Elaina St. James, a model, author, and social media influencer with a successful OnlyFans page, 58, from North Carolina, spent $10,000 (approx. NIS 37,000) on abdominal liposuction, but got much more than she bargained for. According to her, shortly after the procedure she noticed a bizarre side effect: Her breasts swelled up and reached size 36G (which is roughly equivalent to size 85I or 90H in Israeli sizing). “I thought I was going crazy. I hadn’t changed anything in my lifestyle, but suddenly my bras wouldn’t close on me,” she said.
She went to the doctor and was surprised to hear that this wasn’t such a rare case. “The doctor explained that when fat cells are removed, the body sometimes ‘compensates’ by storing fat in other areas—and the breasts are a common target. I couldn’t believe it. I’ve always had naturally large breasts, and it was never a part of my body I wanted to change,” she said.
According to the medical explanation, the removal of fat cells in certain areas can lead to hormonal or metabolic changes that cause the body to store fat in other areas—a phenomenon that occurs occasionally, especially among women with active fat tissue in hormonally sensitive areas like the breasts.
According to reports, her surgery, which was performed by a large and well-known medical network in the U.S., was intended to reshape the abdominal area but left her with an uneven appearance, a disappointing result in the stomach area, and a chest that suddenly grew. Elaina, who was happy with her DD cup size, had to replace her entire lingerie drawer: “It cost me $450 (approx. NIS 1,660) just for everyday bras in the new size. I just hope it stops here, because there’s a limit to how many bras I can buy.”
A 2007 study published in the U.S. National Library of Medicine found that nearly half of the women who underwent abdominal liposuction reported an increase in bra size some time after the procedure—a phenomenon that may also explain what happened to Elaina. The researchers believe the changes may stem from an indirect effect on fat tissue in hormonally sensitive areas.
She’s Not Complaining – and Neither Are Her Followers
After moving into a new home, she decided to undergo a corrective surgery with another doctor, again at a cost of $10,000, who confirmed what she had already suspected: “They haven’t stopped growing since. It’s crazy.”
Today, she has already learned to embrace the new look, even though she hadn’t planned on breast augmentation. “There’s a lot of pressure to look good at any age, and if that’s what empowers you—go for it. I feel much more confident now. Even though I didn’t intend to enlarge my breasts, I’m not complaining.”
Despite the discomfort, she claims there are upsides too. Elaina, who has more than 430,000 followers on Instagram and tens of thousands more on OnlyFans and calls herself “the hottest cougar in the world,” says the change has actually helped her business: “Men are crazy about it. Some of my followers noticed my breasts got bigger before I did. I thought it was just an illusion because my stomach was smaller, but they were right.”
Experts emphasize that although such a phenomenon may sound strange, it illustrates the uncertainty that sometimes accompanies cosmetic procedures—even those considered relatively simple.