Fish-lips and a flat-chest… this is the cross that the young, beautiful Denise Richards had to bear as a teen. Denise reveals in a recent feature how peer pressure and bullying as she grew up in Illinois, rather than the demands of Hollywood, was the reason she chose to buy herself a pair of new boobs, aged just 19.
I find it staggering and sad that a gorgeous young woman would feel so desperate about being flat-chested that she would go under the knife. When your body is healthy, pert and youthful — and in pretty good nick, if you’re Denise Richards — what have you got to complain about?
Teens don't always recognise the benefits of being a Pancake Princess
I’m not insensitive to the hurt caused by cruel taunts. I don’t remember being on the receiving end of any, despite my very tiny chest, but I had body insecurities just like any young girl.
I solved them with a Wonderbra (back in the days when I could find one that fit).
I get that it can be painful being dealt a body by nature that doesn’t match up to the ideal you’re bombarded with in magazines and movies. And I know it can be soul-destroying never graduating from your training bra, when all the other girls go cup, cup and away!!!
I just wish that young women could find a better retort to body issues than surgery. And I wish that surgeons had more moral gumption that to be granting the wishes of women that haven’t had a chance to grow into their bodies and learn to be confident about them.
What do you think? Have you been the victim of peer pressure? How did you deal with it?
Its sad women tend to do this but if it makes them happy I can’t fault them for doing it. I still think they will regret in the long run but that’s the choice they make.
Part of the problem? The new “real women” movement. I started a discussion on my facebook page about being offended by the term, because it refers to women who “aren’t model size” and I am definitely “model size”. (American size 0-2.) When young women are constantly being told now that “real women have curves” and men “only like big breasts”, of course they’ll do anything to get what they think will make them “attractive” and “real”. The crusade should be that Real Women come in ALL shapes and sizes (and busts!), including smaller sizes!
I do think that this is about body confidence, which is based on self- esteem. It seems that so many women and girls have low self esteem (or lower than it shoud be at least. The last thing that can be coped with is taunts about how we look – because that’s hard to change. I’m short 5’1″, and have had to cope with that – it can’t be fixed! I taught myself not to care and increased the size of my personality to balance it out. Now I’ve started a business making clothes for Petite women – we all have different wasy to cope.
Perhaps these girls should not be given surgery – but counselling to raise their self esteem. I hope that the NHS wouldn’t do that op on such a young girl – but would get her other help.
Has everyone seen the episode of Doc Martin with the school girl being taunted about being flat chested? He gives her mints, tells her they are medicine, and tells her that they will grow. This gives her confidence to stand up to the bullies. I’m not suggesting we give out placebos – but you see my point.
Katrina-I agree with you completely. While I’m all for making everyone comfortable with the body they were born in, it is hurtful when that body type only seems to be curvy and large-chested (I’m also a US 0-2). It gives the impression that I have the body of the “enemy” or what have you, even though I was born this way too.
I’ve always been afraid to say anything about it, since I felt like I was the only one who felt that way.
I so agree with Katrina! Just the idea of calling it the ‘real women movement’ relays the message that skinny, small busted women aren’t womanly. I don’t think so! I’m as real as you’ll get. Hypocrisy really infuriates me. That’s what putting down one group of women in order to make another group feel better is. I also don’t know how many times I’ve heard skinny, small busted body types insulted as ‘looking like little boys.’ This is completely derogatory and only serves to bring down women even more.
Katrina and Carmen-
I agree about the problem with the “real women” movement. Although I support my friends and relatives in loving the bodies they’re in, it is much more socially acceptable to be a little overweight (and have a curvy figure) than to be born naturally otherwise. Perhaps having more slender bodies is becoming somewhat of a rarity with the obesity epidemic.
Personally, I struggle a bit with my self-image because I’m not petite, (5’9″), just my cup size is AA, and my trunk is larger than my chest. But really I can look up all sorts of models/actresses whose clothes I could easily wear, and that makes me feel better.
I also have a few friends I can relate to about it.
The only time I struggle with my self image now is when random strangers make exhasperated gestures, thinking I should want to change my beautiful body. Which floors me with anger. But the people I care about love me as I am.
I like how Hailey increased the size of her personality
I’d like to learn how to do that.
Please ladies, keep your beautiful tits the way they are!
We, men, don’t like big breasts: we love all of them, big and small, we love diversity in shapes and sizes, we love you the way you are!
If we want big synthetic tits, we can buy a plastic inflatable doll.
Don’t modify yourself to fit a mold dictated by stupid magazines.
Be yourself!