The Pros and Cons of Cosmetic Surgery

Introduction

The pros and cons of plastic surgery have entirely to do with the context in which the operation is being done, and the gateway to this context is the doctor. Thus, if a doctor is ethical they will be able to adequately discourage those who have too great a risk in their desired procedure, or a warped psychological motivation. However, if a doctor is unethical they may put people’s lives at risk in order to profit from procedures which are unnecessary or dangerous. It is most alarming that in the industry of plastic surgery not much research has been done on what works, what does not, and the rates of corruption. Therefore, the best choice for anyone considering plastic surgery is extensive study of what has been done, the options, the risks, and consulting with multiple doctors. 

Begin with Benefits

The best case scenario for the use of plastic surgery is to improve a person’s health. A common instance of this use is breast reduction for women whose breasts are too large for their frame, and create excruciating back pain. Also, a “nose job can potentially reduce sinus infections, and the removal of breast tissue in men can lower the risk of cancer in that tissue. These are just a few of the health problems that can be alleviated through cosmetic surgery” (Colia). Some doctors claim that removing skin around the forehead and eyes can relive chronic headaches and eye strain. However, the trends in plastic surgery appear to have less of a focus on physical health, and more on mental health. 

Doctors who are ethical attempt to perform plastic surgery on people of normal psychological perception, understanding that people who have warped self-perception could use the surgery to harm themselves. Thus, when done on the right people, one of the biggest benefits of plastic surgery is increased confidence (Rappaport). America’s culture is fantastically competitive, especially for women, and the social pressure to conform to ideal standards of beauty can be deafening. This pressure appears to increase the more one’s socio-economic status does, and therefore plastic surgery is mostly the prevue of the wealthy.

For those who are seeking greater self-confidence through manifesting physical ideals, plastic surgery is an option. For, when you look good, you feel good. Improvements to appearance naturally translate to increased self-confidence for most people, which means a greater willingness to try new things or open up in social situations. You may also be willing to wear certain types of clothing or participate in activities you tended to avoid before your surgery, due to your discomfort with your appearance. (Rappaport)

Another benefit to plastic surgery is reported increases in physical health related to mental perception. For example, those who have liposuction and body sculpting are often able to keep weight off better, perhaps due to the change in the structure of their bodies, or perhaps due to increased metabolism due to being happier with their bodies (Rappaport). 

However, some of the benefits of plastic surgery are also negative reflections on the culture in which they exist. For instance, some studies show that a good amount of people who undergo “cosmetic surgery and have a boost in confidence also have better relationships with their partners and with others. Most believe that it is because they aren’t so worried about how people will see them and feel less judged” (Occupy Theory). While this may benefit the individual in the short run, it is a sad case that people are more valued if they are externally pleasing.

This is also the case with the benefit of plastic surgery that in many cases around the world men and women (though more so women still) are more likely to be promoted or keep a job if they have beauty enhancing surgery. In fact, this has become such a guarantee in South Korea that it has become the plastic surgery capital of the world. Even more than the desire to get a job, or the fear of losing it to perfected women

Since so many people have given into this pressure it has raised the beauty norm in the country to the point where it is an open currency. One South Korean, 19 year old Woori, confessed that when she “saw pictures of my face, I felt a lot of stress…But the real problem was my nose. Everyone, even people who had just met me, always told me how big it was. They said my nose covered my entire face” (Strother). Even while still developing the pressure is there, and Woori spent $3,500 to change her face. As a result, Woori says her new look has not only made her more popular with the boys, but it’s also helped her professionally. ‘Koreans are obsessed with how we look,’ she says. ‘Before my surgery, if I had 10 job interviews, I wouldn’t get any calls back. But now, I get a lot of calls.’ (Strother)

This is unfortunate, and happening more and more around the world, which leads to the cons. 

The Warping of Cultural Norms

There are many cons to plastic surgery, such as death, infection, and the complications from multiple surgeries. A study in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, “examined 1.1 million outpatient cosmetic surgery procedures, and found that 23 patients died (a rate of two deaths per 100,000 procedures)” (Rab). However, one of the most damaging aspects of plastic surgery may be the South Korean case of embracing an unreachable ideal in which women are pressured to participate if they want to succeed. Advocate of holistic body perspectives after having struggled with eating disorders, Lady Gaga, commented, “I have never had plastic surgery, and there are many pop singers who have. I think that promoting insecurity in the form of plastic surgery is infinitely more harmful than an artistic expression related to body modification” (Gonzales). She hit the nail on the head, and such pressurization of the external could only lead to further complications to the psychological and physical health of the populace which are already strongly observed. currently, the rates of childhood eating disorders, mental health issues, violence, and obesity are higher in America than they have ever been before. The pressure for conformity via and advertising must play a role in this. While adults have completely accepted that media representations are entirely and unrealistically skewed by Photoshop, many youths are still receiving the message that these images are the new norm. However, this does not appear to be the case for normal older women, who are themselves and each other by their accomplishments and personalities rather than their looks. As of The Beauty Myth, Naomi Wolf observed in 2011, 

