Why is plastic surgery so frowned upon? - Page 3

sweetrebel · May 24th, 2006, 02:11 PM

IMO I think PS is fine. If I had the money, there are several procedure that I would LOVE to have done.
I think it is when someone chages the entire way they look that people start to talk...IMO everything can be tastefully done...

lovely bones · May 27th, 2006, 07:42 PM

Not an *opinion* - just a perspective:

The stigma attached to plastic surgery is one of vanity and self-indulgence -plastic surgery gets its name because it's just that - "plastic."

There are in many cases very real medical reasons necessitating "reconstructive" or "cosmetic" surgery - to correct cleft palates / hare lips, club feet, breast reductions, etc. I may have missed it in this thread, but that may be a key "semantic" distinction we're discussing.

Grimmlok · May 27th, 2006, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Why is plastic surgery so frowned upon?

NawdleZouss · May 28th, 2006, 12:39 AM

I am vehemently against cosmetic plastic surgery. It represents everything I hate about modern society. Superficiality, misogyny, herd mentality.

Assuming that the majority of cosmetic plastic surgeries are done to better resemble the modern perceptions of beauty, which seems accurate to say, then first off, you're letting other people define beauty. No one is born thinking "large" noses or "small" breasts are ugly. You're letting other people set personal standards for you. You're letting other people change you. So in a way, that just encourages the practice of judging people based solely on their appearance.

Second, it seems to be a symptom of someone very insecure. To put themselves through a dramatic and unnecesary physical change, risk their health and possibly their lives to live up to some plastic ideal? To let other people's opinions affect them so deeply as to go through all of that? Seen like that, does it seem like something an emotionally balanced person would do?

And third, basically what Melzawelza said. Their shouldn't be this kind of standard for beauty in the first place, and by having cosmetic plastic surgery, you're just ensuring it'll last; thus leading to more stigma for women and girls who don't fit the ideal. To me, that's irresponsible.

Bottom line, for me is that you're born unique and beautiful. Other people may find that ugly; it's their right to do so. But they don't matter. You matter. Why so something so damaging to yourself instead of just learning to stand up to the hurtful comments and tell them to go fuck themselves right in the ear?

I consider myself a very rational person, but I base all of this from the fact that I didn't use to be. Until recently, I was very, very unhappy with the way I looked. But when I got my act together, one of the things I noticed was that I shouldn't have been. I'm no beauty. My breasts are much too big for my tiny frame, I'm overweight, my nose is too wide from my otherwise nonremarkable face, and a million other asinine little flaws, products of social conditioning. But if they're a part of me, I'm going to deal with them. I'm going to make the most of them and love them, because being "beautiful" or not, is just not important. There are so many more important things that I can do with my time than obsess over my looks. Just the way someone's race, gender or orientation shouldn't be considered wrong, or be a factor in judging someone, or a matter of deep personal concern, your looks shouldn't be.

[/rant]

Jaded · May 28th, 2006, 07:50 AM

Its a personal choice. But the reason i dont like it is because of how it makes people who cant afford it, and young girls feel like they're un-beautiful because they dont have perfect tits or perfect tummy or perfect whatever! Natural can be beautiful too.

dragonlady · May 28th, 2006, 11:20 AM

Personally, I think my nose is too bulbous, but it has nothing to do with anything that someone else told me. If I got surgery on it (which I hope to), I wouldn't even go for some sort of teeny-tiny, Hollywood nose, because it wouldn't look right on me, so I'm not trying to fit into a standard of beauty, I'm just trying to achieve a look that best compliments the rest of my features, based on my own observation over the years. I have other features that would not fit into an "ideal" standard of beauty, but even if someone were to tell me that they sucked and were ugly, it wouldn't change my opinion because I don't think they're bad features. So I think it's possible to see something about yourself that you don't like and want to change it, without getting the idea because of what someone else says. If a woman thinks she looks better with red hair rather than blonde, it might not be because people were laughing at her for having blonde hair rather than red. Now I do understand that there's a difference between dying hair and plastic surgery, but my point is that I'm not letting others set standards for me. If I had 1000 people come up to me and tell me my nose was perfect, I would still want to change it because its not what I want.

lalala · May 28th, 2006, 11:28 AM

To be fair I'm sure the Plastics would frown at the Naturals too if they could move their brows

Raspberry gashes · May 30th, 2006, 04:35 AM

Theres nothing wrong with it, and it's no one's business if an individual decides to have it.

