Ever heard the saying, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch?” It’s really quite a popular adage, and for good reason. Few things in life are actually free, but that’s not stopping a group of hopeful breast implant patients from trying to get their surgeries on the house.
On a new website called , hundreds of women are trying to get strangers to donate to their breast augmentation fund. Upon first entering the site, it looks just like a dating site. You can check out women’s profiles, chat and even learn about their personal interests. But while getting to know them, you may also be lured into paying for their plastic surgery.
The goal of the website is to connect women who can’t afford breast implants with donors who will pay for their surgeries. To get started on the site, all a prospective patient has to do is provide her name, birthday and a few pictures of herself. Then, she can immediately start meeting potential donors and can even participate in one of the many “contests” set up by the donors themselves.
The site is free to use, but if you want to chat, it will cost the donor $1 each time. But that’s ok, that’s what the donors are there for…right?
Though it may seem like the site is just a big scam, no one of the women on MFI actually have access to any of the money that is raised. Instead, the funds are put into an escrow account, quite fittingly called the “Boob Bank.”
Once a prospective patient reaches her goal (around $5,500), the money goes straight to paying an MFI-affiliated plastic surgeon who will then perform her breast augmentation surgery. Then, the patient’s before-and-after pictures, along with a Q&A, are entered into the ever exclusive MFI Hall of Fame.
It is rumored that around 1,100 women have already gotten their breast implants through the site, but it seems like an awful long time to accrue the funds. After all, each private message only costs $1. Do the prospects have to engage in any illegal activities to raise more money? Allegedly, some women go as far as to offer racy pictures of themselves for more money, and there are far too many eager donors willing to please.
While the site may have about 13,500 active users – 3,500 women and 10,000 men – the nonchalant atmosphere distracts from the fact that breast augmentation surgery is not a joke. Sure, if the site follows through with its promises, a woman may have her breasts enhanced for free, but what about follow-up care? Medications? Implant replacements? That’s all going to come out of the woman’s own pocket, so technically, the surgery isn’t entirely free.
And though the site only claims to release Boob Bank funds only to board-certified plastic surgeons, both the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons have condemned the site.
It’s important for anyone who has considered breast augmentation to turn to an experienced plastic surgeon to discuss their best options. A woman may have an idea about what kind of implants she may want, but the choice may not be suitable. Obtaining the advice of a plastic surgeon is critical to ensuring successful results.
