Plastic surgery is an intrusive medical operation that is meant to alter a person’s facial and or body appearance. Plastic surgery alters the look and structure of a body part, mostly the face, breasts and buttocks among women. Today the numbers of those seeking and undergoing plastic surgery for purely cosmetic purposes is on a phenomenal increase (Janis 228-294).
This paper argues for and supports the proposition that plastic surgery has been taken too far until any potential benefits have been lost in the abuse. Modern practices have exploited plastic surgery for selfish, misplaced and ill-advised motives
Like every good thing, plastic surgery has fallen victim to misuse, such that those in search of the ever-elusive beauty are using it without any control or logic. This is because most of those undergoing plastic surgery today are oblivious to the dangers and risks involved in plastic surgery. Among those caught up in the rush for super-star looks are willing to undertake daring surgeries, repeatedly, irrespective of the dangers and risks involved.
The cosmetic surgery techniques, instruments and procedures have improved in recent times due to technological advancement. This helps reduce the dangers associated with plastic surgery. Nonetheless, the risks are far too high for it to be used when it is not absolutely necessary. As this paper details, there are times when plastic surgery becomes too much, thus too unsafe and too foolhardy to pursue (Janis 228-294).
Cases of bad plastic surgery abound in our society today. Michael Jackson may have represented the epitome of plastic surgery taken too far. Those with enough money to pay for the highly expensive procedures, are in most cases the most prone to abusing plastic surgery. They take it too far until they do not look like humans any more (Janis 228-294). Yet with all these bad examples of surgery taken too far, the society is still gambling with the dangers and taking great risks just to alter how they look. The assumption here is that whenever plastic surgery is conducted without a medical necessity to correct an anomaly, it is abusive. Plastic surgery used for corrective purposes of medical conditions is assumed to be the ideal use of the medical procedure and any thing beyond that, an abusive exploit of the same.
There are scores of statistics that prove that plastic surgery has been taken too far, in modern times. For instance, the Glamour Magazine 2007 June survey in the US found out that 75% of American women between ages 18 and 35, were convinced that they were fat. A whooping 91% of these women would result to plastic surgery if they had the money. The truth is, doctors diagnosed that among these women who thought they were fat, only 25% of them were medically overweight. This is the same percentage of overweight men in the US today (Loftus 64-83).
One thing to note here is that according to the study, 92% of those undergoing plastic surgery in the US today, do in the believe that they look inferior (Loftus 64-83). That means that 75% of the women in the US live in exaggerated self-criticism, better known as body Dysmorphic disorder in medical circles. Now, if these women were to get the money, we a whooping 50% of American women would seek unnecessary plastic surgery and for the wrong reasons (Loftus 64-83). That shows the extent to which plastic surgery has been pushed to, presently. People are now undergoing plastic surgery, a major operation as its is, just because they feel like having one based on whimsical and oftentimes wrong motivations.
A recent research published in Australian Psychology Journal, indicated that 82% of all plastic surgery patients in Australia in the period 2005-2008 suffered from the Dysmorphic disorder. The scary finding of the study was that, even after the women had an initial procedure, 65% still went for further multiple procedures to correct the same or other body parts. This is because the same disorder pushed them further to correct their perceived ‘un-beautiful features’ (Mathes 842-971).
ABC News conducted an online survey among 2011 of their audience to determine the 15 celebrities who had ever gone for a plastic surgery. The list of 15 celebrities featured some of the worst cases of plastic surgery ever recorded in history. Michael Jackson topped the list, with most respondents feeling that he had taken it too far ever since 1985.
Tara Reid’s breast and stomach surgery, Gary Busey botched veneers, Lil Kim’s facial and breast surgery, Janet Jackson’s breast implants, Jessica Simpson’s lisp surgery, Kenny Rogers’ facial surgery, Tori Spelling’s breast implants, Hilary Duff’s veneers and Victoria Beckham’s breast implants. The worst five that followed Michael Jackson included Donatella Versaces’ facial and lip surgery, Vivicia Fox’s breast implants, Melanie Griffith‘s facial surgery Pete Burns’ lip surgery and finally, Jocelyn Wildenstein’s body skin surgery.
Hereabove is the proof that plastic surgery operations are no longer based on logic, wisdom or knowledge,. Today, plastic surgery among those who have money is like changing an outfit for another. With the current trends of abusing such a noble medical practice, moneyed people are overly prone to using plastic surgery for absolutely non-reasonable excuses and even to go for repeat operations that ultimately mess up their bodies. This however, does not pre-empt the need for plastic surgeries when used for the right intents and in the right way.