FDA: Silicone Breast Implants Relatively Safe

But it won't pay for replacements

(NEWSER) - The Venezuelan government has offered to pay for the removal of defective breast implants for its own citizens, reports the BBC . The implants were produced by a now-defunct French company and are filled with industrial grade silicone—increasing their chance of rupturing. Replacement implants, however, will not be covered. More»

Venezuelan president calls their popularity 'monstrous'

(NEWSER) - Between 30,000 and 40,000 women get breast augmentations each year in Venezuela—and President Hugo Chavez is not happy about it. On state TV this weekend, he called it “monstrous” that even poor women feel pressure to get breast lifts, and that some doctors “convince some women that if they don’t have some big bosoms, they should feel bad.” Venezuela is one of the world’s biggest markets for the surgery—billboards advertise bank loans for boob jobs; parents have been known to give their 15-year-olds breast implants as a gift; and last year, a National Assembly candidate attempted to finance his campaign by raffling off a breast lift. More»

Reality star wants breast reduction

(NEWSER) - The very last person to realize that Heidi Montag's plastic surgery binge was a mistake has seen the light. "It's heartbreaking," the reality star tells Life & Style in an interview about her G-cup implants." I can't live an everyday life." Complicating matters is the death of the perpetrator, plastic surgeon Frank Ryan, in a car crash last week . "I'm desperate to go back to normal," Montag says. "I'm downgrading and going a little smaller, to a D or a double D." More»

Ten reasons, from sad to sadder

(NEWSER) - Sometimes it’s because their boyfriends like big boobs, and sometimes it’s because Jesus doesn’t not like big boobs. Ten celebrities and the reasons they gave for getting breast enhancements, rounded up by The Frisky :

• Carmen Electra: Says now it was just “really trendy” to get breast implants, so she went for it. Plus, her boyfriend paid.
• Carrie Prejean: “I don’t see anywhere in the Bible where it says you shouldn’t get breast implants,” the disgraced beauty queen once said. What better reason is there?

Friend denies boob job rumor

(NEWSER) - In the first public reaction to the red-hot rumor that Sarah Palin had a boob job , an unidentified friend of the former Alaska governor has opened up to Us Weekly . "It's absolutely ridiculous," the source says. Notes Ken Layne of Wonkette , who ignited the speculation and has been warming himself at the resulting bonfire: "We’ve finally got something Sarah Palin won’t talk about, which is awesome." More»