I began watching Nip Tuck for the first time this week. I remember the scene where the two plastic surgeons argued about the purpose of plastic surgery. Is plastic surgery a way for people to boost their self-esteem or an expression of how much they hate themselves or both? Heidi Montag, one of the most well-known poster child for plastic surgery, said in 2010 that she had ten plastic surgery procedures in one day and had almost died from too much Demerol. Supposedly she also said that the surgeries were worth the risk. So was she simply trying to improve herself and her self-esteem or did she really hate her body so much to go through drastic change? We can never be sure what went on inside her mind.
What we can know is where we stand on the subject. I neither condemn nor support plastic surgery. What other people want to do with themselves is entirely their own business. If I met someone who looked better and happier after plastic surgery, then I am happy for him or her. But I do think that less is more. Getting one or two procedures done like a rhinoplasty or brow-lift won’t radically change one’s appearance. There’s no problem in wanting to improve yourself as long as you are still identifiable. On the other hand, getting ten procedures done when you’re under the age of 25 is unnecessary. The average fee of breast augmentation is $3,816, rhinoplasty $3,833, and ear surgery $2,549. Ten surgeries could cost more than $25,000. Just think of what you could do with all that money instead.
I suggest that before anyone goes under the knife, ask this question: “Whom am I doing this for?” Ashlee Simpson sums it up perfectly:
I don’t get bothered by people saying what they say. I’m a happy person and I’m happy with my looks. I’m not an insecure person. I believe if somebody chooses plastic surgery it should be for themselves, not for anyone else.