Beeyotch · May 30th, 2006, 07:23 AM

I liked your rant, NawdleZouss. I agree with you and Jaded.

I think people don't even have to say anything for you to feel inferior. Just looking at the standard of beauty promoted in magazines, TV and movies will get that across to any little girl, and boys too. Then it's so insidious because you don't even realize that you might not feel you had imperfections if you didn't have constant reminders of some beauty ideal that you're not. You might feel pretty good or not give a second thought to your looks if you didn't have supermodels or movie stars staring everyone down at the supermarket, setting an impossible standard of looking a certain way.

I know that as a little girl, that's how it worked for me. I would see a model or actress with a certain body shape, eye and skin color, and I'd think, "That's beautiful. But I look nothing like that. I must not be beautiful." Which is illogical, but you'd be surprised how much that kind of thinking gets internalized anyway.

So I'm not all that much for PS, but I feel a little out of line for judging someone if it makes them feel a little better (and it's within reason). Still wish that wasn't so dependent on looks, though.

NawdleZouss · May 30th, 2006, 08:41 PM

Yay me!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beeyotch

I think people don't even have to say anything for you to feel inferior. Just looking at the standard of beauty promoted in magazines, TV and movies will get that across to any little girl, and boys too.

Very true.

drdisaia · May 31st, 2006, 09:44 PM

Some people frown upon all unneeded surgery. Cosmetic surgery is the ultimate in unneeded surgery particularly if the outcome seems freakish. This is philosophy on the most basic level.

In looking at pics of celebrities it can often be hard to tell what changes are due to aging and what might be from surgery. It is entertainment to discuss it or at least that is the way it seems to me.

misty nichole · June 4th, 2006, 07:14 PM

I think on one hand it is an individual's choice whether they do this or not, and it is really no one elses concern BUT that being said, it seems to be awfully shallow and full of vanity, in that there are people the world over needing Necessary (vital, to live) surgery......I think it speaks volumes about the shallowness of our values and concepts, that is such a prevalent thing.

Pandora · June 29th, 2006, 05:20 PM

I'm all for natural. I think plastic surgery is an unecessary risk taken. Surgeries should be done only when health or reconstruction issues are on the line, IMO. Besides, it's rare that a plastic surgery actually makes one look good.

Although I do respect the fact that some people actually feel better having the procedure done (like one of my best friends: she had a nose job, it looks great and natural and she's happy). In my case, I just wouldn't do it. I'm pretty happy with the way I look (I'm not perfect, but I learned to accept myself the way that I am), and in the future I wanna be my age looking just my age instead of my age + plastic surgery.

SVZ · June 29th, 2006, 07:05 PM

Quote:

it's rare that a plastic surgery actually makes one look good.

not true...the majority of plastic surgery is good, especially now-a-days since most surgeons have moved away from the cookie cutter stuff.

we only notice plastic surgery when it's bad. because good plastic surgery is completely natural.

Pandora · June 30th, 2006, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SVZ

not true...the majority of plastic surgery is good, especially now-a-days since most surgeons have moved away from the cookie cutter stuff.

we only notice plastic surgery when it's bad. because good plastic surgery is completely natural.

Still don't agree. Like boob jobs: I've never seen one look good. Nose jobs? Only two, and most can be spotted by a huge distance.

So I can say good plastic surgery is rare, even when you're in the land of "good" plastic surgery.