What Are Your Thoughts On Plastic Surgery?

[Dulcisima]

I found an interesting link for those who have an interest in plastic surgery http://www.goodplasticsurgery.com/

Plastic Surgery is indeed like a black hole that sucks you in for more! I went to get my vitamin shots, and the doctor who gave me the shots i swear he looks like Dr.Troy out of Nip and Tuck he had everything done on him, his nose, ears, lips....perfection, and he looked very attractive in a natural looking way. But what i didnt like is that he said to me i need a nose job and a bit of a filler on my lips. I have always been happy with my nose, i have no issues with it but now i am starting to notice it more and compare it with others...is my nose wrong? what is the measure of a perfect nose? what if i come from a different ethnic background and that type of nose suits my ehnicity? does the doctor want to catgeorize me under the "de facto" standards of international good looks?
all these questions came popping on my mind, while i was always opininated against plastic surgery now i am much more open to it..i wouldnt want to get my nose done, and i wouldnt want liposuction either, i do want to continue my vitamin shots, i might need a facial lift when i am 60! but i am a bit "iffy" about cutting procedures..
Then again lots of members here are beautiful to start with The Ida's photos are stunning she looks like a model out of European vogue! she made her choice, she knows her face, and her comfort zone and her security level. Sorry The Ida for using you as an example but I still cant get over who stunning your pix are!!!

At the end of the day its our choices, there are many choices we make in our life that are reversabile and plastic surgery is one of them but at least the choice is inflicted on us and not on others.

Sorry for the long post!!!
But from experince " never say never!"

 

[The_Ida]

I'm sure it can be very different depending on the person and dr, but my soreness went away as soon as the incision healed. I believe you had closed rhino tho so you shouldn't have visible incisions, but it was around 3-4 wks for the soreness to go away. I had numbness right around the incision for about 5-6 months, for some people it never goes away. Right now theres no pain but my nose definitely does feel "off", like its something attached to my face and not a part of me... It's uncomfertable if I brush up against my nose when getting dressed or something. I think it may be the swelling still but a freind of mine had rhino several years ago and said his nose still feels a little strange.

My nose doesn't feel weird at all - it did at first, but that was because I was totally numb at the tip. That was actually a pretty funny feeling The numbness is 100% gone now, but whenever I bang my nose against something (like my hand or something...not even that hard) it still hurts a little. And my nose is extremely ticklish. I think my doctor messed around with the inside of the tip of my nose quite a lot. It is getting better though, so 6 months after the surgery sounds very likely...even though I did have closed rhino surgery.

But I'm sure that your nose will feel more normal as time goes by. I can definitely see and feel a difference from just one month ago

Dulcisima You can use me anytime

 

[justlooking]

GG, have you had your legs done yet?!

 

[Guessgirl96]

justlooking I did! A week ago. I also had fat injections and liposuction along one side of my jaw where it's uneven. Theres still tons of swealling and bruising on my legs but I can already see a big difference. The dr has to even out my lips a little in one corner but they look good too. I'm really worried about the nasolabial folds tho, they are not looking good and theres a 75-80% chance the fat is permanent... He's done it well several times before so I dont understand. There has to be something he can do but I think first he would have to wait and see if the fat stays or not and I really cant go a year feeling hideous. I'm seeing him today and hoping it's weird swelling or something.

 

[minstinguett]

Lite_Brite,If it were merely a result of sick culture ( I assume by that you mean "Western" culture since you seem to be American) then why is it that every culture in the world has many forms of body modification? From Africa, to Asia, to Oceania etc, every continent (and every region within each continent) has had it's own idea of beautification for centuries.

This is not to say that your opinion is completely invalid since there are people who impose their standards of beauty on others, which I agree is sick and shallow. And yes, many people want to change a physical feature because they feel insecure, but that is only human and for some the idea that one can possibly feel more secure in herself can be very worthwhile. Some people can find confidence in the traits they dislike over time which is commendable, others struggle fiercely to do so and in the end, hesitantly decide to try another option of body modification. And again, others have only a small, nearly unnoticeable "flaw" that they would like to change just for the sake of balance or based on their personal preferences.

