‘Lack of info’ led to boob job hell

Former Love Island Australia contestant Georgia Murray is urging the TGA to allow more open media discussion about cosmetic procedures and their risks, arguing young women need greater access to information before going under the knife.

Former Love Island Australia contestant Georgia Murray said the main problem with her surgery was a lack of information. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers

Former Love Island Australia contestant Georgia Murray is urging the Therapeutic Goods Administration to allow more open media discussion about cosmetic procedures and their risks, arguing young women need greater access to information before going under the knife.

Ms Murray had complications following her breast augmentation at the age of 18.

“I think the main problem with my surgery was lack of information,” Ms Murray told The Daily Telegraph.

“If I had something like TikTok or had influencers being more open about it, I wouldn’t have had that issue.”

She said she could have “seen the red flags before they happened” if TikTok existed at the time, with influencers and others who had been through the surgery being open about their experiences.

“I would have made different decisions,” she said. The 23-year-old said traditional and social media could be powerful tools for educating young people about the realities of cosmetic surgery, something she lacked at the time.

But while she supports an open discussion, Ms Murray acknowledged the issue was complex.

“We are normalising changing our bodies and that’s what I don’t like,” she said, admitting she regretted having her surgery.

“It’s a toughie. I see both sides.

“I think that (the media) should definitely be able to speak freely about it and spread information because, at the end of the day, that’s what it is, information. And I think it’s important.”

Ms Murray admitted constant exposure to surgery online could influence young people to change themselves.

“There is a part of me that I just wish I didn’t get any surgery at all … I kind of want that more natural look, and I wish that I loved myself,” she said.

“I guess when you’re talking about it a lot, and you’re hearing it a lot, you do sort of get influenced to change yourself or compare yourself to other people, which does suck,” Ms Murray added.

“But … if you’re going to do it, you’re going to want to have the information

Growing up around women with larger breasts, Ms Murray said she felt self-conscious, and after discovering she had a mild case of tuberous breasts, she became fixated on “correcting” what she saw as a deformity.

“I was always looking at myself thinking, ‘Why don’t mine look like that?’” she said.

“When I heard the surgeon say I had tuberous breasts, I was locked in. I thought, ‘Definitely, I’m going to get a correction so they look nice and normal’.”

Ms Murray saved “every penny” working as a waitress to pay for the expensive procedure, only to be hit with additional unexpected costs.

Growing up around women with larger breasts, Ms Murray said she felt self-conscious. Picture: Tom Parrish

“Something went wrong, and they told my mum she had to pay an extra $2000 because I’d been in surgery an extra 30 minutes,” she said, calling the experience a “nightmare”.

She has since undergone a second surgery to repair the “damage” and now uses her platform to raise awareness, regularly speaking about her experience on TikTok.

While she supports the idea of regulation, Ms Murray is concerned silencing influencers could cause more harm than good.

“It would be insane because the whole thing about being an influencer is that it’s supposed to be personal, it’s not an ad,” she said.

“If people stop being honest, that’s more harmful.

“Imagine everyone just stayed quiet. Then you’ve got girls thinking, ‘Why don’t I look like that?’, not knowing it’s fake. Or worse, a young girl goes into surgery without all the facts, like what happened to me.”

Ms Murray said her biggest frustration was when influencers lied about having work done, particularly if they profited from it.

“If you’re open, fine,” she said. “But when someone says their BBL is real and they’re selling booty programs, that shakes me the most.”

Anyone considering a procedure of any kind should seek medical advice from qualified medical doctors, as risks need to be properly understood and results can vary.

Originally published as ‘Lack of info’ led to boob job hell