If done by a trained professional, it is alright to have cosmetic surgery to improve one's appearances. Agree or Disagree? Why or Why not? Base all responses on information from the Internet. If you're feeling especially creative, you can upload text and images.
Having cosmetic surgery to improve one’s appearance, under most circumstances, is not okay. While, cosmetic surgery might make someone look younger, skinnier, more beautiful and they might “feel” better about themselves it often does not fix the underlining reason why people want cosmetic surgery. If done for the wrong reasons cosmetic surgery only beautifies the physical body leaving the emotional and spiritual body neglected if done for the wrong reasons.
ReplyDeleteI found an article by Lauren Zander who talks the emotional dangers of cosmetic surgery. That rather than trying to keep up with the Jones people are trying to be the Jones’, that they are pushing the limits to be bigger and better than their neighbors. This quote from the article really stuck out for me, “While attention to living a nice life is important and can be rewarding as well as fun... but when attention to physical or material measures takes priority over the emotional and spiritual aspects of life, it becomes dangerous.” (http://www.handelgroup.com/articles/mask-plastic-surgery).
I think it is crucial that people find healthier ways to achieve happiness with themselves. Other avenues need to be taken into consideration before someone decides to have cosmetic surgery to improve their appearance.
It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are. ~e.e. cummings
Melanie,
ReplyDeleteThough I envy you quoting e.e. cummings, my favorite poet, I think you're missing an important point in your argument. That is that people who are goodlooking are treated differently than people who are homely, or who have a significant disfigurement. I read an article by Bobby Ryatt at
http://ezinearticles.com/?Disfigurement-And-Corrective-Cosmetic-Surgery-Facial-Disfigurement&id=398638
Mr. Ryatt focused on the horrible life experiences of children with disfigurement. Both children and adults can be very cruel to a child with a disfigurement, and this treatment can be devasting to the child. The disfigurement is not the child's fault- it could be caused by accident, disease, or birth defect, and cosmetic surgey could be a blessing for that child, allowing them to grow up emotionally healthy and happier than living with the disfigurement.
He's talking about extreme cases, but the same idea holds true for less extreme cases too. The hurt a child grown into an adult has experienced due to an overlarge nose, acne scars, unibrows, or other less appealing characteristics can have a very negative impact on the person's emotional well being.
I really wanted to quote dr. rey from(dr. 90210) but couldnt find anything worthwhile lol. I wasnt sure exactly what cosmetic surgery was defined as, so I did a little research. There are two areas for cosmetic surgery one being the reconstructive which is done to improve some scar, burn, disease, and etc. People aren splitting hairs from this. Elective surgery is where the grey area exists. Improving and enhancing ones appearancing that is not resconstructive. Just because one is phyically noticeable doesn't make it more right. Both when it comes down to it are pyschological enhancers. We condemn one condone the other even through they are mutually done for the same internal reasons.
ReplyDeleteCosmetic surgery generally includes:
■Reconstructive surgery. Reconstructive surgery is typically performed to improve a noticeable scar, skin condition, or malformed body part caused by injury, surgery, disease, or a birth defect. These conditions can have a strong impact on your day-to-day life, affecting social, employment, and recreational opportunities as well as your self-esteem.
■Elective cosmetic surgery. You may seek cosmetic surgery if you are unhappy with some aspect of your appearance, such as a large nose, small breasts, wrinkles, or “love handles.” These kinds of flaws don't bother everyone who has them—some people wouldn't consider them flaws at all—but, for some people, these things can affect self-image and confidence. Cosmetic surgery is one way to address them.
http://health.yahoo.com/cosmetic-overview/cosmetic-surgery-and-procedures/healthwise--aa64111.html
I agree with you that there is a time when cosmetic surgery is completely appropriate, you mentioned quiet a few of them in regards to children. The same can be said for a breast cancer survivor who is getting implants after a mastectomy or from a burn victim receiving skin grafts.
