(U-WIRE) CHICO, Calif. – Matty sat on the recliner, feeling woozy and off balance after getting home from the operation. She wasn’t having a lot of pain like people had told her to expect.

But as time passed, the pain worsened.

“Two days later, I felt like someone hit me across the chest with a baseball bat,” said the 22-year-old psychology major.

Still, if she had it to do again, she said she definitely would.

“It’s something I’ve always wanted done,” said Matty, who didn’t want her last name printed because of the personal nature of the subject.

She said the procedure increased her breast size and made trying on clothes a much more exciting experience.

Plastic surgery is no longer just for celebrities. It’s now an option for the average person. But public perceptions of those who have had the surgeries mean it is still a taboo topic in many social circles.

Prior to her breast augmentation, Matty said she was active and outgoing and felt good about herself.

Now that it’s over, she doesn’t feel like having to answer questions about whether or not the surgery has changed her personality for better or worse.

Matty said she chose to have the surgery because she felt like her body wasn’t proportioned right and it would help her figure look more balanced.

“I didn’t have self-esteem problems before, but I’d say it definitely boosted my self-confidence,” she said.

Matt Nyby, a psychology graduate student at California State University-Chicao, disagrees with Matty’s reasoning for the surgery. He said people who have plastic surgery for cosmetic reasons have personal problems that go beyond their looks.

“Self-esteem isn’t a quick fix,” he said.

Nyby also said he believes participants of such procedures should get psychological help on the side.

Dr. Daniel Thomas, a plastic surgeon in Chico, said most of his patients do not need any psychological help. They are people simply looking to fix a part of themselves that has been affecting them a little bit every day.

– Nargis Nooristani