What Are Your Thoughts On Plastic Surgery?

[tealady]

Originally posted by Sephora_Socialite@Apr 21st, 2004 - 12:52 am
Thanks for your inputs purple and tealady....

It means alot...

I'm seriously thinking everything through, I think if I do do something like that I'd wait til I was old enough.

I'm gonna just go have a very big scar lasered off...its really noticeable so just anything to make it lighter would be nice and electrolosis done..I want some hair removed

Lipo is a very big big deal. It's very much a life changer...A life changer I don't think I find I want right this moment..Plus, again I critize the teenage plastic girls walking around my school...I dont necessarily wanna jump to be one of them.

Plus I went to the gym today and I loved it...maybe it I give the gym a year I could get results good enough that I wont need any surgery.

That's the spirit, Sephora!!!

 

[tealady]

Just a reminder of the risks of plastic surgery:

Woman dies after plastic surgery
By Hanti Otto

A Pretoria doctor on Monday pleaded not guilty to a charge of culpable homicide related to the death of a patient of his after a liposuction operation.

Dr Jan van Almenkerk, 62, denied that Petronella Christina Susanna Jansen van Rensburg died on May 12 2002 due to negligence on his part.

In his plea explanation he said he was a qualified general practitioner who was also trained and experienced in performing liposuction.

He said on May 11 that year Jansen van Rensburg went to him for such an operation. He had informed her about the procedure and possible complications and after-care.

According to him the operation was successful.

He admitted that Jansen van Rensburg's daughter had phoned him the following day to say that her mother was in pain.

"It was normal. I prescribed more painkillers and said the patient should take lots of fluid," his statement read.

When the daughter phoned him for the third time, saying her mother was confused, Van Almenkerk told her to take the patient to his consultation room in Hatfield.

"Only two hours later did I find the daughter and patient at the Pretoria East Hospital where the patient was taken to ICU and later died," the doctor stated.

'My mother kept on complaining of pain'
He said the patient was not correctly diagnosed and treated at the hospital.

Franalyn Hofman testified that her mother went home the day after the operation. When she visited her mother the following day, her face, hands and feet were swollen, she was in extreme pain and could not urinate.

"I phoned the doctor. He said it was normal. But my mother kept on complaining of pain," Hofman said.

When her mother collapsed after a shower, Hofman again phoned Van Almenkerk.

The witness quoted him as saying: "You are bothering me. How old are you?"

The doctor then allegedly said Hofman should take her mother for blood tests, but Hofman said she would rather take her mother to him.

She then drove from her parents' farm in Delmas, but as she did not have the doctor's number with her, she stopped at Pretoria East Hospital.

When the doctor phoned Hofman and she told him they were at the hospital, he allegedly replied: "That was a very stupid thing to do."

Jansen van Rensburg went into a coma and was taken to the ICU. She died there after two heart attacks.

Albertina Maria Pretorius, a sister at Van Almenkerk's clinic, said Jansen van Rensburg weighed about 52kg. She wanted liposuction on her inner thighs and back. Apparently the patient had previously undergone botox and skin treatments.

This article was originally published on page 4 of The Pretoria News on March 16, 2004

And unless you think it can't happen here...

Olivia 'First Wives Club' Goldsmith dies after face lift

17.01.2004
By JEREMY LAURANCE
She was the spurned spouse who got everything – money success and fame. But her money could not buy her time. Olivia Goldsmith, best selling author of the popular comic novel First Wives Club, has died aged 54 after complications following a facelift.

The self deprecating author whose book was made into a Hollywood blockbuster starring Goldie Hawn in 1996, was reported to have had a reaction to the anaesthetic while undergoing surgery to remove loose skin from under her chin.

She was admitted to the Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospitals in New York on Wednesday. According to her literary agent, Nicholas Ellison, she had a heart attack as she went under anaesthesia and lapsed into a coma. She was transferred to Lennox Hill hospital but died later. General anaesthetics are a rare, but recognised, risk of surgery and in many cases carry a higher risk than the operation itself. A former management consultant, Ms Goldsmith took up writing after divorcing her husband, a business executive whom she once described as "tremendously charismatic but totally irresponsible." The First Wives Club was her first book, published in 1992, which playfully imagined the revenge of three women who had been dumped by their husbands for younger second wives.

 

[Acid]

 

[Alejandro]

Oh my

 

[Sephora_Socialite]

Hahah..okay...see I was scared shitless about having an operation done...or actually more on having an anesthesia put on....

Now even more...

Um now I think I'm glad I made my decision to not do it this summer...

