Live Mask: The Con's Of Cosmetic Surgery

Live Mask ; The Con's of Cosmetic Surgery

Last year 11.9 million people underwent cosmetic surgery, all striving for the same objective;

a "perfect" body that met the media standards. According to the American Society of Aesthetic

Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) there was a 44% increase in the amount of procedures performed in

the previous year and a whopping 465% increase since 1997 (Journal News) . For century's

cosmetic surgery has been around, even as far back as the Romans, however back in the

ancient days cosmetic surgery was used not for public image but as a method to treat heavily

mutated bodies and other serious health risks (wikipedia ) . Cosmetic surgery is a poor way to

improve ones self-esteem, it is
in itself is a vile procedure that pushes it's victims to take

unnecessary risk causing them more pain then help. What many never truly consider are the

health risks that could result in permanent disfigurement and even death, or even the possibility

that there are alternatives to such radical procedures; however what many consider less is the

psychological repercussions from their family members and loved ones.
"After I wake up, is it going to hurt? If so how much?", "How long will it take me to recover

and for the scars to fade?" All questions that many patients ask, however not one of them ever

stops to think about the one thing that could change their lives more so then the surgery that

they are getting…the psychological repercussions they'll have to deal with. Though statistics

may tell them about the risks and costs of the surgery, not one statistic reveals the amount of

disappointment and pain my patients go through from the judgmental responses from families

and friends. (Journal News). Dr. Patrick J Byrne, director of the Division of Facial, plastic and

Reconstructive Surgery pointed out that "Our faces are how we identify ourselves and others

identify us. When facial changes occur, then, it's only to be expected there will be

psychological adjustments" (under the Knife, 76) . There are actually reports of
close

relationships ending over disagreements of the individual's actions. To some they see is as an

easy way out with out having to diet or spend hours at the gym, other see the procedures as

being selfish and self centered. Doctors have admitted that some of their patients are getting

the body work done simply because they were pressured into it by their spouse or romantic

partner. Some people however become so obsessed with meeting perfection that they become

addicted to cosmetic surgery and the end results are not pretty, a prime example being the

famous pop star "Michael Jackson". As said by the Calvinists, "Do not change what god has

given you", meaning be happy with who you are, don't subject your body to dangerous

procedures that could not only destroy your social life but end your very life.

Imagine you're taking a warm bath, your body having just recovered from 2 weeks of

recovery after your latest cosmetic procedure, as you sink into the water you feel your still

open wounds stinging sharply. Glancing down you are met with a horrific sight, your very

flesh is sliding from your body, yellowed puss and blood stain the water….and there is nothing

you can do but stare hopelessly. This is the nightmare that the many victims of malpractice

faced. Of the 11.9 million who underwent surgery, 25 % of them suffered from terrible and

unexpected side effects, 10% suffered permanent disfiguration and 5% died from

complications ( NBC ). The task of finding an actual licensed surgeon is difficult and littered

with heavy risks that the doctor is not trained for the work his patients ask for. The prices of

cosmetic surgery can range anything from 5,600 to 3,200 for one procedure, those wanting

more work done can possibly have to pay up to 50,000 to 20,000 dollars. With prices so high

and individuals so desperate they turn to the only other alternative to them, plastic surgery

performed on the other side of the border. Lisa, a 50 year old woman from New Mexico went

to Mexico to get a series of procedures performed on her body including a tummy tuck, brow

lift, and face lift. She, like others caught in this twisted web, fell victim to malpractice by a

doctor who indeed did have his degrees and license….just not for the kind of work she wanted

done. The room in which she was operated in was stuffy with flies buzzing around, as she

slipped into the anesthetic sleep she saw a nurse chasing a cockroach with a spray can filling

the room with the pesticide. Next to her out date machinery and a left over ketchup bottle sat

among the other clutter of the unsanitary clinic, the tools used by the doctor were slightly

rusted and dirty all looking as if they had been just recently used and never cleaned. After her

surgeries Lisa felt at first like she had gotten the best deal of her life, yet less then a few days

later she was admitted into a hospital suffering from severe complications. (NBC) Certified

plastic surgeons often find that a majority of their patients are individuals who are in need of

repair for the blunders previously performed on them. In the end patients end up pay more for

the mistakes caused by their desire to be something they are not. One might say that its the

choice of the individual if they want to take the risk and it's to their benefit that they get the

procedure done to improve their self image but their self esteem, however does yellow green

pus, raw red skin, deep rotting wounds emitting a foul smell, all results of the striving urge of

individuals to reach perfection, sound appealing is it something the individual should do?

Again the question is posed, is beauty truly worth it? For some they would sell their houses or

even use up their children's college funds, they would all take the risk of their lives and body's

just to relive that moment of youth they once had. Many never realize that there are alternatives

to drastic surgery to get the figure they seek, they never stop to thing that there is another way

that doesn't involve an operating room and weeks of recovery.

Shelia Dick's author of "Image makeovers – What's all the Fuss?" explained to her

readers that there are alternatives to having to go under the knife. It's very simple really,

what to consider if you want to go for a new polished look is hair, makeup, style, body type,

and wardrobe. Hair can play a bit role in how you look and how people see you , if you have

an out date and dull hair style then people may see you as outdate in thoughts and ideals as

well as being a pushover.
Make-up if applied correctly and not over done can improve your

image making you look more alert and awake. When you dress you need to keep in mind not

only your body shape but what is in style so that you can blend it but still have a unique flare

that makes you stand out (Dicks , 17). Cosmetic surgery shouldn't be used as a tool to

recreate your image; it should be eliminated all together. However what could be done is that

it becomes exclusively reserved for individuals who are in need of it , people with terrible

disfigurements that could affect them for the rest of their lives.

Over 20,000 dollars is spend per person on cosmetic surgery every year, that's a total of

220,000,000,000 dollars all together. Money that could be spends on better things, things that

might actually help the community and the world. Plastic surgery has been around since before

recorded time and yet it seem that as every century passes the use of cosmetic surgery becomes

more and more selfish. Public image and the need to please our peers has cast a shadow over

our eyes and its time we see that cosmetic surgery is dangerous, unhealthy both physically
and

mentally, and the most selfish of ways to improve ones self esteem.