In Defense of Plastic Surgery

We all know that one way to lose weight is to simply have the fat sucked out of us.   That loose roll of fat on your tummy can disappear instantly with a tummy tuck, and those lines on your face can be erased with an injection.   Think your boobs are too big or too small?   Well, you can easily change that as well.

I've never gone under the knife for cosmetic purposes, but I will admit to having cosmetic procedures--including a laser procedure to erase some of the scarring on my face due to acne.   I'll also admit to having "liposuction fantasies" to deal with those stubborn pockets of fat on my belly, hips and thighs.

But I've always viewed full blown cosmetic surgery or liposuction with some suspicion.   I've also never had any "injectables" to fill in my wrinkles, or Botox to paralyze my face. 

For one thing, I've always been concerned about the possible medical consequences of these kinds of procedures.

However, the artificiality of having lipo, etc., has always been a bigger hurdle for me to get over.   Once you go in for liposuction, a tummy tuck or a boob job, you become less then real.  

In our society women with boob jobs tend to be mocked by those who haven't undergone the procedure and on TV and in movies.    And, how about all those liposuction and Botox jokes?

So I found this article rather interesting.   The author, an academic, asks why cosmetic surgery should be viewed any differently then, say, plucking one's eyebrows or putting on make-up.   Here's what the author has to say:

Even though cosmetic surgery has grown to become a multi billion-dollar industry, it is looked at with some suspicion. Many feel that there is something superficial and, perhaps, slightly desperate about undergoing surgery for aesthetic reasons. In academia, at least, although a hair transplant and a teeth bleaching might pass, chances are that a breast enlargement would raise eyebrows.

It is not be unlikely, however, that the eyebrows in question would be both plucked and colored—for we already do quite a bit to enhance our looks. We work out, try to dress well, shave, and go to the hairdresser. We make sure we get tanned during summer. Some of us are on a diet, wear make up, or dye our hair.

I have got to admit that I never thought of it that way.  I do, after all, wear make-up, have my eyebrows waxed (otherwise I can do a good Frida Kahlo imitation), and my once monthly hair dying appointment is sacred. 

So why do I wince at the idea of finally booking that liposuction session?   After all, as the author points out, cosmetic surgery patients tend to be quite happy with their results, and it's not like I'm not already engaging in activities to artificially enhance my looks.  

As the author notes, beauty may only be skin deep, but looking good scores you points in society.   So why not look the best you can be even if it means undergoing the knife? 

I'm not saying that I definitely will now book a session to slenderize my thighs at a local plastic surgeon, but my inherent reluctance to do so is something to ponder.