When I am at a social occasion, the showstoppers are no longer the young beauties in their 20s. Rather, those who draw all the light in the room are the women of great accomplishment and personal charisma — and these are usually women in midlife. (Wolf)

Due to the improvements in opportunities, education, and confidence many American women can agree with Wolf, but that is not the case for the youth who are entering a much different economic and cultural landscape than women in mid-life. Thus, the changing cultural climate is increasing the risks of the temptations to sculpt to conform. This has profound implications for diversity, as,

Some observers continue to be less troubled by the actual risks of cosmetic surgery than by the social and cultural issues. There is concern that it has become one of the many ways in which rich ethnic diversity is broken down. Will the surgeon's scalpel help create one homogenized standard of beauty? Should one be troubled that so many Asian women have opted to have their eyes ‘Westernized,’ that many Iranian-American women in the Los Angeles area have traded their strong unarched noses for small pert ones, that stunning teen-age models have had their breasts enlarged to keep up with the current fashion? (Bardach)

The motivation for the increase of plastic surgery may also be due in part to the hyper competitive global market growth going on. Those who are analyzing the effects of the rise of globalization in regards to beauty standards point to “embedded power structures related to racism and war; the results of Western interests rapidly opening countries’ markets to high media and corporate influence—especially in the wake of political oppression and austerity” (Riggs). It is not just enough that people want to live like Americans, they now appear to want to look like Americans, but only those they see on Television, which is definitely not average. This alarming trend only increases, the exacerbation of pre-existing class, color, race, and gender prejudice by hyper-consumerism; the perception of the beauty industry and global beauty as a gateway to the ‘modern’ world's stage; and the practice of ‘Westernized’ cosmetic surgery becoming synonymous with concepts of status, upward mobility, and a social transition to global citizenship. (Riggs)

This is a very alarming global trend, which only emphasizes the need for a more holistic approach to beauty. That approach is one of self-love, authentic health based on a good diet and exercise, and the appearance which comes from the love of life. Even if this trend was occurring in America it would not be broadcast on television and so the global community would likely miss out on the influence. As such the negative trends of plastic surgery are exacerbated by the corruption of the media, who put stamp everything with sensationalist spin which blows reality way out proportion. 

Conclusion

While there are pros to plastic surgery they are relatively slim in comparison to the litany of cons associated with the practice. While most people who engage in plastic surgery are happy with the results, there are those who suffer debilitating side effects, or even die from complications. Surgery should never be undertaken lightly, and it may behoove the industry’s longevity to require a brief psychological evaluation before any procedure. Greater consumer protections would benefit those who choose the surgery, as well as follow up research of the best practices just as any medical practice does. The implications for warping cultural and global norms are the most alarming, revealing a deep need to be accepted from a continuously pressurized social schema.

Works Cited

Bardach, Ann Louise. “The Dark Side of Plastic Surgery.” The New York Times, 17 Apr. 1988. Retrieved from: http://www.nytimes.com/1988/04/17/magazine/the-dark-side-of-plastic-surgery.html?pagewanted=all

Coila, Bridget. “What Are the Pros & Cons of Cosmetic Surgery?” Livestrong.com, 16 Aug. 2013. Retrieved from: http://www.livestrong.com/article/71935-pros-cons-cosmetic-surgery/

Gonzales, Erica. “16 Celebrities on Plastic Surgery.” 22 Sep. 2015. Retrieved from: http://www.harpersbazaar.com/beauty/health/a10679/celebrities-on-plastic-surgery/

Occupy Theory. “Plastic Surgery Pros and Cons List.” Occupytheory.org, 16 Apr. 2015. Retrieved from: http://occupytheory.org/plastic-surgery-pros-and-cons-list/

Rab, Lisa. “Why Do Some People Die After Plastic Surgery?” Broward Palm Beach New Times, 3 Jun. 2011. Retrieved from: http://www.browardpalmbeach.com/news/why-do-some-people-die-after-plastic-surgery-6459887

Rappaport, Norman, H. “5 Benefits of Plastic Surgery.” Normanrappaportmd.com, 2 Jul. 2015. Retrieved from: http://www.normanrappaportmd.com/5-benefits-of-plastic-surgery/

Riggs, Lauren. The Globalization of Cosmetic Surgery: Examining BRIC and Beyond. [Master’s Thesis]. San Francisco: University of San Francisco, 2012. Retrieved from: http://repository.usfca.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1037&context=thes

Strother, Jason. “In South Korea, Plastic Surgery As Path To Career Advancement.” World Crunch, 4 Aug. 2014. Retrieved from: http://www.worldcrunch.com/culture-society/in-south-korea-plastic-surgery-as-path-to-career-advancement/plastic-surgery-employment-natural-beauty-barbie/c3s15515/

Wolf, Naomi. “A wrinkle in time: Twenty years after ‘The Beauty Myth,’ Naomi Wolf addresses The Aging Myth.” 27 May 2011. Retrieved from: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/a-wrinkle-in-time-twenty-years-after-the-beauty-myth-naomi-wolf-addresses-the-aging-myth/2011/05/11/AGiEhvCH_story.html