Beauty Practices and Self-Esteem Issues

[ArielleMonai]

Hello All,

I had a question to pose to you guys and I wanted to get my fellow Specktrites opinion on something. Now we all love cosmetics here for the obvious artistic release and immediate gratification when we need to look our best but where do you draw the line? Cosmetic Surgery? Make-up? Do we really need Cosmetic surgery to be available to anyone who wants it or do we need reserve it for those truly derserving? And what message are we sending to the kids about how one should look? Sound off!

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[nichollecaren]

I think everyone has a right to decide exactly how they present themselves. The message the kids receive is highly dependent on their parents. No matter what they see at school or on the TV...They will be directly influenced by what they see in their homes, and that is the parents' responsibility.

 

[blazeno.8]

Could you be more precise what you mean by "regulation"? Are you talking about regulation on the customer's end or regulation on the surgeon's end? I mean, you don't want some hack job going at your face and giving you sound "medical" advice in order to augment their paycheck. But even then, you find stuff like that happening in regulated fields like dentistry.

 

[MAC_Whore]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArielleMonai Hello All, I had a question to pose to you guys and I wanted to get my fellow Specktrites opinion on something. Now we all love cosmetics here for the obvious artistic release and immediate gratification when we need to look our best but where do you draw the line? Cosmetic Surgery? Make-up? Do we really need Cosmetic surgery to be available to anyone who wants it or do we need reserve it for those truly derserving? And what message are we sending to the kids about how one should look? Sound off!.....

Always an interesting and thought provoking question. I might first point out that the photos posted were all examples of the worst of plastic surgery, therefore putting a decidedly negative spin on the question. The picture comparing the woman to the cat is just mean.

Additionally, the term "deserving" is relative. What would qualify someone as "deserving" and who would deem someone as "deserving"? A bit Third Reich-ish as a concept.

There are many different motivations and needs for plastic surgery: illness, accidents, birth defects, personal insecurities. I am sure that each is just as important to each individual. It isn't for me to judge. It is up to the individual to do what they feel is right for their body.

I have my personal guidelines for what I feel is appropriate for my body, but I would never presume to impose them on others. For me, I would never put anything artificial in my body, i.e. implants, etc. Then again, I realize it is all relative. I have never been in an accident, had breast cancer or suffered from insecurities in that area of my body. Were those situations different, I may change my POV.

That said, there are folks who do develop unhealthy addictions towards plastic surgery in the pursuit of eternal youth and plasticized perfection. In that case, the operating doctor should be intervening. All cosmetic surgeries should involve a medical and psychological examination, imo.

 

[BEA2LS]

i would never get plastic surgery (perhpas reconstructive if god forbid i need it). however i do not think it should be restricted and i think it should be someone's prefernce and choice to get it done.

 

[Lauren1981]

i put undecided because i am not in favor of for MYSELF right now but i believe it is a personal decision. one day i might want my boobs reduced. but right now, no.

 

[LiAnn]

Cosmetic surgery is a tool. Each potential user of the tool (in this case, both the doctors and the patients) needs to understand the proper uses and applications of the tool as much as possible.

More parents need to help foster self-confidence in their kids. Self-confidence is easy to build and bolster **if** you start young and stay consistent with the message. The result can be a person who still does have some self-destructive or self-defeating habits, but either has them to a less-damaging degree or has fewer of them. (Unfortunately, it's pretty easy to say "kids need to be taught to be more self-confident and comfortable in their own skin". *HOW* to teach that is the sticking point...)

I don't think it should be outlawed, banned, or regulated (from the standpoint of the government saying that a person can't have a purely-elective, purely-cosmetic rhinoplasty or a tummy tuck or a facelift.) There are other things, like food safety, that government does already regulate but doesn't always have sufficient resources to properly and thoroughly regulate.

So some folks (like Bruce Jenner) want a facelift to fight off gravity / turn back time - so what? Not how I'd choose to spend my money, but I didn't have to do so. So some women (like Pamela Anderson) want overly emphasized breast implants - that's their decision, it doesn't cause me material harm. (It also looks about as natural as a 5-year-old's paint-by-numbers version of Van Gogh's Starry Night; but the women who go under the knife for DD-and-larger cups don't exactly seem to be striving for the natural look.) If the root cause of some folks' love of plastic surgery is a lack of self confidence (as opposed to full-on body dysmorphic disorder), then perhaps raising kids to be more comfortable with who they are is the first step along the path.

 

[jenee.sum]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MAC_Whore The picture comparing the woman to the cat is just mean.

but that woman purposely got surgery to look more feline. so, i don't think it's mean to compare her to a cat....it's what she wanted to look like!

 

[MAC_Whore]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jenee.sum but that woman purposely got surgery to look more feline. so, i don't think it's mean to compare her to a cat....it's what she wanted to look like!

My bad. I was assuming that was a joke, because I said to myself, "What person in sound mind would do that to themselves." Well, now I know the answer to that. lol Good God.

 

[sweatpea559]

I agree with BEA2LS. Personally, I'm in favor of cosmetic surgeries only if it is corrective. When I say corrective I also include things like asymmetrical breasts, or breast reduction (as this has an impact on physical health rather than just appearance). However, I would never try to impose my opinions on another person. When it comes down to it it is the choice of the individual. Preferably people would just be natural.

 

[chocolategoddes]

These types of questions about plastic surgery are always interesting for me because I've made it known that I actually want to become a plastic surgeon.

I think of cosmetic surgery the same way I see makeup: it's an art that can be used to transform and enhance a person's appearance.

It's sad when it's abused because of one's insecurities. The field of cosmetic surgery is very lucritive and some surgeons don't know where to draw the line.... they're just doing their job and making their money.
Anyone with enough money can find a plastic surgeon anywhere and get whatever procedure they want done.
A lot of plastic surgeons will sit a client down if they are concerned with the client's reason for getting surgery or if they think the client is getting too much surgery.
At the end of the day, it's the client's body and it's his/her decision on how much they want to get done.

I also want to say that as much as I believe in loving what you were born with, cosmetic surgery can really enhance someone's beauty (just like makeup). We contour our faces to make our cheeks more prominent and to make our faces thinner, and yet when someone actually gets cheek implants or liposuction around the jaw and cheeks, it's kind of looked down upon.
Sure, the surgery is an extreme measure, but I really see no difference in the intention.
And look at Ashlee Simpson, for example. She looked fine before her nose job, but most people would agree that her newer nose suits her face better that her original nose. And it wasn't some generic Mchael Jackson nose job... it actually suited her face very well. Getting the rhinoplasty was a smart choice for Ashlee.

Geez, I told myself I wasn't going to write that much. Oh, well......

 

[Skin*Deep]

I think it is something everyone had a right to decide for themselves, people that have an unhealthy addiction to plastic surgery probably need therapy and not more surgery. that is the surgeon's job to screen patients
After two children I have had a tummy tuck and a breast lift. I have two beautiful little boys, but did not want to give up my bikini summers or favorite tank and jean combinations because I was a mother. After stretching to accomodate a 10 pound baby and breast feeding, crunches and pushups just weren't going to cut it. I'm definitely open to getting anything else that needs lifted in the future......although I have to admit I'm weary of getting any work done on my face....but I'll cross that bridge when i get there!!!