cosmetic surgery

[Tap Freak]

There's a three-part series on British tv about cosmetic surgery and I watched the first one the other night. Would be interested to hear everyone's opinions on this topic.

The programme showed both men and women going under the knife (face lifts, botox injections etc) and quite honestly I was shocked by what I saw - I could never put myself through it! (although I might change my mind when I get my first wrinkle :ummm)

Would you go under the knife? Or do you think we should grow old gracefully? Be grateful for what we've got?

[Wxcat]

:hugonTapFreak:hugoff

How ya been???

I don't think I could do the surgery. I mean, I'm not satisfied with what I have (like that's news on an ED board!!), but I don't think surgically changing it would make me instantly feel better.

I also think that a lot of people are doing it for the wrong reasons. I can see justified in cases of scar removal/blending, or when someone loses a lot of weight and has skin removed. The rest are probably doing it not for themselves, but to further someone elses ideal of what is beautiful or worthy of looking at.

I guess I just don't see age as something to fear, either. I won't mind looking healthy at fifty...which means looking my age, not trying to look like a college student again.

Interesting topic!

[LostEarthAngel]

It's surgery anyway you look at it, so it does have risks.

I have never cared about wrinkles or sagging double chin. Well I am only thirty so the most I have is a few of those worry creases when I am thinking hard.

But I have always wanted perky boobs. I have never liked my chest, and after two kids, shit I could find them sitting on my knees by tommorrow. The size is fine, it's just the lack of situpfullness! But I don't think I would ever spend the money, and I hate hospitals and surgery.

[PeanutDuck]

Hey TapFreak,

I just don't know. I ponder this topic b/c our outside is such a superficial thing--we have no control of what we look like when we're born and we shouldn't be judged by our appearance....but

I hear about people who feel so much more confident when they get a nose job etc.

Then again, aren't they just feeding into society's sick emphasis on beauty rather than self?

I like to dye my hair and stuff....So what does that mean? Ear piercings? tatoos? All are body augmentation. So where does one draw the line? At dollar amt?

I couldn't get it done. Sure I might like bigger breasts oh well. And as for wrinkles, yeah, there's nothing wrong with being older and looking it. It has a beauty of its own. It gets confusing these sixty year olds having better skin than I do. there's all this unnecessary pressure to look young. Especially in American society where older people are seen as backwards....

Cosmetic surgery has so much beneath it....race and class included....just all this unneeded fuss.

I ramble but I'm glad you brought this up. I'm curious about other responses.

squishy fishy hugs,
peanut

[QofC]

I could never have cosmetic surgury (other than a breast reduction, which I will probably have later to relieve my back pain -- my mom is having it later this month). I don't see how fixing things surgerically would help my self-esteem... I think I need to work with my T on that one, not a surgeon!

[dreya]

Hmmmm, I don't know...it seems to be such an extreme thing to do in the name of beauty (then again, so is anorexia, so who am I to talk?)
On the other hand, I think plastic surgery to repair damage done by an accident, or to correct a cleft palate or other birth defect, is very worthwhile and can improve a person's life a great deal. But that's very different than a "tummy tuck" or "eye job"!

[Shellikins]

When I was in my early twenties, I had my nose fixed. I thought it would make my life better. I had lots of breathing problems afterwards. I had another surgery to fix the first one a few years later. Then I went to a good surgeon (not a plastic one), and she said I needed another surgery to widen my nose so I could breathe better. Which meant making it back the way it was originally :ugh!

So I don't really trust plastic surgeons. I will grow old naturally, gracefully I hope.

I saw a face lift surgery on t.v. once. Grrrroooosssss!

[Vanna]

I just watched three hours of plastic surgery yesterday on Discovery Health. It was HORRIFIC. I understand why people want to have it done but oh my goodness! Ouchy, ouchy!

I watched a breast reduction, breast implant, face lift <-truly the worst of them all, lypo and several other minor ones. It was so painful to watch. That show has cured me of any plastic surgery wishes I may have had. The face lift was the most disturbing thing I have ever seen. Ugh! It saddens me that our culture is so youth fixated. Growing old is part of life. It is going to be hard but I feel that we just have to accept the aging process.

:love,
Grace

[Anonymous_Member009]

This is a painful subject for me because this summer i have been having to seriously consider having cosmetic surgery done on my nine year old son.

He has ears that stick way out. He is exceptionally self-conscious of his ears, and gets teased about them alot. I can't even begin to tell you how hyper-sensitive he is. He has come home crying from school so many many times. He has even said that he wants to take a knife and cut his ears so they'll lay right.

when he was a baby, the doctor had asked me to consider the surgery and i was too resistent. Now, eight years later, i regret that choice (it would have been so much easier then).

my opinion of cosmetic surgery varies. i'd like to think that everyone who goes through it agonizes over their decision, weighs the figurative checks and balances, and then makes a healthy, non-impulsive, pyschologically sound decision. Unfortunately, though, i don't think that's the case. I think that some people do it because they can, and they like the results. Personally, i can't afford it, but i think if i could, i would probably consider botox injections.