I'll stick to the gym and diet....

 

[As You Like It]

Originally posted by tealady+Apr 20th, 2004 - 10:22 am--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tealady @ Apr 20th, 2004 - 10:22 am)</div><div class='quotemain'> <!--QuoteBegin-Sephora_Socialite@Apr 20th, 2004 - 12:12 am
..Hhmm right now I'm having so many feelings about plastic surgery...

My mother wants me to have some stuff done. Some basic liposuction/lipoplasty on different areas especially. My tummy and my thighs mostly...I have lost some weight and when I was fat I had a lot bigger stomach than now...its gross that there is skin that is very loose there. Possibly under chin was well.
At first my mom concidered to have my stomach banded(I forgot the name of the surgery, but its not gastric bypass which uses stapling)but I am not morbidly overweight. Just slighty chubby so that surgery is not really necessary if I lose maybe 15 pounds more then did lipo, it would have better effects than banding my stomach.

Mind you, I'm only in highschool and that causes a lot of the conflict. Since I am young a lot of people say that I should just wait later if I ever do it, but thats the reason why my mom wants me to do it now. I am young, she hates the fact that my body issues set me back on a lot of things and if I did it when I was older, its already stubborn fats instead of baby fats that would more likely stay away if liposuctioned out.

I'm too scared to do anything drastic like that,even as much as I want to be able to not worry about my belly hanging out. I have a slight fear of needles and I don't like pain..I'm such a baby..Also, I used to critize girls my age who have things done so it urks me if I become one of them. Hell I'm just confused.

No, no, no, no, NO!

NEVER, EVER have plastic surgery of any kind because someone ELSE thinks it's a good idea. You are much too young for the kind of surgery your mother is proposing. Your body is still changing and developing. And in case your mother doesn't know, women are supposed to have rounded bellies. It's one of the things that makes us female and feminine.

Frankly, it seems to me that your mother's attitude is much more likely to cause you "issues that set you back on a lot of things" than anthing your body is doing.

I rarely jump into people family quarrels and as you can see, this one has made me . [/b][/quote]
I acree 100% with everything Tealady said. I am glad you are not going to go along with your mom's ideas. I ams ure that your mother is a wonderful woman, and she has your best interests at heart, but it raises SERIOUS red flags that she was trying to get you to go in for major, risky, elective surgery, especially before your body is truly done developing.

This is something they never tell you in health class, but after you stop growing, your body starts filling out. I have MUCH better muscle mass and definition now at 27 than I did at 17, and a lot greater strength and endurance. While I still wear a size 4, my body looks a lot different. My arms and legs are a lot thicker, my shoulders are more squared, and I don't hunch over my boobs anymore, since I have gotten used to the idea of having them. I haven't changed my exercise or eating habits significantly since then, but my body has matured.

So anyway, what I am getting at is that your gym-going will probably start kicking in once your body stops growing and finishes developing and your shape may change some more. A lot of women get more by way of breast and hip curviture, and you may find your proportions have evened out.

Also, if you really enjoy your workouts at the gym or love a particular sport, if you make this part of your daily allowance of pleasures, it *will* help you feel more positive about your body. There is a thrill one can get out of achieving a physical goal. It is a quantifiable success, if you plan to swim say 50 laps, and once you get to where you can do 50, then you have met your goal. Since you are concentrating on a specific goal, be it running a distance, lifting X-amount of weight, attaining a particular yoga pose, ect, you spend less time criticizing the little flaws of your body and more time on getting the best performance out of your body. By the time you have met your self-imposed athletic achievement, you'll probably notice the benefits of your increased fitness in the looks of your body.

 

[banana]

I agree with asyoulikeit and tealady. This isn't one of those situations where "mother knows best". Plastic surgery is dangerous, gross and painful. I would never want to get it done unless something really severe happened to me.

I once saw a woman on a talk show who had to have several surgeries because her face was run over by a car. Even after the surgeries she still didn't look anything near what she looked like before. I felt really bad for her of course but it made me realize how insanely lucky I am to have my face. I guess it's something to think about when stressing over minor imperfections.

But I guess I can see why someone would want surgery to change a feature that is really noticable and disproportionate. Hopefully it is worth the risk...

 

[scandinavianchic]

I've hear that getting your nose done is a very special kind of surgery, because it can totally change they way you look. So be careful if you go through with it!

 

[eloes]

WARNING about nose surgery: If you sing, do NOT get a nosejob. The surgery can change your voice and you can never fix that. I don't remember where I learned that, but it has to do with the structure inside of your nose.

