Benefits of Plastic Surgery

This is the perfect counter-argument article that addresses the issues I have already discussed in this blog, but presents them in a completely different light. This article encourages people to have cosmetic procedures performed to sculpt the body, and make it appear more natural. There are also emotional benefits to having surgery done as well; people will now feel more comfortable with their bodies and have greater self esteem. Apparently it makes them more outgoing and improves their quality of life forever... okay, but why can't it be done a more natural way? Anybody ever hear of diet and exercise? Diet and exercise should be a part of someones daily life anyways, so that they remain healthy. It will be much more beneficial in the long run than just giving into the quick fix of plastic surgery. 

The article also addresses skin damage due to aging and sun exposure. There is an obvious answer to this as well...sun screen! Also, what is so bad about aging gracefully? Why would you want to get all of that work done in your old age, have to pay for it and suffer through a painful recovery? It just doesn't make sense to me.

"The first thing that many people notice after plastic surgery is that their bodies seem more proportional or balanced. Often a nose may appear too large for a particular person's face, or a bust that is too large or too small can blur all an individuals other features making them seem disproportionate."

You are born with certain features because of genetics: genes from your parents get passed on to you. What you got is because of a combination of your parents, so in a way is is not a slap in the face to them for passing on their traits to you, if you go and have them changed because you don't like them? I'm sorry but I got stuck with a weird nose, but I like it because it is part of who I am, and who my parents are. 

Plastic Surgery Addiction

This source chronicles the lives, and downfalls of some well-known people that have become addicted to plastic surgery. Some of the images presented are very graphic, and just a little scary. Some of the people presented on this website literally look like human Barbie dolls. Surprisingly, there is even a man who is said to be "the living Ken doll", complimenting the human Barbie. Another woman on the site has changed and re-constructed her entire face so many times just to keep her husband. I'm sorry but if any person makes you feel so bad about yourself, that you have to go and literally get a new face then I'm not sure if they really love you. Finally, and possibly the most interesting is Orlan; she is a french woman who uses her body as a form of art. She continuously gets procedures done to change her body, and make it different to mold to whatever form she wishes to represent. This is taking things way too far. I plan on using this source and examples from the lives of these troubled individuals to express the severity, and extreme possibility of becoming addicted to plastic surgery. 

"Doctor Make Me Beautiful!"

 Doctor Make Me Beautiful! is a novel-like piece that interacts directly with the reader. This source will be very useful for my paper in that it brings up the topic of employment and appearance. According to the text, " The older person who retains a youthful aspect has a better chance of getting, keeping, and advancing in employment-instead of being shunted aside for looking 'too old." Man and women of all ages are going out and having work done to make themselves appear younger, simply because they are afraid to lose their jobs to a younger, more attractive hot-shot. Society is very unforgiving to the unattractive, which is very unfair. 

There is also one specific quote I really like in this book, and it is actually more on the positive side; "It is increasingly apparent that even more important than how others see you is how you see yourself both in the mirror and in your mind's eye." How very true, if only people would actually listen to it. Generally speaking, people are naturally uncomfortable with their bodies, and advertisements and other forms of media presentation do not help the matter. They only increase the chances of self-criticism and dislike. 

Reconstructive and Reparative Surgery

This source will primarily be used to present the necessity of reconstructive surgery. Deformities, or accidents such as these can be corrected with plastic surgery. The debate continues though; should reconstructive surgery be classified alongside aesthetic plastic surgery? Reconstructive surgery is performed on patients with severe problems, including cleft palates, facial deformities, and finder re-attachment. Above are photos of such deformities. It is extremely sad that people like this are faced with these horrible challenges in life; they have to deal with the deformity, face the decision of whether or not to correct the deformity, and then if they choose to have the procedure done they have to pay for it, and ultimately recover. Cosmetic procedures are extremely costly, thankfully there are some doctors and programs that offer pro-bono surgeries where patients don't have to pay for the surgery. I definitely agree with this form of plastic surgery. It is helping people, and correcting major problems in peoples lives. 

Reconstructive surgery is about much more than fixing imperfections, it is improving the quality of life of the patient. There are so many different areas to reconstructive surgery; plastic surgery is a very small section, there is also orthopedic surgery, oral surgery, gynecological surgery, and general surgery. All of these doctors are able to perform some form of cosmetic/reconstructive surgery.

Medicine as Culture

Medicine and Culture: Illness, Disease, and the Body in Western Societies is a book by Deborah Lupton, and despite the fact that it is primarily about illness and disease, there is some helpful information and offers insight into medical perspectives and society.

