Four Surgeries Later: Why I Chose Explant at 30

 

At 22 years old, I got my first breast augmentation and lift.

At 30, after four breast surgeries, I no longer have implants.

There were revisions, an implant exchange, another lift, a scar revision, painful laser treatments and more scars along the way than I ever anticipated.

But that eight-year journey also became part of the reason I created Restormé.

 

My First Breast Augmentation and Lift

When I had my first breast augmentation and lift at 22, I understood that scars would be part of the procedure. What I didn't understand was how little guidance I would receive about actually caring for them.

After surgery, I developed capsular contracture and struggled with significant scarring.

I remember feeling like the appearance of my scars was blamed on the way my body healed rather than being given meaningful education about scar care, skin health or what I could be doing throughout recovery.

Eventually, I turned to painful laser treatments to try to improve my scars.

It was the beginning of a much longer journey than I ever expected.

 

Then Came the Revision

My second surgery was a revision that included an implant exchange and another breast lift.

With another surgery came another recovery and another set of scars.

I continued searching for ways to improve their appearance, but I still felt like there was a disconnect between the level of care we give our skin every day and the options presented to us after surgery.

Eventually, my scarring led me to surgery number three: a scar revision.

After that procedure, I was told to use a vitamin C face serum on my surgical scars.

I remember thinking, There has to be more to scar care than this.

 

The Question That Eventually Became Restormé

We have entire skincare routines dedicated to supporting our skin.

We talk about hydration, peptides, antioxidants, vitamin C, barrier support and consistency. We carefully select products for our face based on ingredients and how they make our skin feel.

So why did caring for my surgical scars feel like an afterthought?

That question stayed with me.

I wanted scar care to feel more like skincare. Intentional, elevated and something you actually looked forward to incorporating into your recovery routine.

Years later, that idea would become Restormé.

At 30, I Chose Explant

My fourth breast surgery was different.

At 30 years old, eight years after getting my first implants, I decided to have them removed. I was having too many complications from implants, including tightness, pain, and started developing rashes on my skin.

I chose explant.

Going into another surgery after everything I had experienced brought up a lot of emotions, but this time I also had something I didn't have at 22: a completely different understanding of recovery.

I knew I wanted to be intentional about caring for my skin. I knew scar care wasn't something I wanted to think about only after a scar became a concern. And I knew that recovery deserved more attention than I had given it the first time around.

Most importantly, my relationship with my scars had changed.

Scar Care Isn't About Erasing Your Story

Restormé wasn't created because I believe scars need to disappear.

Quite the opposite.

After four surgeries, I've learned that scars are a normal part of healing. They represent something your body has been through.

But normalizing scars doesn't mean we have to neglect them.

You can accept your scars and still care for them.

You can celebrate what your body has carried you through and still want to support your skin throughout the healing process.

That philosophy is at the heart of Restormé.

The Scar Care I Wish I Had at 22

Restormé was created from my own experience as a surgical patient and the feeling that something was missing from recovery.

I wanted to create a modern approach to post-surgical scar care that felt thoughtful from beginning to end.

Something that could sit next to your favorite skincare products rather than feeling like another clinical reminder of surgery.

Something that made caring for your scars feel like an act of self-care.

And something that helped create a larger conversation around recovery, because surgery doesn't end when you leave the operating room.

Today, I'm 30, implant-free and experiencing recovery from an entirely different perspective than the 22-year-old version of me who had her first augmentation.

If I could tell her one thing, it would be this:

Your scars aren't something your body did wrong. They are skin worth caring for.

Eight years and four surgeries later, that's exactly why Restormé exists.

With love and healing,
Courtney
Founder, Restormé