By: Natalie Lambert, Content Manager
Due to changes and modifications occurring in the beauty industry, plastic surgery has become a hot commodity for both young and old age groups. Individuals are more willing to undergo cosmetic surgery in order to change or alter their appearance; with 14.6 million surgeries in 2012 and surgery rates still rising, the trend only grows stronger.
While surgeries occur for multiple reasons, some pertaining to health, many can come about due to a person’s dissatisfaction with their overall appearance. The stigma attached to such cosmetic surgeries is often that people who have plastic surgery are “fake” and “cheap”. The fact that society can be so judgmental over something as simple as restructuring a nose or getting implants says a lot about beauty standards in current times.
Our media wants its citizens to be flawless in every way. We are fed visual propaganda that features photoshopped, make-up heavy models pouting in front of cameras angled to capture them at their best. Then, we are told that those fabricated images are what the ideal person should look like, no questions asked. Ads are shoved in our face promoting cosmetic brands, diet plans, and skin care specialists. After tearing down the self-confidence of every average person, society then wonders why so many people are signing up to get facial surgeries and body implants.
The question is no longer why people are getting surgery, but why are so many people surprised by the rise in plastic surgery? More importantly, why are so many people bothered by it?
“I feel like it’s because people look down on them for changing who they are. People think, ‘Oh she’s not naturally pretty because she had plastic surgery’,” says junior Lexie Goodman.
Others preach about self-acceptance and loving oneself despite any flaws— this is rather hypocritical. Not to be misunderstood, people shouldn’t be worried about qualities as fleeting and shallow as looks and should instead care about the things that make them beautiful in a unique way. However, what if someone isn’t satisfied with how they look? Just because one person feels liberated from the public scrutiny we all are subject to, doesn’t mean that everyone else feels that way. If an individual does decide to sign up for a surgery, there shouldn’t be any mass protest from others.
“I think people should just do what they want,” says senior Alex Koohyar. “If the media is telling you how to look, how to act, how to dress, it’s kind of wrong. Be yourself.”
The thing that many people don’t realize about plastic surgery is that it’s a personal decision. No one should undergo surgery because they feel the need to conform but if someone decides they really don’t like the structure of their jawline, how is that anyone else’s business but their own? This hypothetical person could be the kindest, most talented individual, yet is looked down upon because they don’t feel comfortable in their own skin. Why does it matter? Instead, people should be focused on positive attributes such as that person’s intellect or working method versus a visual façade.
This boils down to the corrupt way in which we view each other. Everything someone is or does comes down to how they look. Those with plastic surgery are ridiculed for being fake by people who shouldn’t even care. It parallels the entire stereotype on appearance; people are still focusing on what someone looks like over what type of person they actually are. Until this change occurs, we will never reach the acceptance of self that so many motivational groups are striving to achieve.
Plastic surgery is not a fad. It isn’t going away anytime soon so instead of focusing on the non-changing factor, we must begin to take into consideration the factors that aren’t as easy to behold with the naked eye. Only then can modern obsession with looks begin to fade.