I agree that body image can become a slippery slope for many of us, and I identify with some of the issues you have struggled with, but it is not ones place to judge what others do to their bodies, especially without knowing their personal journeys to that point. Many people dislike tattoos and find them unattractive, but we can be sure that, to a person that has been tattooed, this permanent mark has significance. The same can be said for most cosmetic surgery. On television we see drastic cases of addiction, and botched basement collagen treatments done by unqualified "surgeons", people getting treble-G sized implants just so they know they have the largest set in the world etc. But if one takes the time to look at a cosmetic surgery forum, most people are interested in rather conservative, finesse procedures. They worry about friends and family not recognising them but in the end are disappointed to see that most people never even notice a change until it is pointed out. And of course you see a few who have undergone several surgeries, but most only undergo a primary, or at most one revision if they dislike how their surgery has settled after a year or so. More importantly, most come out of the procedure a bit happier.

I don't assume that this will change you opinion, and there is nothing wrong with that since it is clear that your opinion comes from a place of espousing and encouraging self acceptance . But for me one thing that may also be paired with these ideas of self acceptance is acceptance of other grown people's choices. They may seem saddening to you, but if you try to put your self in the shoes of another maybe you can see how one or two small changes can be worthwhile to another. Even if it only means a small change physically it may reap a large change in another persons confidence.

These are just my thoughts on your commentary, although I don't agree with all of your points, I see and respect the reasons why these opinions have come about.

Extraordinarily well put! As a person who was born with a foot problem and is currently considering corrective surgery, I wholewheartedly agree with you and believe you have put this very well.

I have lived with the difference between my legs for almost 30 Years (I'm 33 now and all surgery was completed by the age of 3). One calf muscle is thinner than the other. This means that short skirts, etc are out of the question as I am very concious of the difference. I am currently in the process of researching the feasibility, cost and safety of getting a leg implant. I know that this is not neccessary by most people's standards, but if I can be guaranteed that this is a safe operation than I will do it as it would make an enormous difference to my confidence and wardrobe (and for the fashion obsessed, such as everyone on this board, I'm sure you can understand the benefits of that!).

As an aside if anyone knows anyone who has had this procedure done, I'd really appreciate feedback or suggestions or advice.

 

[Guessgirl96]

justlooking I did! A week ago. I also had fat injections and liposuction along one side of my jaw where it's uneven. Theres still tons of swealling and bruising on my legs but I can already see a big difference. The dr has to even out my lips a little in one corner but they look good too. I'm really worried about the nasolabial folds tho, they are not looking good and theres a 75-80% chance the fat is permanent... He's done it well several times before so I dont understand. There has to be something he can do but I think first he would have to wait and see if the fat stays or not and I really cant go a year feeling hideous. I'm seeing him today and hoping it's weird swelling or something.

I'm relieved - the dr assured me its swelling, I didnt know fat injections swell a lot more than juvederm. It's slowly looking better

minstinguett how big is the difference between your calves? One side of my body is slightly larger than the other which is normal but it's particularly noticeable in my calves which are very muscular. One of my calves was about 16" at the widest point and the other 17.25" and I'm at a normal weight. I just had liposuction and the dr evened it out as much as possible. I cant see the final result for a few months, I doubt it's goin to be exactley the same since the difference is in the muscle and not the fat but he even it out as much as he could. I can tell me tried extra hard to get as much as he could from one side since it's really sore. If you could get liposuction on your larger leg that would be a lot easier than an implant in the smaller one.

 

[tigerrouge]

Plastic Surgery is indeed like a black hole that sucks you in for more!

The way I view it is that nearly every commercial outlet tries to sell you more 'product' once they have you through the door - a hairdresser will try to get you to buy shampoo to help maintain your colour, a phone shop will try to get you to buy insurance for the handset, a clothes store will try to get you to buy a belt to go with your dress - and some surgeons might try to sell you more procedures in addition to the one you've had.

It's a universal sales pitch where we can recognise the persuasion techniques and stand up and say "no".

 

[The_Ida]

^We have laws against that, and I haven't experienced a surgeon trying so push me into getting something done...because they're not allowed to. It's not an industry in Denmark in the way it is on the US, that's for sure.

