A singer and dancer has revealed how she spent tens of thousands of dollars to reduce the size of her E cup breasts – only for them to start growing back three months later.
Bethanie Lyon, 24, from Los Angeles, California, had breast reduction surgery in July 2019 after years of struggling with back pain, people staring at her chest and clothes not fitting properly.
Initially, she was delighted with her new C cup boobs, but within three months she noticed the seams on her stage costume splitting, and realized that her breasts had started to grow again.
Just nine months after the surgery, the singer and dancer claims she is back to almost the same size she was before.
Singer Bethanie Lyon, from Los Angeles, paid $10,000 to have her E cup breasts (pictured) reduced – but claims they started growing again just three months after the procedure
The 24-year-old (pictured one month after her breast reduction) spent years battling back pain and dealing with strangers staring at her boobs so she chose to have them reduced to a C cup
However, three months after the procedure, Bethanie (pictured now) says her boobs started growing again – and claims she is almost back to the same size she was before the surgery
‘It was as frustrating as it was heartbreaking honestly – I was so happy after surgery with how they looked,’ Bethanie, who is a performance artist and a singer, said.
‘After having gone through so much pain, feeling like it was all for nothing was really difficult to come to terms with.’
In her early teens, Bethanie’s chest grew quickly and by 14 it was clear she was going to have large breasts.
She said: ‘I was always a little embarrassed of their size.
‘People commented constantly and it felt like that was all people saw about me and all anyone associated me with was having a big chest.’
As a performer, her size E breasts also had an impact on her work.
She said: ‘They were just always so heavy and in the way, and I honestly felt like I looked stupid with them when I danced.
Ready to go: Bethanie (seen on the day of her surgery) was initially thrilled with her smaller chest and was ‘heartbroken’ when it started growing again
The singer (seen 12 months after her surgery) was told by her doctor that she must have a more sensitive chest than most patients
Bethanie returned to work a few months after surgery but was shocked when her dress for a performance of The Wedding Singer (seen) split, suggesting the reduction was not permanent
‘I also couldn’t wear lots of clothes that I wanted to because they wouldn’t fit my chest.
‘Most fashion caters to people with flatter chests so I felt like I was missing out.’
‘Because bra sizes are so inconsistent, I never really knew what size bra to buy.’
‘Since most stores only carry up to a DDD, I would usually just buy a 36 or 38DDD and sometimes they would kind of fit, but they were usually too small.’
By her early 20s, Bethanie had decided to get a reduction to help her career and improve her confidence.
With the help of her parents, she paid $10,000 for the surgery at Cool Springs Plastic Surgery, which took place on 12 July 2019.
She said: ‘I was so nervous because I had never had surgery or been under anesthesia before, but I was equally as excited.
Struggle: Bethanie (seen dancing before her breast reduction) says that her large chest makes her job much more difficult because her boobs feel so ‘heavy’
With the help of her parents, Bethanie (pictured seven months after her operation) paid $10,000 for the surgery at Cool Springs Plastic Surgery, which took place on July 12, 2019
Heartbreak: ‘It was as frustrating as it was heartbreaking honestly – I was so happy after surgery with how they looked,’ Bethanie (pictured now) said of her breast regrowth
‘The doctors were so wonderful and I love them all.’
‘They made me feel very safe and taken care of, so that helped a lot with nerves.’
After the procedure, she was very pleased with her new 34C sized breasts but faced a long recovery.
She said: ‘Most people don’t seem to have as bad of an experience as I did after surgery.’
‘My surgeon told me I must be much more physically sensitive than most people.’
‘They had to give me extra medication just to be able to walk, sit down, and stand up.’
‘I would literally cry every time I had to get up off the couch for the first week because I was in so much pain. It felt like my skin was ripping apart.
‘After about three weeks, I was able to move around as I normally would (minus dancing or exercising).’
Eventually, Bethanie was back to working in productions again and it was on set of The Wedding Singer that she realized the reduction may not be permanent.
Although the dancer has never been given a definite reason for the regrowth, she believes it may be down to a hormonal issue. Pictured: Bethanie Lyon – five months post-operation
By her early 20s, Bethanie (pictured now) had decided to get a reduction to help her career and improve her confidence
She said: ‘I noticed it in October of 2019 – three months after my surgery.
‘I was working as a dancer and the seams of my dress busted open when we tried to zip it right where my chest was.’
‘For a couple weeks before that, I could feel it getting tighter in the chest but not in my stomach, so I just ignored it.’
Bethanie (pictured two months post-surgery) was warned of the risks of having the procedure – including that her breasts could grow back – but was reassured that it was incredibly rare
‘As months went by, they just got bigger and bigger until, after roughly nine months, they were pretty much back to the size they were before.’
‘I actually haven’t worn bras since my surgery because of the pain of bra straps and bands so I don’t really know what size they are now, but they look almost identical in size as before my surgery – maybe a cup size smaller.’
Like most people, Bethanie was told all of the risks of having the surgery – including that they could grow back – but was reassured that it was rare to have that problem.
Although the dancer has never been given a definite reason for the regrowth, she believes it may be down to a hormonal issue.
She said: ‘I was aware it was possible, but I never thought it would actually happen.
‘Your body is going to do what it wants to do and sometimes you just can’t help it.
‘I have hypothyroidism and I have to take medication every day to make my body function more regularly.
‘This condition really messes with my hormones, so it’s very possible that they grew back because of my thyroid.
‘My genetics very well could have played a part in it too because I have family on both my mom and dad’s side that naturally have large chests, so my body may have just thought it was doing what it was supposed to do by growing them back.’
Since her breasts have grown back, Bethanie has stopped wearing bras which has helped with the back pain she had previously. Pictured: Bethanie Lyon – 4 month post operation
Bethanie is not as embarrassed as she was when she was a teenager because she’s learned to accept her body. Pictured: Bethanie Lyon – before surgery
Bethanie decided to focus more on singing since her breasts grew back but she’s happy with the decision. Pictured: Bethanie Lyon – before the operation
Now, two years on from her surgery, Bethanie says it has changed how she feels about having a large chest.
She said: ‘I’m not as embarrassed of them anymore as I was when I was a teenager because I’ve learned to accept my body the way it wants to exist.
‘They do still inhibit me from wearing certain clothes and they do hurt my back again, but not nearly as badly though now that I don’t wear bras.’
However, it did cause her to reconsider how much dancing she was doing.
She said: ‘I decided to focus on singing now more than dancing because they grew back and, honestly, that may be the one good thing that has come from this process.
‘I am still a dancer and most likely will continue to work as a dancer, but I’m now so thankful that I’m just as much of a singer too.’
Even after her experience, she is considering having the operation again at some point in the future.
Bethanie added: ‘From what I was told, I would have to wait a long time before I could get another one for safety/health reasons.
‘I honestly don’t know if I could go through it all again though. If I decide to have kids in the future, I definitely think I would get another one when I’m done having kids.’