonymity.