 

[minstinguett]

minstinguett how big is the difference between your calves? One side of my body is slightly larger than the other which is normal but it's particularly noticeable in my calves which are very muscular. One of my calves was about 16" at the widest point and the other 17.25" and I'm at a normal weight. I just had liposuction and the dr evened it out as much as possible. I cant see the final result for a few months, I doubt it's goin to be exactley the same since the difference is in the muscle and not the fat but he even it out as much as he could. I can tell me tried extra hard to get as much as he could from one side since it's really sore. If you could get liposuction on your larger leg that would be a lot easier than an implant in the smaller one.

THe difference is about 4cm and is really noticeable from behind I think. I'm a size 4 and the doctor said the skin is very tight on my calves. We discussed making the other leg smaller but apparently there is nothing to lipo out!

 

[Guessgirl96]

THe difference is about 4cm and is really noticeable from behind I think. I'm a size 4 and the doctor said the skin is very tight on my calves. We discussed making the other leg smaller but apparently there is nothing to lipo out!

Your difference is just a little bit more than mine, I agree it was most noticeable from the back. It's too bad you cant just make the larger one smaller. Hope you can find another alternative!

tiger - I agree thats the way a lot of surgeons operate but certainly not everyone. My surgeon always tells me to focus less on my face and is hesitant with anythin I ask him. If I ask if he thinks I need something done, he always says no. He is incredibly caring and honestly I've never felt better taken care of, with the plastic surgery and otherwise.

 

[Guessgirl96]

btw, now that my legs have healed a little more they're looking amazing. I cant believe what a good job the dr did. it looks better than when I was naturally this thin, better shape and not sickly looking. And just like with my facial surgeon, the one that did my legs is kind and honest and I never felt the least bit of pressure.

 

[STYLEOClDE]

Guessgirl and The Ida, I looked back at both of your photos and they are
fantastic! I'm so happy for you two that the surgery went positively well.

I was wondering...is it true that when you lose weight, your nose changes?

 

[justlooking]

That's awesome GG!!

 

[Escale Cherie II]

I wouldn't have it done myself, because I personally kind of have trust issues and would have a problem being unconscious and under the care of people with complicated and sharp equipment

But I would never condone someone else for having it. I wouldn't judge a person for "going under the knife" because that would be like judging the possible inner turmoil that they face, and that's just ignorant and rude and inconsiderate. If plastic surgery is what it takes to make them feel better, and it will help their self esteem, then by all means, let them do it!
Besides, what's done is done. Sometimes it can be reversed, but not usually. This is why I hate the argument "she's more beautiful and a natural beauty because she hasn't had plastic surgery." Well, in terms of physical beauty, I think you should move on and focus on what both of them look like now, and perhaps without makeup would be the natural part. People need to move on-what's done is done. I will admit that sometimes plastic surgery's results can be worse than before, but sometimes it can look really good

 

[tigerrouge]

And there are plenty of procedures which correct things which aren't life-threatening, but which make an enormous difference to people's lives.

Let's take one procedure as an example: breast reduction surgery seems to transform people's lives for the better on so many levels - freedom from the physical strain, a new silhouette enabling them to dress in a different way, and a changed self-image. No-one was going to die from the breasts they had before the operation, but they would probably say they weren't living the life they wanted.

Although on that point, I have read of many women finding out they had early stage breast cancer thanks to the operation - in effect, it gave them a head start on beating the disease which they may not have got if they'd suffered in silence. (I believe all breast tissue removed in a reduction is tested for signs of disease.)

 

[saturnine]

how are your lips going?

sorry to keep asking... I still haven't found anywhere I'm comfortable with, probably because I'd prefer a firsthand recommendation.

I wish there was an aussie cosmetic surgery website with recommendations...

 

[Esperanza]

^ my cousin got her nose done in sydney and i honestly i must say it looks terrible! soo plastic looking!

 

[luisa]

^if she has done it just recently, maybe it will look more natural as time goes by. nose tend to look plastic when they are still "fresh"

 

[Esperanza]

no shes had it done for ages now, its got a weird ridge/tip

 

[tullepen]

well for me it is disturbing to see silicone breasts on such thin women.Could it be any more obvious?!