RUSHMERE ST ANDREW: A mum-of-two today told how she suffered insomnia and hair loss after both of her breast implants ruptured – causing toxins to leak into her body.

Andrea Hayman decided to tell her story to highlight the dangers of Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) implants –and to encourage women who have had similar breast enhancements to act immediately.

The 38-year-old, of Broadlands Way, Rushmere St Andrew, had her implants removed and replaced last Monday and has since started a support group for victims.

She describes the PIP implants as “ticking time bombs”.

“I just don’t understand how all this has happened,” said Mrs Hayman.

“If I would have known that this was going to happen, I wouldn’t have had the implant.

“It’s not worth the risk when it comes to these PIP implants. They are dangerous and women need to have them removed.

“People are living with two ticking time bombs inside their bodies and they aren’t being supported.”

Mrs Hayman appeared on Jeremy Paxman’s BBC Newsnight show recently to talk about the PIP saga.

She had implants fitted in December 2006 after breast-feeding her children had left her breasts “deflated”. But she noticed a difference in the way they felt last year.

“To look at they were fine but they starting feeling really weird and almost mushy,” said Mrs Haymen.

“I kept calling the Harley Medical Group (where she had the implants fitted) and I kept getting the same answer – that everything was fine.

“A week after Christmas last year I started getting tingling feelngs in my arms, then PIP was in the news every day and I just kept worrying.”

To discover whether her implants had ruptured, Mrs Hayman was forced to pay out almost �200 for an ultrasound scan.

“Once I had the scan and knew that both implants had ruptured I felt relief because then I knew that I could have surgery,” she said.

“But some people just can’t afford that and they aren’t getting the support they need.”

It is believed up to 400,000 women have had the implants.

Mrs Hayman said she doesn’t know how she would have coped without support groups on social networking site Facebook.

“The only good thing to have come out of all of this is that I have made friends and can help others who are going through the same thing.”

The Harley Medical Group said it has sent out more than 9,400 letters to patients confirming their implant types. Health bosses at the private clinic said they were “continuing to prioritise” patients suffering from ruptures.

n Have you been affected by PIP implants? Write to Your Letters, Ipswich Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or send an e-mail to starletters@archant.co.uk