• Kehlani is opening up about the decision to get their breast implants removed.
  • The singer got implants four years ago, after feeling "bullied" by the world for not looking put together enough.
  • But Kehlani said that their physical health suffered afterward. Their doctor suggested that they might have breast implant illness.

Kehlani is opening up about the decision to get their breast implants removed.

“I got breast implants about four years ago because I was very much struggling with what beauty meant to me,” the “Altar” singer told Byrdie, noting that they were regularly accused of not looking put together enough.

“I remember this video of me performing went viral,” they said. “People were like ‘she’s horribly built.’ So I went and got breast implants.”

But Kehlani said that their physical health suffered afterward. The singer went through years of medical complications and also struggled with chronic fatigue, brain fog, severe joint pain, restless leg syndrome, and new allergies.

"My doctor said, 'I think you have breast implant illness,'" they said. Breast implant illness, in case you’re not familiar with it, is not an official medical diagnosis but it is something the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recognized.

According to the FDA, breast implant illness is a term used to describe a variety of symptoms that may be reported by some women after they have reconstruction or augmentation with breast implants. That can lead to certain symptoms, including:

  • fatigue
  • brain fog
  • joint and muscle pain
  • hair loss
  • weight changes
  • anxiety and depression

“The appearance of such symptoms has been reported with all types of breast implants regardless of filling, shape or surface characteristic, and their onset anywhere from immediately after implantation to years later,” the FDA says. “Although some women report improvement or resolution of symptoms following removal of the implants, the cause of the symptoms and the degree to which they may be related to the implants are unclear at the current time.” Because of this, the FDA says, research is ongoing. There are also no formal tests or criteria to diagnose breast implant illness.

Kehlani said that their new boobs also made them feel uneasy from a mental health perspective. "I was already feeling dysphoric about my breast implants because I'm such a 'tomboy,’” they said. “Like, how do I even put these in outfits?”

So, Kehlani decided to have their implants quietly removed.

“I actually feel way more beautiful than I ever felt because I feel healthy,” they said. “I really don't take my natural body for granted anymore. I got things done that went away because my body type was not meant to be changed in the way I thought I could change it.”

Kehlani also said that they felt that they “let the world bully me into feeling like I needed this."

They added, “It’s been such a journey to figure out how I feel about the way that I look. I always felt like I was looking for 'beauty,' never that I was sitting in it.”

But Kehlani said they feel the sexiest “when I'm the most stripped-down and comfortable. To me, sexiness is clean hair, good candles, and applying oil after a shower. It's all about taking care of myself, more so than the sexiest outfit. That's when I feel good.”

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Korin Miller
Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Self, Glamour, and more. She has a master’s degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to own a teacup pig and taco truck one day.