Woman With Four Breasts Spends Thousands On Surgery

It's normal for a teenager to have self-esteem issues but for a woman from Hitching, Hertfordshire who grew up having four breasts, her teenage years were traumatic.

Phoebe Ellis, now 22 years old, finally got rid herself of her extra breasts that were weighing her down her whole life after spending a whopping £5,500 for private surgery after NHS refused to remove her extra lumps, according to an article by Latin Times.

Growing up, Ellis often believed that she was least desirable due to her weird deformities, hiding her "freak body" under baggy clothes and avoiding getting intimate with boyfriends. Ellis was 12 when she sdiscovered these two "tennis ball-sized breasts" hanging from her armpits. Things became worse as she lived with her family in Spain and the lumps often came in the way of their outdoor activities.

"I wouldn't wear a bikini on the beach and was always making an excuse out of swimming," she said in an interview. "We did PE every day and it was hard maintaining multiple lies all the time. It was my secret shame. I never felt sexy. I never felt wanted. I felt weird and gross and baggy T-shirts were my best friend," she added.

Her extra breasts did not only pose serious emotional issues but also physical as Ellis had to pop contraceptive pills during her period to ease pre-menstrual symptoms.

Ellis said that she had looked for ways to get rid of the lumps and even asked for surgery or investigations from the NHS, but she was always declined.

What Ellis considers her lowest point was when she turned 20 and opened up about her trauma to a physician. A year later, on the morning of her 21st birthday in 2018, an NHS letter arrived which she calls her best birthday gift ever.

Upon knowing that her condition was cosmetic, Ellis's devastated parents raised the £5,500 to pay for private surgery.

Weeks later Ellis went to see Dr. Aamer Khan at the Harley Street Skin Clinic. "When he saw them, he was horrified on behalf of me and said it must affect my life so much," she said. "I thought that someone finally appreciated how much this was affecting me," she added.

Ellis underwent surgery on November 21, 2019 and it was successful, but it wasn't until this month when she learned what her rare condition was-accessory axillary (armpit) breast tissue.

Accessory breast tissue, also known as ectopic breast tissue, is a residual [breast] tissue that persists from normal embryologic development. This condition can be found in up to 6% of the population.

The surgery may have left her with big scars but Ellis said she felt a lot lighter and happier and that the "weight of the world was lifted."

"New Year's Eve was the first time in 12 years I wore a top out," Ellis said. "I still had stitches in and the scars were really bad. But this is the precedent for my life now. I was super relieved and felt a new wave of confidence. I tell anyone who will listen and show them pictures because now they are gone, I feel like I own this."

Ellis revealed she plans on starting afresh and set priorities straight. She added that she would be working out and visit the beach often.