The section on functionalism is the most important because it talks about conformity, and I think that is a definite aid in the choosing or not choosing to have cosmetic procedures performed. The functionalist view sees social relationships as being preserved by people acting in certain ways defined by society. In other words, everyone has a specific role that they play, and they are expected to adhere to it. Functionalists also see disease and illness as a form of social deviance; you are no longer following the rules, and it must be fixed. This argument applies to people born with deformities; they are seen as different and more often than not become social outcasts because they have not conformed with societies perfect image. Cosmetic surgery is the answer to their prayers in a sense. They don't want to be different or singled out as strange; they want to blend in with the crowd and be just like everybody else. 

Plastic Surgery's Allure Cuts Both Ways

Let me just start off by saying that this is my favorite article that I have discovered so far in my plastic surgery blog. I think it discusses many crucial points and can be very useful in my argument.

This second article from Washington Post is about the tragic death of Donda West, mother of Kanye West, world renowned hip-hop artist. However, there is a deeper, underlying message behind this story; this article expresses the media viewpoint on cosmetic surgery, and it is so true. The Post makes a great point by saying that since Donda West passed away due to complications during a tummy tuck, she was uncomfortable with aging gracefully, and lose weight the normal way by exercising. So was she really narcissistic and selfish like the public is making her out to be? Is it really fair to encourage people to adopt the perfectionist attitude towards self appearance, and then criticize them for choosing cosmetic surgery as their means for making themselves fit the old of society? This is yet another area of duplicity, a double standard if you will; people are generally only accepted into society if they look "good." We are constantly encouraged to change our bodies, and keep up with the trends to be more appealing to the eye. We are all expected to look like celebrities, many of which are spokespeople for cosmetic surgery. However, if we decide to take that route in life we are put down and criticized for not doing it the "natural way." This does not mean I am condoning plastic surgery

at all, I am just making a point as to the way society and the media pressures everyone into being perfect. Perfection is unattainable. No one is or ever will be perfect. We should all stop caring so much about what other people think and be content with what we are given...our bodies work for us, and we shouldn't change them for such purposes.

The article also brings up another good point; Does race have anything to do with plastic surgery? According to statistics in the Post it does. "Of the 11.5 million cosmetic surgery procedures performed last year on men and women, only 6 percent of the patients were African American, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. Black women are less likely than whites to compare themselves with the Hollywood, fashion magazine, air-brushed standard of beauty." I find this very interesting...first of all 11.5 million surgeries, WOW! And only 6% of which were African American... it seems rather stereotypical because obviously African American women are known to be more curvy and such, but I think it is a great thing that they don't try to identify so much with stick figures...this is the kind of trend people should be following!

Little Evidence Silicone Breast Implants Harm Health

Do silicone breast implants increase the chances of women having cancer? According to a news article in the Washington Post they do, but the evidence to prove this is minimal. A group of researchers at the Vanderbilt University Medical  Center in Tennessee and at the International Epidemiology Institute in Maryland, evaluated the risk of cancer in women with implants and concluded that there is an increase in the chance of developing any type of cancer (not only breast cancer). Researchers also dispelled any belief that breast implants are not linked to neurological diseases, or connective tissue diseases such as lupus, and multiple sclerosis. They also negated the belief that children born to mothers with silicone implants have a higher risk of birth defects or other future health problems. However, I think that the most interesting part of this article is that fact that these researchers are now focusing all future research on whether or not this form of cosmetic surgery increases the chance of suicide. Suicide. That is a pretty scary statistic if you ask me. 

I think this is a great source to use because, first of all I believe that the Washington Post is a very credible source. Topics expressed in the Post are usually one's that are worth reading about, and are important to society (in my opinion). Secondly, i believe this article raises awareness to a very important issue. I know a lot of people think that the world is becoming paranoid with cancer, and somehow everything gives us cancer nowadays, but this is different. Also, increased suicide rates...this is like a double whammy, two issues to be concerned about now...plastic surgery AND suicide. 

Plastic Disasters

Plastic Disasters is an HBO original, that follows three different people as they cope with their horrible plastic surgery results. The first woman, Lucille has undergone two face lifts, collagen injections and a nose job. Her surgeon performed these surgeries too close together and now she is dealing with breathing problems, and extremely saggy skin that makes her appear much older than she really is. The second patient is an older woman named Mona. Mona received a punctured bowel from a liposuction procedure, which led to many other injuries and eventually both of her legs had to be amputated. Finally there is Tony who had a nasal reconstructive surgery to make him look younger, and since has permanently damaged his nasal bones and has had additional, (unsuccessful) surgeries to correct the problem.

