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Ima Goodstudent
Mr. Lard
Sophomore English-3
14 February 2014
Dissecting the Truth about Plastic Surgery
Nowadays, plastic surgery is becoming more accepted and sought-after. Every day, “the
stigma is decreasing and the popularity is increasing” (Healy). Celebrities whom people idolize
are setting examples and the media is promoting this more and more. Plastic surgery needs to be
treated for what it is; not a simple procedure, but a costly operation with risks. Despite the
increases in self-confidence due to plastic surgery and its occasionally necessity, overall, it does
more harm than good by causing one to waste money and leaving unwanted aftereffects which
are both harmful to one’s health and self-image.
Obviously, plastic surgery is occasionally needed for other uses rather than improving
one’s outward appearance and is necessary. It can help fix serious medical problems. In one
instance, doctors performed their residencies for plastic surgery from Baylor College in Houston
by visiting a local prison and transforming the prisoners. They found various problems including
a man who was unable to close his jaw and another who had difficulty breathing through his
nose due to distortion in his nose. Doctors were able to perfect their skills in real- life situations.
Rather than acting as a reward for the prisoners, this program acted more as a precautionary step
to prevent further crime. For many of them, this gave them the opportunity of a new life free of
crime. One inmate, James Kelly, remarked that his deformity lead to a “misguided attempt to
retaliate against society [in which he] burglarized a home two years ago” (“Changing the Face of
Convicts' Futures”). Without these problems holding them back, some convicts vow to never
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return to prison again. In fact, less than 15 percent of them returned to prison in comparison to
the 33 percent of prisoners returning who did not receive treatment (“Changing the Face of
Convicts' Futures”). Some officials see this opportunity as an addition to the inmate’s
rehabilitation processes.
However, for every benefit of plastic surgery, there is an at least equal and opposite
backlash. One of the primary downsides to plastic surgery is that people are too willing to go too
far and spend too much money. By pursuing the desire to reinvent oneself, one may
unknowingly put oneself in a situation involving lots of debt and a plastic surgery can attribute to
many financial problems. For example, one man named Toby Sheldon was determined to have
the face of his idol, Justin Bieber. In doing so, Toby has lost precious time and money. He has
spent “the past five years and nearly $100,000 on plastic surgery in the hopes of resembling his
idol” which used to be “his entire life savings” (Locker). One may regret the decisions later on
and face disappointment. No matter what happens, many need to live with the decision for many
years either by leaving it as it is or by having numerous reconstructive surgeries. The aftereffects
and the procedure often wrack up a substantial debt for the patient. Repeat and correctional
procedures are very common; when they are needed, they are usually numerous in number and
costly in price. Patients continue to dig larger holes for themselves until eventually, so much debt
has piled up that they can’t get out. This area is also particularly risky because “[o]verall, there
are more questions than answers regarding psychological effects of cosmetic surgery” (Dittman).
Plastic surgeries are not a rewarding, secure, or promising area to invest money in, especially in
these economically challenging times.
Another downside to plastic surgery is that many people cannot stop themselves. They
become obsessed with finding “perfection” and are never happy with their results. Even worse,
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some people strive to imitate others and since “each person's bone structure, musculature and
skin tone will prevent them from looking exactly like another person”, this is impossible (Healy).
Plastic surgery is not the cure to their desire. In addition, some people are diagnosed with Body
Dysmorphic Disorder, or BDD. As reported by the American Psychological Association, BDD
causes people to “repeatedly change or examine the offending body part to the point that the
obsession interferes with other aspects of their life” (Dittman). This disorder overtakes a person’s
life. Many of them turn to plastic surgery to “fix” themselves. Plastic surgeons deal with this
quite often as “7 to 12 percent of plastic surgery patients have some form of BDD” (Dittman).
However, plastic surgery rarely acts as a solution to this. Patients, specifically those with BDD,
always manage to find flaws, and even if they accept the appearance of one body part, their focus
just shifts toward another. Unfortunately many of people have not yet been diagnosed with BDD
and still try this treatment but “the majority of BDD patients who have cosmetic surgery do not
experience improvement in their BDD symptoms, often asking for multiple procedures on the
same or other body features” which in long run, only hurts themselves (Dittman).
Plastic surgery can absolutely be used for conventional reasons as well and still be
beneficial. It is no secret that looking better makes people feel better and more confident. For
many, the secret to a healthier life is increased self-confidence. One article of the New Strait
Times claims that one “can cure many illnesses if [one] can help make a person feel good about
themselves" (“Be Aware of the Risks”). Numerous studies analyzing patient functioning before
and after plastic surgery have stated that many patients experience “positive outcomes…,
including improvements in body image and possibly a quality-of-life boost too” (Dittman).
Overall, if all goes as planned, patients’ lives see an increase in happiness.
