It's a year I'll never forget. In seventh grade, I was one of the girls who stuffed their bras with tissue in hopes of appearing more mature. But by eighth grade, I was naturally approaching D-cups. Now, at 25, I'm a 34DDD and 5'4. And while my friends always talk about how great it is to have bigger cups, asking me if they can have some themselves, to me, they're a straight-up nuisance. Clothes don't fit as well as I'd like, my bra straps have created permanent indents in my shoulders, and I can't sleep without a bra. Yep, you read that right. That "aaah" feeling that many women have when they get home and remove their bras is a moment that usually results in added discomfort for me.
And I'm not alone. Influencer Nicol Concilio just announced to fans on Instagram that she's undergoing a breast reduction and she's paying a lower price than others. And while there's nothing wrong with a great discount, fans are angry that the price of being a woman and comfort comes at such a price.
It's no secret that Nicol Concilio's breasts are quite shapely.
The influencer, who's noticeably top heavy, is complete body goals to most. However, like many other women, Concilio has struggled with the weight of her breasts often causing discomfort. The long journey has helped her decide to go under the knife and get a breast reduction.
And much to the surprise of many, the procedure was discounted.
She made the announcement on her Instagram before undergoing surgery. "For today's surgery I want to be transparent and say I am getting a slight discount for showing you guys the procedure, I'm doing this because I truly think it will be educational for my girls out there who are contemplating a reduction/lift," she wrote.
But fans are upset.
But not because she's getting the procedure — rather they're mad that the cost for comfort for many women is so high.
"Was legit in disbelief first time I heard insurers dictate your size for a reduction (& this insurer required photos). Pure madness. Consult with multiple plastic surgeons. Often they'll input the requisite numbers but will work within your preferred parameters. Hope it can be resolved for you soon," a comment read in a Reddit thread.
And even when insurance does cover it, the process can be absolutely daunting.
"A lot of times they cover it, but they'll make you jump through hoops. A friend of mine had nerve damage because her breasts were so large and heavy. The rest of her body is relatively slender, but her bra size was probably around an M. The doctor wouldn't write her a referral to insurance-covered breast reduction because she was technically 'overweight' and told her she needed to lose 20 pounds. Which was really difficult because 1) the size of her breasts made it incredibly hard for her to exercise 2) so much of her weight WAS in her breasts to begin with," someone wrote.
Women shared their stories of the struggles they've faced on account of not being able to afford the corrective procedure.
"I completely agree. My old insurance required that I show 'substantial proof' like attempting other treatments (physical therapy weight loss etc) [redacted] ridiculous. But, good to know. I'm going to keep looking for sure," another commenter wrote.
However, the discounted procedure isn't rare — in fact, it's becoming the norm.
Several plastic surgeons have started giving influencers drastic discounts. "Yeah Dr. Miami gives out free/reduced plastic surgeries for influencers who agree to be shared on snap/insta. Sure a lot of others do too. Although nobody is really transparent about disclosing it," another Redditor commented.
We're wishing Concilio all the best!
As someone who also struggles with large breasts, I completely understand the difficult decision. And hey, if Concilio can get it at a discount, I don't blame her either. However, this comes as yet another testament to the messed-up state of health insurance in this country, we've got to do better.
These stories are based on posts found on Reddit. Reddit is a user-generated social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion website where registered members submit content to the site and can up- or down-vote the content. The accuracy and authenticity of each story cannot be confirmed by our staff.
