‘I’d wear a padded bra underneath my swimsuit…’ One woman on why she got a boob job

"I thought If I could just be a stick thin model, I'd be happy."

via GIPHY The #SaggyBoobsMatter hashtag made headlines last week when a beauty blogger, sick of the recent surge in perky-pushed-up boobs on Instagram, believed it was time to embrace our boobs... saggy or otherwise. Chidera Eggerue (The Slumflower) said that she used to be embarrassed by her chest - until she turned 19 and decided she simply didn't care anymore. It's a topic we're tackling too on this week's episode of Girls With Goals. Joined by beauty experts Pamela Laird of Moxi Loves, Triona McCarthy and Sharon Donlon of Sensius Laser, we're taking a trip down memory lane: think our questionable Noughties fashion trends (29:41); how hair removal has come on in leaps and bounds (6:21), and figuring out exactly what age we feel most comfortable at (45:40). We're also delving into the world of cosmetic surgery, with one of our panelists telling us why she went under the knife (listen in at 16:30 on your iPhone or Android or keep reading for all the details!). Triona McCarthy explains that she didn't have any boobs until she had children and she also harboured some pretty interesting career goals that focused heavily on being top heavy:

"My ambition when I was a child was to be a page three girl. My father owned a garage and the guys would all be looking at Samantha Fox in the papers, and I was like 'OH MY GOODNESS, that's what I want to be when I grow up' . I used to put my swimsuit on backwards and everything. "Unfortunately I took after my father so I never grew the goods".

Triona went on to say that Baywatch has a lot to answer for societies obsession with large breasts:

"I came from the Pamela Anderson and Baywatch era... guys began to think that your boobs were meant to look like two grapefruits stuck inside your chest".

From a young age, Pamela Laird felt insecure about the fact she had 'no boobs'.  She explains that she went to great lengths to try and hide it:

"I would wear a padded bra underneath my Speedo swimsuit because I was so self-conscious. Then for years I thought I just need to be a stick thin model, if I could just lose loads of weight then I'd be happy".

Pamela explained that after years of struggling with insecurities, she took action:

"I realised that I have curves but the top half of me was just completely imbalanced from the rest of me. I'd been wanting to do it for so long, why not? I thought...  just do it".

Whether your boobs are big, small, saggy or non-existent, the grass does tend to be greener on the other side. Truth is women are constantly bombarded by images of perfection on a daily basis. So if something truly makes you unhappy, it's your decision to change it or learn to live and adapt, and as Pamela says it's crucial to own what you do, no matter what:

"I think if people were honest about the fakeness, then no one would consider it fake".

Well said!