Should cosmetic surgery be banned?

[ShanandBoc]

At what point do you draw the line with "cosmetic"?? Manicures, Hair Extensions, tanning etc etc are all cosmetic and not good for your hair/nails/skin, would we ban those too?

Well none of those things involve surgery so i dont think thats whats being discussed here

Thats not the point, the point was in restricting someones free choice, at what point do you draw the line at the word "cosmetic"??

Physical surgery only? And if so why?

It is the point otherwise u could bring anything into the discussion that restricts someones free choice

Its about surgery, not all things cosmetic? You cant compare tanning or manicures to risky surgery?

I dont agree with banning it btw......but i think its sad the extent that some take it to, it ends up an obsession and quest for perfection, which we all know can never be achieved

 

[polo_princess]

I probably didnt word my first post very well so i'll rephrase The OP isnt very clear ... a boob job and botox/dermal fillers are 2 completely different things, one is serious surgery under anaesthetic, the other is done through injection whilst fully awake?

Just trying to clarify what we are actually talking about here, hence asking where do we draw the line and what are the boundaries on the word "cosmetic" in the discussion??

 

[ShanandBoc]

I took it as meaning surgery under anesthetic or anything cosmetic that permanently alters ones appearance.

Sorry u threw me when u mentioned tanning and manicures lol, but i think i see where u are coming from now

 

[LeeBee]

I'm not sure why anyone is so bothered by what other people do? I understand not wanting it for yourself, and hence not doing it. But who cares what anyone else does?

I sure would hate to live in a world where everyone else made my decisions for me!

 

[ShanandBoc]

Whats wrong with caring about others?

 

[tallybee]

^ Nothing is wrong with caring for others, dictating what people choose do/have done to their own bodies isn't caring though in my eyes, it's patronising

 

[Hayley90]

You can get botox in salons near where i live for pennies, that is majorly addictive, appearance altering stuff... which is being done in hair salons Its a fuzzy line, so no i dont think any of it should be banned.

I still maintain that if i had more money, i would purchase my ideal body instead of working for it...


if someone said to me that they 'cared' about me, then i would say that they should care about my mental wellbeing also, which is currently deeply unhappy with my appearance. if the gym is the way in which i change it, then great. if its surgery, then thats great too. x

 

[ShanandBoc]

^ Nothing is wrong with caring for others, dictating what people choose do/have done to their own bodies isn't caring though in my eyes, it's patronising

Lee bee said 'why are people bothered by what others do' and 'who cares what others do' hence why i said theres nothing wrong with caring for their well being which is how i feel about excessive cosmetic surgery.

I dont agree with banning it dw, but doesnt mean im not concerned about it

 

[beccad]

I agree with Lightworker really. Particularly on the airbrushing. It's ludicrously unrealistic and rotten messages of so-called 'beauty' being shoved down the throats of us all everywhere that needs to be outlawed; the problem is not the availability of cosmetic surgery - it's a society rotten to the core with 'ideals' founded on nothing but shallow images of 'perfection'.

I know this vid is actually marketing in itself but it conveys a basic message about the processes that go into these images that young girls aspire to. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XF66Ku4a9U

WSS. I don't think cosmetic surgery should be banned (nanny state gone too far IMO) but I do think society's obsession with perfection has gone too far, and people should be made aware what actually goes into the images we see in magazines and such like. Also that most skincare marketing is a load of shite - if the products (anti-wrinkle etc) actually did what they said, they'd have to be pharmaceutical-grade and you could only buy them over the counter or on prescription.

 

[hpjagged]

.....

 

[Lightworker]

Real self-esteem transcends physical attributes though, real self-esteem will be present regardless of what one looks like and does not depend on anything other than one's relationship with oneself. I hope not to cause offence, but I HATE the TV ads which say "I got surgery and I'm now so happy," - thats not true happiness that is a superficial emotion embedded deeply in a superficial aspect of humanity - external beauty, and when that beauty vanishes, the person will be back to square one. JMO

 

[Lightworker]

OT but the plastic surgeons could be put to better use eg in developing countries where people cannot afford to remedy cleft palates and the like. Its a sad world we live in where medically trained people use their skills for cosmetic purposes when there's greater need for them elsewhere.

 

[LeeBee]

Yes, no one is going to find "true happiness" through cosmetic surgery. I suppose I can only speak for myself here, but that wasn't what I was seeking when I got my breasts done. I already had my "true happiness"- my family! But there was this one thing that really bothered me- my negative A, droopy boobies! (And yes, it is possible to have negative A droopy boobies- not a good sight!) So I got them done, and could not be happier with the results! I'm really greatful that it was an option for me. I didn't run out and get a size G chest- I got a size that was good for my body, and they look fantastic- if I do say so myself

And I know it's an extreme comparison, but the same could be said about wearing make up, buying expensive clothes, getting your hair done... why do any of that if you should only be concerned about the true happiness within yourself? (and yes, before anyone jumps on me, I realize that getting a boob job is a bit different than buying make up- I'm just comparing the reasons behind doing it).

 

[LeeBee]

OT but the plastic surgeons could be put to better use eg in developing countries where people cannot afford to remedy cleft palates and the like. Its a sad world we live in where medically trained people use their skills for cosmetic purposes when there's greater need for them elsewhere.

doctors have to make a living too I've met a few really great doctors that do use their skills in countries that really need them though!

 

[Lightworker]

Oh yeah totally, wearing make up and cosmetic surgery are comperable as they both can be, in some ways, a rejection of what you naturally look like, in favour of the ideal image, so I totally understand the comparison. I only wear eyeliner and lipgloss (or vaseline on my lips) but I even want to scale that back, its just a question of fully coming to terms with who you are regardless of what images are out there.

 

[Hayley90]

Oh yeah totally, wearing make up and cosmetic surgery are comperable as they both can be, in some ways, a rejection of what you naturally look like, in favour of the ideal image, so I totally understand the comparison. I only wear eyeliner and lipgloss (or vaseline on my lips) but I even want to scale that back, its just a question of fully coming to terms with who you are regardless of what images are out there.

But its not about 'images that are out there' - its the image I see when i look in the mirror. You may be happy with your appearance, i am not. so im glad that i am allowed to modify, change, cut up and 'abuse' that image until i find something i am happy with. And yes, i do find happiness when i look good. I was much happier when i was thinner, my confidence rises by %%%% when i am wearing nice clothes and have nice hair.... i fail to see how someones perception of how they look and how unhappy they are could be 'separate' from being truly happy. For me they go together. Im not looking for eternal sunshine here, but nips and tucks can go along way to making someones outlook on life much better - x

 

[Hayley90]

And i agree with doctors need to earn a living too.... if everyone put their skills to use in developing countries, the UK would become the next 'third world' - charity begins at home as they say, those Drs couldnt afford to go abroad to work if they hadnt earned over here first. x

 

[polo_princess]

I think what the arguement comes down to is who are you doing these things to please? Yourself, or others, you may initially say yourself, but is that really the truth? More likely that you're doing it to please others which in turn will make you feel better about yourself.

I fell, and still do fall under the latter

 

[Hayley90]

i can safely say it'd be me.

Doesnt matter what ANYONE says to me. Family, friends, OH... i still see the same thing in the mirror. Someone pointing out good things does not help me one bit... so i say me.

x

 

[polo_princess]

See thats what i am like, but only after years of it being drummed into me that i "must" look good, so now all i see are imperfections and the things i feel like i need to change, when in actual fact i dont

Society has a LOT to answer for