If the aim in enlarging the breasts is to increase beauty, that is not permissible, because it is changing the creation of Allah. If the breasts are so small as to cause you embarrassment and distress, then there is nothing wrong with enlarging them in ways that will not cause you harm, such as using creams and so on. Treating this with creams is much easier than undergoing surgery which involves anaesthesia or uncovering the ‘awrah when there is no specialized female doctor available.
Dr. Rajab Abu Mulaih, aShari`ah consultant in islamonline, said:
If a female complains from the flatness of the breast rather than the smallness, then an enlargement surgery is permissible on two conditions:
– first, if there is no other means of treatment, such as safe hormones under medical supervision, using creams or the like treatments. In this case this surgery will be a kind of treatment and not a way to change the creation of Allah.
– Second, the surgery has to be safe and involves no hazards to one’s life or health.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked about some cosmetic procedures such as straightening the nose, liposuction, breast reduction or enhancement, and so on – what is the ruling on these procedures? He replied: With regard to the beautification mentioned, beautification is of two types:
The first type is done to remove faults and the second type is done to increase beauty. The first type – removing faults – is permissible; if a person’s nose is bent, it is permissible for him to have surgery to straighten it, because this is removing a fault. The nose is not normal, rather it is bent, so he/she wants to straighten it. The same applies to a man who has a squint; this is undoubtedly a fault, so if he wants to have surgery to correct the fault, it is permissible and there is no reason why he should not, because this is removing a fault. If a man’s nose is cut off due to an accident, can he have a prosthetic nose installed? An incident of this type occurred at the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The nose of one of the Sahabah was cut off in battle and the man had a nose of silver made, but the silver tarnished and developed an unpleasant smell, so the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gave him permission to have a nose made of gold, so he did that. Hence we ask: is it for beautification or to remove a fault? Removing a fault is permissible. The same applies if the lip is cleft (harelip); it is permissible to join the two sides because this is removing a fault.
With regard to the second type, which is increasing beauty, this is what is not permissible. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed women who file their teeth for beauty, i.e., they file them and make gaps between them for the purpose of beautification. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed that, and he cursed women who put on hair extensions by adding hair to their short hair and so on.
It remains for us to examine whether an operation to enhance or reduce the breast is permissible or not. This is a kind of beautification, unless the woman who has small breasts wants to increase them so that they can hold more milk, i.e., if her breast is too small and cannot hold enough milk to satisfy for her child. In that case we may say that there is nothing wrong with it. But for the purpose of beautification, it is not permissible.
This is the guideline with regard to cosmetic surgery. Cosmetic surgery is of two types: the first is removing faults and there is nothing wrong with that; the second is increasing beauty and that is not permissible.