What do you think of when you hear these two words: plastic surgery? There are many negative and positive connotations associated with the idea of plastic surgery. Does it mean a woman has low self-esteem? Does it mean she’s ungrateful for the body she was born with? Is she trying to get attention from men by changing her appearance to be more attractive to the average male? Or is she just a spoiled mean girl who has to have the best of the best?
While there are many reasons for getting plastic surgery, it does not necessarily mean a woman hates herself or her body. Typically generalized as the pursuit of perfection, sometimes plastic surgery is a necessity and not a luxury. Take for example a person who is involved in an unfortunate accident and needs plastic surgery to help them have a “normal” appearance without disfigurement. Burns, car accidents, breast cancer and more can create the necessity for plastic surgery without incurring the same judgmental opinions from others who opt in for the procedure merely because they can.
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hat about women who have no obvious physical oddities yet consider going under the knife in pursuit of perfection? Depending on the circle of women you find yourself surrounded with, the pressure to go under the knife may inspire you to seek a consultation. Especially if the women around you have had several tucks and lifts of their own and constantly discuss how much better it made them feel, you may end up placing your self-confidence in the hands of a surgeon.
On the other hand going to a consultation for plastic surgery will likely cause your self-esteem to plummet. If you watch Sex in the City you’ve probably seen the episode where Samantha goes to a cosmetic consultation. Although the doctor spends time addressing the problem areas Samantha brought up, he also goes a step further and explains all the additional surgeries she could get for her face and body to become the perfect woman.
Listening to someone critique and criticize your unique body is never a good way to build confidence and will leave you feeling much worse about yourself. Plus cosmetic surgery costs thousands and thousands of dollars, a financial burden the average woman could cover by taking out a loan and causing undue financial stress. Perfection is not a necessity nor is chasing down the latest in cosmetic surgery.
At the end of the day we were created to be uniquely ourselves and different from each other. If someone wants us to change our appearance to fit in with so called beauty standards, there is absolutely no need to comply. After all, who made them the authority on beauty in the world? The best thing about being different is that you attract different people, you stand out in a positive way and there is no one else like you in the world. In the words of Dr. Seuss:
“Why fit in when you were born to stand out”
Next time you’re considering going under the knife, do what Samantha did and walk away. You’re amazing just the way you are.
photo credit: pollas and Digi_shot