The whole idea freaks me out so much because I love to sing. I'm worried that if I ever break my nose it could affect my voice, which would just break my heart.

I'm generally anti-plastic surgery because I think it makes people look fake, although there are certainly situations in which is can be appropriate (including accidents). Perhaps if this is really a problem to you, you should consider it, but a nose job can seriously change the way your face looks.

As to Sephora, please consider what purple, tealady, and AsYouLikeIt have said. I think it's awful of your mother to try to convince you to do something that you aren't comfortable with, especially since this can undermine your self-esteem so much. I think that the exercise plan is a really good idea, and if you still have a problem with extra skin, talk to a doctor about potential solutions (not your mom). Wait until you're older to approach surgery, though, and be careful not to get hooked.

 

[Sephora_Socialite]

eloes, purple, tealady, asyoulikeit

thank you all for your insights...

I have decided to wait til I'm older IF I EVER even go through with it...


My mom gave me it as a option, not a requirement. Only I can say go.

As for working out, you sparked an idea Asyoulikeit. I made a lil chart of mini goals...I put in the amount of weights I can go, push-up,crunches, running miles, minutes on the stairs, laps in the pool, etc and every time I go and I see improvement I log it onto the chart.

I put that my goal is to reach at around twice the amount of everything by the time school starts up(around Sept.)

And just to go with the whole systematic thing, I think I'll get out the tape measure and make a chart for inches off my body and also for weight just to see how far I've gone.

I lost about 20 pounds since Jan., but I'm a long way from my goal...I got all year to try to get to it...even fairly close to it I'm happy. Yes, I kinda have a slight body issue with myself sometimes, but I concern myself mostly on being a healthier me.

 

[softgrey]

i've been staying away from this thread because my feelings on this subject are so strong...


i do not believe in elective surgery...period...end of story...
what happened to accepting people for the way they are...doesn't that go for ourselves as well...
changing what we look like is not the answer...
changing how we feel about ourselves and each other is...

peace and love...

 

[Sephora_Socialite]

Originally posted by softgrey@Apr 26th, 2004 - 9:56 pm
i've been staying away from this thread because my feelings on this subject are so strong...


i do not believe in elective surgery...period...end of story...
what happened to accepting people for the way they are...doesn't that go for ourselves as well...
changing what we look like is not the answer...
changing how we feel about ourselves and each other is...

peace and love...

.....Wow words of the wise.

 

[eloes]

I agree with you softgrey. Have you seen the surgery shows on tv nowadays? The people are so insecure and it's very sad and upsetting to see them being told that they can 'improve' themselves by these sick methods. What happened to loving ourselves and our bodies? 'Your body is your temple,' right? It's so sad that this idea is disappearing...

 

[purplelucrezia]

Originally posted by eloes@Apr 27th, 2004 - 10:00 pm
I agree with you softgrey. Have you seen the surgery shows on tv nowadays? The people are so insecure and it's very sad and upsetting to see them being told that they can 'improve' themselves by these sick methods. What happened to loving ourselves and our bodies? 'Your body is your temple,' right? It's so sad that this idea is disappearing...

I actually watched an episode of the Swan the other night. Really just to see what the whole debate (at my house at least) was about. Really disturbing stuff, it was so sad to see these women, who were actually quite pretty begin with, turn themselves into plastic-y, fake creatures. And the shots of them sitting with their heads bound in bandages with purple, swollen lips and blood-rimmed eyes frightened me off all this permanently.

 

[leyla m.]

if there is omehting you can change to make your life better, do it.
i would have been miserable if i didnt have my nose job...
i dont wanna encourage anyone but its my view

 

[banana]

Iranian women have very prominent noses. It's like the first thing you notice on their faces (out of the girls I've met anyway). So I can see why one would want to change it.

What I meant by my posts is that surgery is something serious, and that it is something you want to undergo the risk to change. It can't be treated frivolously like getting your haircut. Also, part of the reason why I think shows like the swan are sick is that these women are honestly led to believe that their lives will be better if they completely change their appearances.

 

[tealady]

Curiouser & Curiouser

This is
LONDON
06/05/04 - Life & style section

Twins have identical makeover
By Mark Prigg, Evening Standard

They are twins and, like all twins, they think alike. They both decided they did not like the way they looked, and both decided to do something about it.

As the pictures show, the change was radical. Caroline and Catherine, 33, used a team of surgeons, stylists and make-up artists to make themselves look more like each other.

They claim they were sick of being known as the "ugly twin" and the "pretty twin". The list of procedures they went through in seven weeks included tummy tucks, major dental work and nose and breast reconstructions.