[Vanna]

Picasso,

The show I watched on Sunday had a boy who had his ears pinned back because of the constant ridicule he had been experiencing. The procedure seemed easier than most of the other surgeries I saw but it still was painful to watch. The boy was just so happy once he had healed. It totally improved his life. I think they said he was eleven or twelve when the surgery was preformed.

I think circumstances like that are the good side of plastic surgery.

Grace

[Mimi]

Interesting topic :ohboy......

Well, I myself had a breast augmentation almost two years ago (breast implants)....Basically I have never brought it up here before bc I already figured what the :fishys would say about that. Anyway, I am :happy w/ it, it has given me more confidence, clothes fit better. A bunch of my friends, non-ED ones at that, have had it done also. I think if a person does it for the right reasons there is nothing wrong w/ it. Sure it hurt, but I was not conscious during the procedure. Afterwards the doctor was amazed at how quick my recovery was~I was in pretty good shape and was lifting my arms much sooner, etc.

And like ((Picasso)) said, weighing the +/- beforehand is the best way to go. I did a ton of research, went to lots of different doctors, and talked to people who had it done before. It was certainly not a spur of the moment decision.

:hugon Picasso :hugoff For your son's sake, I think if he gets teased and it really is hurting his self-esteem it isn't such a bad thing. I don't recall his ears, though. I just remember he was one sweet cutie :cute!!! Best of :clover on your decision.

[Anonymous_Member009]

:hugon Gracey and Michele :hugoff
thankyou both so much for coming back and answering me. i feel so much better. and thanks to :hugon TapFreak :hugoff for posting it.

[Darrell]

:hugonTap:hugoff - I saw the second one last night - yucky yuck yuck!! :cute

:hugonPicasso:hugoff - as someone with ears that stick out a bit [not that much, but induced enough teasing when I was younger if my hair was tied back :ugh- these days my cropped hair helps my ears significantly!] I think it's really true it could help with esteem. I really support you in considering it for your son :gimmehug

would I ever have cosmetic surgery? nup. I couldn't change me like that - it's hard enough being "me" anyway!! So I wouldn't want to change how I looked - even though I'm not much of a fan of what the mirror says to me. The thought of "flesh" added or removed makes me cringe! I think from an ED perspective it would feel like cheating. I want to make my body healthy and live-able-with by recovering and getting control, not by an op.

It's amazing to see how big an improvement (but occassionally destroy :sad) it can make to people's lives though - so I certainly don't condemn it in some circumstances, much as other people have said. But it's not for me.

[pageling]

I can't believe I haven't read this until now. If no one minds, I would like to say that I totally understand what your son is going through :hugon Jeanette :hugoff. My ears protruded greatly and I was ALWAYS teased whenever I wore my hair back or went swimming even got teased in college . . . . :cry :sad :mad :sad :cry I wish that my parents had let me have the surgery MUCH earlier in life, but when I was twenty-one, I saved up the money and had it done myself. :grin

I don't regret it for one moment. It is so wonderful to put my hair in a ponytail without fear, shame or embarrassment. Knowing that no ridicule will follow. When I was pregnant with my boys, I prayed that they wouldn't inherit this condition, and thankfully they did not. But I had already decided that I would have the surgery done if that was the case. I just didn't want them to go through what I did.

Anyway, that's just my experience, and I hope I haven't offended anyone. I took the decision very seriously, and feel better about myself as a result. Jeanette, follow your instincts. You are a good mom :flower- and I know that you have his best interests at heart. Please let us know how things go if you decided to do it. As always, I'm happy to talk to you about it in more depth if you ever want. Take care all.

much love,
paige

[Thalia]

i have been thinking about cosmetic surgery recently, and im undecided on the subject. Its a lot of money for a start and theres a possibility it could make you look worse. This is what really puts me off and theres no guarantee you will be satisfied with just one op. I just cant decide if im willing to take that chance, sometimes when i get down about certain areas of my body it can be very tempting.

[CurlyLocks]

Hm, I've read some rather graphic articles about this in women's magazines recently too. There was one story in particular about Oriental women going through an excruciating leg lengthening procedure - I almost passed out reading about it!

I guess that makes my views about comsetic curgery pretty plain; I would never consider it for myself, unless for a medical reason (such as if I ever had to have my breasts removed due to cancer - I might then want replacements!).

This doesn't mean there aren't a lot of things I wouldn't like to change about myself. I wish lots of things were different about my appearance...but to put myself through cosmetic surgery - no thanks!:sarcasm I also think that the popularity of surgical enhancements is a rather sad comment on our society in a way - a society with superficial values of youth & unattainable beauty, when two thirds of the world doesn't have enough to eat...:ughBesides which, does the length of your legs really prevent you from leading a fulfilling life? And should it?

I don't mean to criticise the people here who have undergone cosmetic surgery however, as it's an individual choice, though I suspect that insecure types like us will be more prone to getting these things done.:ummm

[Thalia]

Talking about leg extending surgery, does anyone remember that girl who had her legs extended so she could be a air hostess!