Yesterday in one of my classes, we engaged in a discussion regarding the normalcy of plastic surgery and the social issues that arise from it.
It is apparent in society today that going under the knife for new nose, bigger breasts or a slimmer waist is as common as getting your hair done.
In certain parts of the world, plastic surgery seems to have morphed into a “rite of passage” that some countries actively take a part in.
Butt implants are necessary in Brazil as are a double-eyelid procedures in Korea and boob jobs in good ol’ America.
Plastic surgery is not only for women; a rising number of men have had procedures like jaw augmentations, liposuction and chest implants.
In the past, plastic surgery seemed to be peoples’ last resort to fix an imperfection or flaw that they found to be ugly or a nuisance. It was less common to pay thousands of dollars to receive larger breasts or have a straighter nose. People turned to alternative cover-ups like push-up bras, make up or simply coming to terms with their special feature.
But now, the world of plastic perfection surrounds every individual. Children at the age of 10 and under are advised to go under the knife for insignificant “problems.”
For example, doctors have suggested parents to start their children on hormones if they are predicted to be “too tall.”
Another shocking fact is that doctors also encourage parents to have their children’s ears pinned back if they find them to be “large or wide.”
Since when did having plastic surgery become the go-to fix for every tiny difference in a person?
I believe it’s a sad result from the heavy influence of media in the world today.
Every magazine you see on stands is photoshopped. Celebrities, dancers, models and any other icon that you can find on a cover has been physically altered.
But the clever thing about photoshop is that photographers and editors know how to make it natural.
A simple portrait that you took and liked can easily be changed into a jaw-dropping bombshell that makes the first photo look like a washed-out, haggard version of your worst self.
That’s the beauty of photoshop.
With its manipulation and partnering with every advertising, fashion and media outlet, this creates a perfect-looking man or woman that is physically unattainable by all natural means.
And that’s when people turn to plastic surgery.
If you weren’t blessed by God to have light eyes, long luscious hair and a body that could stop traffic, then you have to get every procedure done until you look that way.
It’s disappointing and unrealistic.
A simple “quick-fix” through an unnecessary medical procedure will not resolve the emotional self-esteem problems that society has created.
You have the power to disregard the unattainable standards of beauty. You can acknowledge that the immaculate model on the cover of Vogue does not actually look like that.
As hard as it may seem, self-acceptance will do much more for you than any cosmetic surgery can. Your self worth is not determined by how similar you look like this archetype standard of beauty; instead, it can be measured by the confidence and comfortability you have in your own skin.