This source provides excellent insight into the life of a plastic surgery patient. It is quite heartbreaking to see how much these people have suffered; they already felt bad enough about themselves to get procedures done, and now they have to deal with horrible consequences. This documentary also introduces the history of plastic surgery, and how it evolved out of necessity. Surgeons began performing surgeries for people who suffered horrible disfigurements, and then people became more and more dependent on it to fix their minor imperfections. Now it has turned into an obsession, and is becoming more out of control.

Plastic Surgery Statistics of 2006

Teenage Obsession

Teens all over the world are obsessing over plastic surgery. Most teens are even considering cosmetic procedures because their parents are...Bingo! Adolescents are extremely likely to follow in the footsteps of their parents, and when little girls hear mommy talking about her recent collagen injections, or breast augmentation, they take notice. Also according to Faze Teen, "the media has also done a good job of making people aware of the procedures available. Another reason is acceptability. In a way, plastic surgery has come out of the closet." Plastic surgery is more acceptable now than ever before. Don't get me wrong, it is not a bad thing it is not a bad thing to discuss one's body and its functions, but it is quite another to have the desire to completely change it...and for parents to be okay with that. Technically when children turn eighteen, they no longer need parental consent for procedures and such, but I think that parents should still take a very active interest in their children, and continue to look out for their well being even though they are "of age." 

The media is an obvious outlet to promote and advertise cosmetic surgery. Magazines and movie stars have a tendency of making people feel bad about their bodies and become extremely self critical. Television shows such as Nip Tuck openly and blatantly show that people should be critical of their bodies, and almost promote examining one's self in such a negative light. 

Faze Teen shows a multitude of opinions from young people who are outspoken about the subject: 

"People should just stop caring so much about everybody else’s opinion. Yours is the only one that matters." - Carrie, 17

"If you’re doing it because of what other people think, then it’s wrong." - Mike, 15

"You should be able to do whatever you want to your body, and no one should judge you." - Susan, 16

I think that all of these people make very good points and all are correct in a sense. Why do we care so much about what other people think of us? We should love the bodies that we were given and just accept them for what they are and what they can and can't do. However people, more specifically adolescents, tend to think too much about the opinions of their peers, and therefore want to change themselves to "fit in" or go with a trend. That is where the argument of "you should be able to do whatever you want to your body" comes in. However this argument can be applied to so many other issues, which we will not get into at this time. I am honestly torn between these two points: People should be allowed to do whatever they want to their bodies, if I disagreed with that than that would be hypocritical seeing as I have body piercings, and would consider getting a tattoo...is it the same thing? I honestly don't know if plastic surgery should be classified alongside tattoos and piercings. Surgery is taking things a bit too far, most piercings can be removed and allowed to close up, and tattoos can be lasered or temporary. This is a very difficult subject to form a clear opinion on!

Overview

Today I was surfing the Internet and I came across an advertisement for plastic surgery; "$99 gets you started. No one is turned down. Create a new you!" Apparently my body is worth only $99. My name is Ashley and I am creating this blog to address the issue of plastic surgery in American society (it is also for my English class, so I'm killing two birds with one stone). I will address both the positive and negative effects of cosmetic work and discuss the differing views of aesthetic versus reconstructive operations.

*Just for background information, and for those who don't know, reconstructive procedures are performed to correct functional impairments that are caused by accidents such as burns, fractures, cancers, or birth defects. Cosmetic surgery is strictly aesthetic, and is not for any of the above reasons.*

Going to high school in Scottsdale Arizona, I was surrounded by people who were enamored of their looks. I knew people (specifically and stereotypically girls) my freshman year who were getting nose jobs, and talking about receiving breast implants as a Christmas or birthday gift prom their parents. A very close friend of mine got a nose job as a graduation present because she was unhappy with the way it was shaped. Is this enough to justify permanently changing your body?

There are so many factors that influence both younger and older generations to look badly upon their bodies and want to change them. Television shows such as Nip Tuck and Dr. 90210 are constantly making people self-analyze, and very rarely in a good way. What are the leading stories in most magazines about? Weight loss, and how to get a "quick fix" to make yourself look better.

There is always the chance of having a "botched surgery", should men and women risk the only body they have to look more physically attractive? In this blog, I will address these concerns as more as I further analyze the world of plastic surgery!