A Family Affair: 'I tell people I'm a Barbie doll'

Charlotte Biggin was 15 when she announced that she wanted a breast-enlargement operation. Her parents were far from happy and refused to pay for the surgery, hoping she would change her mind. However, at the beginning of last year, Charlotte, a telesales executive, took out a £3,000 bank loan to pay for silicone implants to enlarge her breasts from a 34AA to 34C. Charlotte, now 21, lives with her parents, Jenny, 42, a pharmacy technician, and Ian, 44, a design engineer, in Robinswood, Gloucestershire

Charlottte

Charlottte

I had always had a really small chest. I was probably a 34AA, but wore an A cup with four bra pads in each side to make it look like I wasn't totally flat. I could never wear dresses because my hips were a size 12 and my top was an eight, and if I wore baggy clothes I looked like a boy. Sometimes people would make remarks, like "nice face, shame about the chest", which was really upsetting. I wouldn't take my top off in front of my boyfriend because I was too embarrassed and felt very self-conscious. One of my ex-boyfriends made remarks about my flat chest - it used to really bother me.

Getting my breasts enlarged was something I'd always wanted to do. It was a dream really - I thought only stars and the rich and famous had it done. I tried not to think about it and hoped one day they would grow.

Most people didn't realise how small I was because I always wore a padded bra. My mum knew it bothered me, but said it was what was on the inside that counted. She didn't want me to have the enlargement; I'm an only child and my mum still thinks of me as her baby. We did have a few arguments about it. She was worried I wouldn't come round from the anaesthetic. She couldn't have stopped me because I'm a very headstrong person. My dad was more understanding - he thought it was OK if I was determined.

When my granddad died last year it made me realise that you have to make the most of your life. We're all going to die, so why be miserable if you don't have to be? I looked at the adverts in Cosmopolitan magazine and found I could probably afford it. When I contacted the bank for a loan. I said I was buying a car because I thought it would be easier. I've since found out that some banks do give loans for breast implants.

Initially, I didn't want silicone implants because I'd watched all the American chat shows and heard all the horror stories. I thought saline implants were more natural, but they felt cold and hard, like wall-paper paste. The silicone ones felt much better.

I thought it was going to be really painful and horrible, but it was fine. I was back at work within four days and went clubbing a week later. The breasts were hard and looked quite stuck on at first. Now they've dropped quite a bit and the scar is hidden in the crease. When my mum first saw them she thought they were lovely. She was quite choked and proud that I'd done something for myself. Sometimes I wish I'd gone a little bit bigger though - maybe to a D cup - but I'm not going to turn into a plastic- surgery freak.

My boyfriend didn't want me to have it done. I think he might have felt threatened. We have since split up - not because of my surgery - although that probably didn't help.

I feel much happier about my body now. Something was missing before and now I'm complete. It's definitely the best thing I'd ever done in my life. People aren't bitchy to me because I'm very open. I tell people I'm a Barbie doll because I'm half plastic and I like pink.

Jenny

Charlotte had mentioned she wanted bigger breasts on and off for years. I thought it was something she would grow out of - but she didn't. She said a couple of times that she wanted a boob job, but I thought it was a quick remark and brushed it off. I tried to reassure her that she was beautiful anyway.

I thought she had forgotten about it because she didn't mention it for a while. But then she became really serious and started sending off for information. I kept thinking, I hope she doesn't go through with it, but by this time she was older, so it was more difficult.

We said we weren't prepared to pay for it. I hoped this would give her a bit longer to think about it and she might change her mind. I don't think I realised how unhappy she was about it. She didn't show it, but it was something that used to eat away at her. I'm in the same boat, but I've learnt to make a joke of it. When people (usually women who are well endowed) make remarks, they don't realise how much it hurts. There's a lot of pressure on women to look like models. Charlotte wasn't in proportion - we didn't care, but she did.

After seeing the surgeon, I still had reservations, but at the end of the day it was her decision. After my dad died it made her think more about what she wanted out of life. She said "life's too short and I can afford to do it, so I'm going to get it done". I thought this was the right attitude to have, really.

My main concern about the operation was the anaesthetic. I was worried that she wouldn't wake up again, but she knew the risks and was willing to take them. We just supported her as best we could. She's a very determined girl. It was my husband who eventually told me that I should let her make up her own mind.

On the day of the operation I thought about her all day. I tend to think the worst and was just hoping that everything was going to all right. I was thinking, "that's my baby".

When she came home after the operation she was absolutely beaming. She was so proud of them that she called her dad up to have a look at them. They look lovely - not fake at all. Since the operation she's been a lot more confident, you can see it in the clothes she wears.

She's had it done for the right reasons, not because she felt pressured by anyone, and she's gone to the right size. If she wanted to go bigger or get anything else done, I wouldn't be very happy about it.

It's like anything else, it can be taken too far.

* ' Perfect Breasts' will be shown on Channel 4 on 9 Jan at 10pm