ReplyDeleteHowever, there is a HUGE gray area when it comes to elective cosmetic surgery, especially in young adults. As I was searching for information I came across an Oprah show called "Obsessed with Perfection." 28 years old Jenny has had 26 plastic surgeries! Her younger sister says that Jenny looks plastic and wishes she never had the surgeries, that she was prettier before the surgeries. Even with her many surgeries she is still very self conscious and wants to have even more things done!
Jenny isn't alone though. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, more than 333,000 adolescents 18 years of age or younger underwent plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures in 2005! That is an unbelievable number. Even more shocking are the numbers in the 2009 REPORT of the 2008 STATISTICS NATIONAL CLEARINGHOUSE of Plastic Surgery Statistics. In 2008, almost nine thousand 18 and 19 year olds had breast augmentation. The next set of statistics is even more staggering. Almost 82,000 thirteen to nineteen year olds (boys and girls) had major cosmetic surgery (liposuctions, nose job, chin, etc).
What are we teaching our youth? That cosmetic surgery can fix everything?
sources:
http://www.oprah.com/slideshow/oprahshow/oprahshow1_ss_20050208
http://www.plasticsurgery.org/Media/stats/2008-US-cosmetic-reconstructive-plastic-surgery-minimally-invasive-statistics.pdf
http://www.breastimplantinfo.org/news/teen_implants.html
~Melanie Gray
Cosmetic surgery is divided into two different categories, as French84 mentioned earlier. These categories are reconstructive and elective. While there might be a place for reconstructive, due to factors such as burns or serious accidents, elective surgeries should be avoided at all costs. People are becoming more vain about their appearance, choosing to have surgeries such as Botox, nose jobs, breast jobs, and (according to Miranda Hitti, author of “Cosmetic Surgery Up in U.S.” in WebMD Health News) liposuction. Liposuction was the most common elective cosmetic surgery in 2005, beating nose jobs by almost 30,000 surgeries. This is simply an excuse for people to not take care of themselves in the first place. Maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly is a cure for extra body fat, not liposuction.
ReplyDeletePeople are also not considering he risks that they are taking when having elective cosmetic surgery performed. They are going for major work rather than taking it one step at a time. In a video found on WebMD, Plastic Surgery Risks, Liz Skirving was on a cosmetic surgery reality television show and had 7 different procedures done in only 12 weeks. She had numerous infections and had to have a second round of surgery, and then a third to correct the things that had gone wrong in the first place. Some of the implants had migrated to other parts of her face, causing immense pain. People are willing to take great risk to make themselves feel better about their outer selves, when if they are having self-doubt and negative about themselves, they need to work on the inner person.
Sources:
http://www.webmd.com/video/plastic-surgery-risks
http://www.webmd.com/skin-beauty/guide/20061101/cosmetic-surgery-gaining-popularity
~Sarah Haglund
I haven't forgotten this discussion, but rather I've been thinking and perusing articles.Here's an essay by a teen that speaks a good point:
ReplyDeletehttp://find.galegroup.com/ovrc/infomark.do?&contentSet=GSRC&type=retrieve&tabID=T010&prodId=OVRC&docId=EJ3010304202&source=gale&userGroupName=trav24567&version=1.0
Marianne, the author, speaks of the need for kids to learn a good self image- We brush our hair, stay clean, shave, or whatever- all this shows we care about ourselves and how we present ourselves. Cosmetic surgery, she says, can be an extension of that idea. She also warns, and I agree, the reasons for elective surgery need to be a healthy personal choice- not to do it for others and not to do it for neurotic reasons.
I disagree with anyone who says people only have elective cosmetic surgery because they have low self-esteem or some other negative issue. Don't people have a right to improve themselves as they see fit?
We need to be careful of judging- How many of those who say cosmetic surgery is only done for unhealthy reasons had braces (often not necessary for health) or pierced ears (never necessary for health, and always a disfiguring action to the human body)? How about other body parts piercing and tatoos?
Just two cents.
Patrick G.