The pain each woman suffered was immense. "It was like a train had run over my chest," said Caroline. "The plastic surgery wasn't too bad but the dental work really hurt. I spent seven and a half hours in the chair one day. I had no idea how much it would hurt."

The surgery, which was paid for by the makers of Extreme Makeovers - on Living TV tonight at 10pm - cost almost £40,000.

"We would have never been able to afford it but it has really made a difference to our lives, particularly for Caroline," said Catherine. "I used to get upset at being known as the pretty twin. Now when we go out she seems to get more attention from guys than me, which is taking some getting used to."

The twins moved in together once the programme was finished, with Catherine leaving her home in San Jose, California, to be with Caroline in Carson City, Nevada. Catherine, a hair stylist, claims the surgery has "brought them closer together than ever". As children, the girls were identical. However, Catherine broke her sister's nose while playing when they were young.

This, coupled with the fact that their parents could only afford braces for Catherine, led to Caroline being known as the "ugly twin".

The list of procedures carried out on the two women is staggering. For Caroline, a dog groomer, everything from a tummy tuck to major dental reconstruction was crammed into seven weeks.

The biggest part of the makeover was correcting her teeth, which had grown weak due to a lack of dental care. "My teeth were almost crumbling in my mouth," she admitted. Dentists covered 20 of her teeth with porcelain veneers, remodelled her gums and carried out lip surgery and two root canal treatments.

She was also given a chin implant to improve her profile, along with a breast enlargement, thigh liposuction and nose reconstruction. "It's made a massive difference to my confidence," she said. "Since the surgery I've started my own business, which I just couldn't have done before. I would definitely do it again."

Even "pretty" Catherine was put under the knife. She had a tummy tuck, breast enlargement and other procedures.

Meanwhile, the terrestrial channel Five is planning to broadcast a new docu-soap that features plastic surgery. Doctors will provide commentaries as they perform the nips and tucks on Plastic Surgery Live.

The surgery will be shown "as live" with a short delay after it is performed, in what is thought to be a first for UK terrestrial television.

It follows the denunciation of several US reality shows featuring cosmetic surgery makeovers.

 

[As You Like It]

I cannot see how this could be anything but traumatic to the body. 7 hours at the dentist??? Is that even legal? When my husband had to have 3 crowns done last year due to wearing his teeth down from grinding them in his sleep, it was done in a series of 6 sessions, with moulds and fittings, and also to make sure that his mouth had a chance to recover from each procedure and to be sure that the crowns were fitting properly. I simply cannot imagine this being in any way healthful. Maybe it looks pretty for the moment, but will they stay comfortable and be durable?

I think it is just tragic and kind of sick that the parents would only pay for braces for the one girl. Braces aren't just a cosmetic measure. They help make it easier to clean your teeth properly (and it sounds like this woman had had problems maintaining her teeth properly) as well as correct an over or under bite. An uncorrected, misaligned jaw can result in TMJ and/or broken and worn teeth later on in life. If I had two kids, and they both needed braces, I would find a way to make it happen. You do not treat one child's health issues and not the other's. That is simply bad parenting. What does that say to the kid? How do you make a decision like that? It very obviously affected this girl's self-esteem immensely, and I should hope her parents look at this show now and think, "My god, look how deeply it scarred our daughter to be the 'ugly twin' because we couldn't manage to take care of her teeth and treat her fairly back then!"

The rest of it---that is madness. I think breast augmentation is a seriously insane idea. A reduction is sometimes done for medical reasons--to releive back strain, but implants are simply a cosmetic measure, and generally look pretty fake. I can see using them as reconstructive devices after a mastectomy, to maintain a symmetrical figure, but just to make your boobies a little bigger? Come on. It ruins the functionality of your breasts. If you have implants, and you have a baby later on, you can't breast-feed, and zillions of studies have shown that it is most healthful and beneficial to breast feed your baby, and that it generally helps the woman lose weight, post-partum.

 

[lmichele]

Ive always felt that what makes people different is what makes people beautiful... Im not against people who want plastic surgery, I just sort of think it all makes us conform a little bit more to society's "ideals." I know I personally would never have plastic surgery ( barring any freak accidents ) but to everyone his or her own decision...

:-)

 

[purplelucrezia]

Originally posted by banana@Apr 28th, 2004 - 10:59 am
Iranian women have very prominent noses. It's like the first thing you notice on their faces (out of the girls I've met anyway). So I can see why one would want to change it.

And that's precisely why I wouldn't want to. Your facial features are part of your ethinicity.