In a world where there is such a huge pressure on people to look perfect all of the time, we have to question the role of cosmetic surgery. Rather than seeing it as the perfect solution or a negative choice, it should be considered from the perspective of the person that wants to undergo surgery and their motivation for doing so. As a man who seriously considered elective cosmetic surgery I feel qualified to consider my own psychology and motivations.
My Story
It was a few years ago that I realised my face was not perfectly symmetrical and, to be honest, I was shocked that I had never noticed it before. The realisation that I was even further away from looking as good as my favourite social media influencer only made me feel worse, and I gave up hope of ever looking acceptable to others.
The good news is that after I had taken the time to consider the realities of what I was facing, I realised that my slightly wonky face was alright after all – it was who I was, and the fact remains that no one has ever noticed it apart from me! Sadly, there are many other people in the world with a similar story who have gone on to be swayed by the millions of perfectly edited photos out there, leaving them feeling that cosmetic surgery is the only option. In fact, there is clear evidence that shows a significant increase in cosmetic surgery since social media has become more obsessed with the perfect looks.
People, all over the world are being led to believe that the cropped and edited pictures they see online and in print media are what they should be striving for. Sadly, they soon realise that this goal is unattainable for them and feel it is because they are innately flawed rather than the fact that they are comparing themselves to a false ideal.
What Is Cosmetic Surgery?
One thing that really stuck out to me was the difference between cosmetic surgery and plastic surgery. So many people have come to see these as much of the same, but the reality is something much different.
Cosmetic surgery is all about how we look and how we can change ourselves to look more aesthetically pleasing or more like the influencers we obsess over. This is the type of surgery I was led to believe that I should consider when I first realised that my face was not perfectly symmetrical.
Plastic surgery is a treatment for people who are born with specific disorders or who have experienced trauma, suffered burns or lived through a disease that changed their appearance.
When you start to consider the difference between the ethos of both types of surgeries you begin to realise that chin implants, butt implants, nose jobs and Botox jabs are done more for those of us who are completely insecure about how we look.
Media Pressure
We are we all influenced by social media but wider media also gives us unrealistic ideas of what folk should look like in order to be socially successful. Add to that, the need for all of us to look eternally young in a competitive work environment and the pressure really starts to build up.
The other concern that came up for me was the fact that people are led to believe that to be confident, they need to look a certain way – good looks equal confidence. This normalisation of placing a person’s worth on their outer appearance comes directly from the idea that it is our job to look good for the potential partners and the cosmetic industry is happy to continue this conditioning as it makes them lots of money every single year!
The Big Celebrity Sales Pitch
There are many famous celebrities who have undergone dramatic changes in a bid to cover up their own battles with insecurities. Interestingly, many of these celebrities have gone on to sell their own brand of make-up, or cosmetic product that they claim has helped them to gain the confidence they are lacking. These messages are the beginnings to new fashion crazes and result in so of us believing that if we are ever to be successful/loved/happy; then we must invest in the products and tips from these famous people.
What About Our Right to Express Ourselves?
A lot of people who advocate for cosmetic procedures say they do it because they have the right to express themselves how they want to and that they find taking control of their looks empowering and liberating. Many people who go under the knife strive to keep it a secret from others because they want to look as natural as possible even after their surgeries are completed. However, the question still remains ‘why did they feel that they needed to change in the first place if they were not influenced by the world around them?’.
How Are We Vetting Potential Candidates?
One thing that concerned me the most when I was considering surgery was the lack of proper assessment of a patient’s mental health. Yes, there are consultations where you get to discuss what you want to change and why you don’t like the way you currently look but not one clinic that I found suggested an in-depth assessment where your reasons for surgery were analysed.
This is a scary concept when you stop to consider it; we are letting people make permanent changes to their physical appearance without even considering whether they are in the right place to make those decisions. This means that many people who go under the knife could be there for the wrong reasons such as body dysmorphia, and may end up traumatised by what they have done to their own bodies.
There must be more effective and stringent measures in place to help people who want to make changes analyse their decisions fully so that they do not later come to regret the decisions they have made.
How My Story Ended
After I had taken the time to really consider whether I needed to change my face or not I decided that I needed to spend less time staring at photos of myself and celebrities, comparing every tiny detail. I also needed to realise that there is no quick fix when it comes to improving confidence and self-worth.
These days I have come to a considered acceptance; I recognise that there is no one else like me out there and have worked to embrace this, wonky face included. The next time you look in the mirror, take some time to appreciate what it is that makes you unique and stop worrying about how people see you; the only opinion of you that counts is the one you have of yourself.
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References:
- American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6604085/
- https://www.apa.org/monitor/2017/06/beauty
- https://bdd.iocdf.org/expert-opinions/cosmetic-treatments-and-bdd/
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