Russian women sell used breast implants online in desperate cash grab as economy slumps

Russian women were found to be listing the implants for three to four times less than they cost to buy, with the trend coming as the Russian economy struggles amid their war with Ukraine

Russian women are trying to cash in on their old breast implants by selling them on second hand retail websites with some describing them as only “slightly used”.

According to Russian news outlet BAZA, which posts on Telegram, online retail and classified advertisement websites in Russia have seen a significant increase in these listings for second-hand silicone breast implants as women look to raise funds during an economic crisis in their country.

Several sellers were found online, with some saying that they had the implants removed after giving birth, while others claim they were no longer happy with the results or had started suffering pain. One woman reportedly described her implants as: “Slightly used. I only wore them for a year.”

Other explanations given by sellers were found to include: “I gave birth”, “It became unattractive”, “My body started to hurt”, and “I want to recover at least some of the money I spent on the operation,” according to the Telegram post via Oddity Central.

Used implants were also found to be priced at around three to four times less than their original price due to the fact that they are used.

One pair of implants, which reportedly cost around 140,000 roubles (£1,300) when new, was advertised for 35,000 roubles (£325). Another set of Motiva implants, originally worth about 200,000 roubles (£1,850), was reportedly listed for 30,000 roubles (£280).

The bizarre listings have been connected to a decrease in plastic surgery in Russia, with the demand for breast augmentation specifically falling by around 40% over the past decade.

Russia relies almost entirely on imported breast implants, and Western sanctions imposed after the invasion of Ukraine have disrupted supplies and pushed up prices, with reports saying the country has since begun developing its own domestic silicone implant industry.

More generally, the war in Ukraine and the subsequent sanctions have seen the Russian economy slide into free fall, with the price of fuel skyrocketing.

In fact, some experts are predicting that the economy could be about to face a total collapse, with even the chief of Russia’s central bank voicing serious concerns about the nation’s struggling economy, cautioning there might be “big problems” within “months”.

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