Amber Rose On How Breast Reduction Surgery Has Changed Her Life For The Better

Bigger is not always better. In a world where everyone seems to be adding on to what they already have, Amber Rose made a decision that would ultimately change her life.

In her case, she wanted to take something away. For years, the fluctuating size of her girls began to take its toll on her. Despite society's newer standards of beauty, Rose was less concerned with how others felt about her body and more concerned with her own health and well-being.

Rose is a reminder that positive body image ultimately starts from within. While she always had a large chest, she reveals to PEOPLE Magazine:

"I got my boobs when I was 14, but I would say, over the years, as my weight fluctuated, my boobs fluctuated. And, so, after I had my son, I mean, my boobs, they got bigger. They got way, way bigger. They definitely made me look older when I was a teenager, and also, I felt it made me look heavier as well because they were so big."

Many women experience drastic body fluctuations after giving birth. Excess tissue, skin, and fat that can develop as the woman's body prepares to provide milk can cause breasts to increase by as many as two cup sizes. Rose says that after the birth of her son, Sebastian, her breasts ballooned to a 36H cup size naturally. This not only affected her bra size, but it also made for a painful life, so much so, that carrying them around became unbearable.

"They weren't implants or anything like that and so, my back was hurting me. There was times I would just walk and just stop and be like … it would kill me. And, so, at that point, I was like, this is more of like a health issue, where I have to get this done."

It is said that an estimated 67,000 people underwent breast reduction surgery in 2016 alone. Although 60% of those surgeries are comprised of women, the rest of these surgeries are also performed on men every year. Women who elect to undergo the procedure often have issues with some of the side effects affiliated with large breasts: back or neck pain, ill-fitting clothing, general discomfort and/or rashes that develop due to heat/moisture getting trapped beneath the breasts.

In a 2017 Instagram post, Rose first revealed her interest in getting a breast reduction. She wrote, "My boobs are stupid heavy, my back hurts and I can't wear cute lil shirts without a grandma bra."

Rose says that she contemplated the surgery for over three years before she finally went under the knife. She grappled with her own body image during this time, and even worried that the change would come at the expense of feeling sexy.

"I was scared that I wouldn't feel sexy anymore, but it got to the point where I literally was in pain. It was almost as if I had like a heavy backpack on my chest."

Now that she's gone down to a 36DDD, Rose says, "It's like a dream come true to wear things like spaghetti-strapped tank tops."

"Now when I'm running out the door, I don't have to search for the right bra to fit within the shirt or to match the color of the shirt, so, it doesn't show and look gaudy. I can kind of just throw it on and I'm like, 'This is amazing!' I've been missing this my whole life."

Kudos to Amber for making her comfort AND her health a priority. To read more of her interview, head on over to PEOPLE.

Featured image by Giphy