Clare Crawley Shares Health Update Nearly 1 Year After Removing Breast Implants: 'Honoring My Body'

The Bachelorette alum removed her breast implants in July 2021 after experiencing numerous health concerns over the years

Clare Crawley attends Day 2 at Alo House on June 23, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.
Photo: Stefanie Keenan/Getty

Clare Crawley is giving an update on her health.

On Tuesday, the Bachelorette alum, 41, opened up in a candid Instagram post about her "empowering choice" to remove her breast implants nearly one year after the surgery.

"A lot can change in a year! Photo memories popped up on my phone of this time last year and to be honest it shook me. I was soooo sick. Feeling broken down. Alone. Defeated," she shared alongside a photo of herself in a sports bra and leggings. "But little did I know I was a month out from beginning one of the greatest journeys of my life… back to self."

"Making the empowering choice to remove my implants has been a 50/50 physical and mental process that words can't describe. (And the truth is, It hasn't been smooth or easy.) But taking that leap towards honoring my body + soul, allowed so much to fall away and truly heal," she continued. "It really is more beautiful than I ever could have imagined!!"

In January, the reality star celebrated her "6 month explant anniversary" with a heartfelt social media post.

"I cannot believe it's been 6 months since I had the surgery with @davidrankinmd that really changed my life," she wrote alongside a video showing some of the symptoms she experienced prior to surgery. "Not only has it given me my physical health back, but it has transformed my mental health in so many ways. I mean it when I say this… I feel like a new woman!! (Which I haven't felt like in the past couple of years.)"

She added, "There truly is so much JOY and PEACE when you advocate for your health, follow your gut, have champions in your corner, don't give up, and know with every ounce that it will always be one of the best decisions I've ever made in life! ❤️"

In July 2021, the reality star revealed her plans to remove her breast implants after experiencing numerous health concerns over the years.

"I've been going through things medically with my body that I have not had answers to," she said on Instagram. "It's been hard, it's been frustrating and it's been scary for me to not have answers and to know something's not right."

Crawley said that she has privately suffered from an array of mystery symptoms in recent years, including an itchy rash on her upper body and elevated white blood cell count.

"As much as I love my implants, my body is fighting them and recognizes it as something obviously foreign in my body," she explained.

Crawley's decision came amid an uptick in breast implant illnesses (BII), a newly emerging syndrome that is occurring in people with implants and can cause symptoms ranging from chronic fatigue to breathing problems to depression and hair loss, among others.

Later that month, Crawley shared that she has officially undergone surgery to have the implants removed.

"Surgery is officially done + I am on the road to healing!" she wrote alongside an image of herself at the hospital smiling with a beautiful bouquet of flowers.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Crawley also had a special shoutout to her followers after the procedure.

"Having you all give me a boost when my brain has slipped into moments of doubt, truly lifted me up," she shared. "And so I will continue to pass it on to anyone else who needs to hear this… our body shape does not define us or make us any less lovable or worthy. We are perfectly made just the way we are!"

Related Articles