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However, there are many obstacles to overcome before feeling satisfied with the results
of their procedure. Plastic surgery results in many hardships on the body. When one aspect of
one’s body is reconstructed, other parts of the body may feel its effect. For example, “[a] tummy
tuck may cause the thighs to look out of proportion”, liposuction can lead to weight
“[re]distribut[ing] unevenly—often to less flattering areas”, “[b]otox injections… [can cause] the
other active muscles to appear strangely overpowering and ‘odd’”, and “plumped lips may make
a normal sized nose suddenly appear obtrusive” (Goudreau). The recovery process is also not
easy. After all, plastic surgery is a surgical procedure and should be treated as such. Toby
Sheldon, Justin Bieber’s imitator, recalled that his “smile surgery took more than a month to
recover from” and “after [his] eyelid surgery, [he] couldn’t open [his] eyes for a week” (Locker).
Before having surgery, patients must consider these and following factors and they must realize
that plastic surgery “is not hair highlighting [,]...there are risks” (Healy). As with any medical
procedure, with plastic surgery one runs the risk of something going wrong. Since plastic surgery
is an operation that is very visible, if something goes wrong it can severely alter one’s
appearance, thereby reversing its intended effect. Even worse, one’s health and physical
wellbeing is at stake. The repercussions of a surgery may follow a person their entire lives, and
they, as mentioned before, are not cheap. Patients are at the risk of “infection, complications
from anesthesia, pain, swelling and sometimes a loss of sensation around the site of the incision”,
just like any other surgery (Healy). Other complications specific to plastic surgery pose larger
threats to their health than these. Many problems such as a bad nose job, a botched facelift, or
inept removal of fat around the eyes “can leave the patient with breathing difficulties,...unsightly
scars,...[or] the eyes staying open permanently”, respectively (“Be Aware of Risks”).
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Plastic surgery affects patients and those around them on the inside too. The
psychological consequences can hurt the patients’ friends and family. Most of the time, this is
unintentional. Nonetheless, by seeing someone else around them excelling and having nearly
flawless features will always emotionally influence people. This influence can range from a
patient’s co-worker to his/her child. A child who is still maturing may “develop a skewed vision
of their own bodies that they may never escape” (Goudreau). Furthermore, some try to recover
and rekindle relationships by having plastic surgery, but “more relationships fail rather than
flourish after one partner undergoes a major physical change” (Goudreau). Most male partners
tend to perceive their wife/girlfriend getting surgery as dissatisfaction. On top of that, some hold
negative opinions of plastic surgery due to the stigma surrounding it. Instead of getting ahead in
the workplace, a patient might be “stunned to realize that it has...alienated colleagues”
(Goudreau).
Psychological effects do not only reach those surrounding the patient. They are, in truth,
centered around the patient himself/herself. Most of these problems are concentrated on the
patients’ unrealistic expectations. The result is usually built up so high, particularly in this day
and age with the aid of media and new TV shows like MTV’s I Want A Famous Face or The
Swan, that an increasing number of patients are not fully satisfied with their new look (Healy).
Celebrities seem to appear more flawless every day and more people want to feel as glamorous
as they seem. The consequences of such thinking can vary from depression to repeat procedures;
“[s]ome studies have even gone as far as linking dissatisfaction with cosmetic surgery
procedures to suicide” (Dittman). In many cases, the actual result of such procedures cannot
compare to the patient’s expected mystique.
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Cosmetic surgery has many more risks than benefits, and patients must overcome many
hurdles before they are able to be pleased with the result. During this process, one may lose life
savings since one surgery can lead to many others. An unhealthy obsession with perfection/
others can be fueled with plastic surgery. Unrealistic expectations and botched surgeries can
crush, instead of raising, self-confidence. Afterwards, the recovery is difficult and the new,
redone body parts may look strange in comparison to others. The patients’ personal relations can
waver. They can also make others around them feel differently about themselves. Even though
plastic surgery can boost confidence and improve conditions, it does the opposite just as often
and can ruin the subsequent years of the patient’s life.
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Works Cited
"Be Aware of Risks in Plastic Surgery, Doctor Advises." New Straits Times: 09. Mar
30 1996. ProQuest. Web. 23 Oct. 2013 .
Goudreau, Jenna. "The Hidden Dangers Of Cosmetic Surgery." Forbes. Forbes
Magazine, 16 June 2011. Web. 29 Oct. 2013.
"Changing The Face Of Convicts' Futures- Plastic Surgery Provides Training For
Doctors, Hope For Prisoners." Orlando Sentinel: 0. Jan 19 1986. ProQuest. Web. 30 Oct.
2013 .
Dittman, Melissa. "Plastic Surgery: Beauty or Beast?" APA. American
Psychological Association, Sept. 2005. Web. 25 Oct. 2013.
Healy, Melissa. "Plastic Surgery, as seen on TV; Dramatic Makeovers, Seemingly
Simple and Pain Free, are Luring Patients in Droves. But the Risks, Physical and Mental,
are Very Real." Los Angeles Times: 0. Apr 12 2004. ProQuest. Web. 23 Oct. 2013.
Locker, Melissa. "Justin Bieber’s Number One Fan Spent Life Savings on Plastic
Surgery to Look Like His Idol” Time-NewsFeed.Time Inc., 21 Oct. 2013. Web. 29 Oct.
2013.