Breast augmentationUnited Kingdom6 min read
Did Nicola McLean have breast augmentations? Yes — and she tells the whole story
Nicola McLean, the glamour model and reality television regular, has one of the most complete implant stories in British media: a first augmentation at 22 that took her from a C to an E cup, further surgery to a GG, an £18,000 mummy makeover with a lift and liposuction in 2019 — and now a plan to go smaller. Here is what she said about all of it, and what the operation involves.
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Key facts about the procedure
- Back to work7–14 days
- Stay in clinic1 day
- AnaesthesiaGeneral
- Fixed price$4,700
Profile
Nicola McLean
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Who
- British glamour model and TV personality
- Quote source
- Closer, 3 September 2024
What did Nicola McLean say about her breast operations?
Nicola McLean's implant history is public because she keeps telling it. Speaking to Closer, she laid out the sequence: her first breast augmentation at age 22 took her from a C cup to an E — a decision she later called too young for her — and further surgery took her to a GG. In 2019 she had what was reported as an £18,000 mummy makeover: an uplift with liposuction, with five litres of fat removed.
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WhatsAppToday her verdict on the size is unambiguous: “My boobs are just too big for my body now.” The physical toll, she said, is daily reality: “They're a nightmare, I have to ask my son to walk on my back every day to click it because it's so painful.” She takes prescription painkillers, sees a chiropractor every six weeks, and estimates her chest adds a stone of weight to a size-8 frame. And she has a clear plan: “I wouldn't get them out completely, but I want a less ridiculous size.”
Her caution about going under the knife again is earned. During her last procedure a blood vessel burst and she lost a quarter of her blood before emergency surgery: “I genuinely thought I was going to die,” she recalled. That is what this article relies on: her quoted words. Everything below describes breast augmentation in general, not her treatment.
What her story teaches patients
Nicola McLean's account covers the two conversations a good surgeon initiates before any augmentation. The first is size against frame. She went larger and larger, and now describes the result as too big for her body — with back pain, posture problems and clothes that no longer fit proportionally.
More on this topic: Breast augmentation and mammoplasty with a natural result, Breast Reduction, Breast Augmentation with Implants, Breast Augmentation in Dubai, Breast Implants in Calgary.
Surgeons weigh the patient's frame, skin and lifestyle against the requested size precisely to avoid this arc; "less ridiculous" is, in her own words, the destination she wishes she had chosen.
The second is age and readiness. She called her first augmentation, at 22, too young — a judgement many revision patients echo. The other hard fact in her story is safety: even elective surgery carries real operative risks, as her burst blood vessel shows. That is why the operation belongs in a clinic with inpatient monitoring and emergency capability, and why the pre-operative checks are not optional bureaucracy.
How a breast augmentation is done today
A breast augmentation restores or adds volume with implants and can correct shape and asymmetry. Implant size, profile and shape are chosen with the surgeon based on anatomy and the result the patient wants. Implants differ in material (silicone looks most natural), shape (round or anatomical), surface and profile; incisions are placed in hidden areas and scars fade over 6 to 12 months.
Later adjustments — an exchange to a smaller size, an uplift, implant removal — are established operations in their own right.
Breast augmentation with implants
- Main goal
- More volume, shape correction
- When it is considered
- Low volume, volume lost after pregnancy or weight loss, asymmetry
Breast lift with implants
- Main goal
- Volume plus lifted position
- When it is considered
- Volume loss together with marked skin laxity
Implant exchange to a smaller size
- Main goal
- Reducing volume, often with a lift
- When it is considered
- Size no longer suits the frame, back and shoulder strain
The right combination is chosen at the consultation, not from a celebrity story.
Who is a candidate and how to prepare
A candidate is an adult in stable health whose weight has settled. Contraindications include active infection, pregnancy and breastfeeding, severe heart or lung disease, blood clotting disorders and anything that rules out safe general anaesthesia.
- Choose size for your frame, with the surgeon — the arc Nicola McLean describes, larger and larger until it hurts, is the most common regret pattern.
- Bring your medical history, including previous operations and medicines; the surgeon decides which tests are needed.
- Check the safety set-up: inpatient monitoring, a full pre-operative work-up and a plan for emergencies are part of a serious clinic.
What recovery looks like
The patient spends a day in the clinic after surgery. Moderate discomfort in the first one to three days is normal and eases clearly by day 5–7. Most people go back to work without physical strain after 7–14 days. For three weeks there is no lifting over 3 kg and no raising the arms above shoulder level.
Compression garments are worn for 4–6 weeks; swimming and fitness usually return then, strength training after about three months. Swelling settles in about a month, and full recovery takes 3–6 months. The timeline below shows the usual stages.
How recovery after breast augmentation usually goes
- Day of surgeryGeneral anaesthesia; one day in the inpatient ward under round-the-clock care.
- Days 1–7Moderate discomfort, relieved with painkillers; clearly easier by day 5–7.
- Days 7–14Return to work without physical exertion.
- 3 weeksSwelling goes down; no lifting over 3 kg, arms below shoulder level.
- 4–6 weeksCompression garments are no longer needed; swimming and fitness.
- 3 monthsDiscomfort is gone and the tissue has settled; strength training is possible.
Breast augmentation at City Medical Centre
City Medical Centre performs breast augmentation for international patients under general anaesthesia, including patients from London. The first consultation with the plastic surgeon is free and can begin online with photos: the surgeon discusses size against your frame, shape and whether a lift is needed, and the price is fixed in the contract before a date is booked.
The price is $4,700 and covers result modelling, anaesthesia, the inpatient stay with meals, dressings and check-ups for a full year. More details are on the breast augmentation page and the page for patients from London.
To be clear: City Medical Centre has no connection with Nicola McLean or her treatment. Her story is quoted here only because she chose to speak about her operations openly.
Frequently asked questions
Did Nicola McLean have breast augmentations?
Yes. Her first augmentation at 22 took her from a C to an E cup — a decision she later called too young — and further surgery took her to a GG. In 2019 she had an uplift and liposuction as a reported £18,000 mummy makeover.
Why does Nicola McLean want a breast reduction now?
She said her boobs are "just too big" for her body: daily back pain, prescription painkillers, chiropractor visits and an extra stone of weight on a size-8 frame. She wants "a less ridiculous size" — down to a D cup — but without removing the implants completely.
What happened during Nicola McLean's last surgery?
A blood vessel burst and she lost a quarter of her blood before emergency surgery. She recalled: "I genuinely thought I was going to die" — and says she will not have further surgery.
Can implants be exchanged for a smaller size?
Yes. Exchange to a smaller volume, usually with a lift, is a standard operation. The surgeon assesses the skin and tissue and plans the approach at the consultation.
How much does a breast augmentation cost at City Medical Centre?
The price is $4,700, including anaesthesia, the inpatient stay with meals, dressings and a year of check-ups. It is confirmed in the contract after a free consultation.
Sources
What the article says about the celebrity is based only on these public statements.
- Closer, 3 September 2024
Medical background and further reading
General information about the procedure from health authorities and medical societies. It is not advice for any individual patient.
- PubMed / NCBI — Recognizing and Managing Breast Implant Complications: A Review (Int J Womens Health, 2025)
- PubMed / NCBI — Outcomes in primary breast augmentation: 1539 consecutive cases (Plast Reconstr Surg, 2015)
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons — Breast Augmentation
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration — Breast Implants
How we prepare and review medical content · Medical disclaimer
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