Elaina St James, better known to fans as the ‘world’s hottest cougar’, had long been happy with her natural breasts. Then, a ‘botched’ operation resulted in unexpected changes
A woman who proudly goes by the title ‘world’s hottest cougar’ experienced an unexpected side effect after undergoing liposuction on her stomach, which left her feeling as though she was “going crazy”.
After undergoing her $10,000 (£7,350) op, Elaina St James saw her breasts swell to three times their usual size, and they’ve yet to stop growing.
The 58-year-old social media influencer, author and mature model opted for liposuction after years of feeling self-conscious about her tummy, plumping for a large, national provider that boasted “great reviews”.
She shared: “I started out in this industry as an older woman, so I always had a ‘mum bod’ – but I just didn’t feel comfortable being in front of the camera all of the time with my stomach out. Diet and exercise weren’t making any difference in terms of toning it, so I started looking into liposuction.”
The operation in question is designed to target fat cells, with the aim of giving Elaina a more toned appearance. Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before Elaina was left utterly dismayed by the outcome, with the “botched” procedure leaving her with a “lumpy” belly. And there were more shocks in store.
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Elaina, who is originally from the Midwest but now lives in North Carolina, had been happy with her DD boobs and was astonished to see them balloon to a 36G cup post-surgery. Indeed, the change was so significant that she had to completely overhaul her lingerie wardrobe to accommodate her new cleavage.
According to Elaina, who boasts 430,000 Instagram followers: “I thought I was going crazy at first. I asked my doctor if it was possible that the liposuction was causing my boobs to grow. I couldn’t think what else it could be, as I hadn’t made any major changes to my lifestyle. I was shocked when he immediately confirmed my suspicions.
“The doctor explained that when fat cells are removed during liposuction, sometimes the body compensates by kind of inflating them in other areas. Apparently, it’s not that uncommon.
“I couldn’t believe it. I was blessed with naturally large breasts, so it wasn’t an area I had ever wanted to enhance. I had no idea this was even possible.”
According to a 2007 study published in the US National Library of Medicine, almost half (48 per cent) of participants reported a boost to their breast size after undergoing liposuction of the abdominal wall.
As for Elaina, she noticed the intended increase in chest size a few months after the procedure, while looking at options to have the disappointing lipo revised. Elaina shared: “I wasn’t gaining weight anywhere else, but I noticed my bras were becoming too tight.
“I had been wearing a DD cup size for years, but suddenly they weren’t fitting right. I was overflowing. I knew it was weird, but I was so busy with moving and being a mum that I didn’t think too much about it.”
Sadly, Elaina was left feeling more self-conscious about her body than ever. Once settled into her new home, she splashed out on another $10,000 (£7,350) to undergo liposuction with a second physician in February 2025, 16 months after she first went under the knife. Again, this doctor confirmed what Elaina already knew – the first op had sparked her surprise bust boost.
Elaina divulged: “They haven’t stopped growing since. It’s crazy. I now wear a 36G bra, and with larger cup sizes, you have to pay more for the brands that cater for them, so it’s expensive having to get a whole new set.
“It has cost me $450 (£330) to get new everyday bras that fit my new size. I’m hoping I don’t grow much more, because it gets to a point when boobs become too big to manage.”
Although she herself wouldn’t have chosen this bizarre side effect, Elaina can’t deny that her business has also seen a substantial boost. She mused: “It’s not the worst thing in the world to have big boobs – especially in my line of work. Men love it.
“Some of my fans even spotted the increase before I did. Women’s bodies fluctuate all the time, so it took a while for me to register the change. I started getting comments that my boobs looked bigger. I thought it was just because my stomach was thinner, giving the illusion of a larger chest – but they turned out to be right.”
Although she values having a “natural aesthetic”, Elaina has learned to “embrace” her new look, unexpectedly big boobs and all. She reflected: “There’s a lot of pressure to look good for women at every age, and I’m all for it if you want to address insecurities.
“I remember getting comments saying I should do some sit-ups, put down the pizza or even go on Ozempic before having liposuction. I feel really confident in my body now, and I’m embracing my new breasts too. Although I didn’t intend to get a boob job, I’m definitely not complaining!”
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