Cosmetic Surgery

So what do you guys think about cosmetic surgery? are there any risks, short term or long term, involved?
What do you think is the safest and most dangerous procedure available?

I'm against any elective surgery, although I did have the LASIK procedure done on my eyes, and I absolutely love it- my insurance classifies it as a cosmetic procedure, thats why I brought it up.

I'd never be cut open for the sake of looks- unless it was necessary due to an accident or something- "repair work" i guess would be the way to put it, but not "upkeep" work.

watch Nip/Tuck on FX- it's pretty close- medically- to the way most patients are when it comes to cosmetic surgery.

I would also have lasik surgery for my eyes and, of course, rehabilitative surgery if I should suffer disfigurement in an accident etc.
Being 52, I've mulled over the idea of "having my face done" and decided not to for several reasons:
1. I do not want to incur the risk of general anesthesia for vanity and I certainly don't want major surgery with only local anesthesia.
2. Most importantly, I have decided that our "cult of youth" has gone too far. Why should I try to look as if I am 21 (even if possible?). When looking at my face, now, I see character. Ok, so I'm not a 20 year old anymore, but I'm in good shape, take care of myself, and have learned to cherish those little wrinkles that sneak up. There's an old saying that you earn the face you have at 50 and I think there's some truth to that.
Beauty should not be seen as being only the provenance of the young. Of course, young beauty is a wonder to behold, but there's something graceful, elegant, chic, and joyous about mature beauty.
You don't have to turn 50 and turn into an old bag in saggy polyester dresses.
I still wear jeans, tee shirts, long hair etc. I take care of my face through natural means and my body through exercise. That's the choice I have made. I don't really criticize others' choices.
And, for full disclosure, I will admit to having my teeth zapped for brightness after I gave up my disgusting smoking habit.
joey

Yea, I'm also looking in to the ZOOM teeth whitening, only because I was on several oral medications for various problems when I was a toddler, and it permanently stained my teeth.

but that's the extent of any cosmetic procedures i would have done- LASIK and ZOOM.

I dont think people should be spending money to "improve" there body because they dont feel good about it, when people in the world dont even have the money to feed themselves.

world hunger is not my problem.

if i can spend 1000 bucks to improve my eyesight for 30 or 40 years, then I'm sure as hell going to do it- it saves me hundreds, if not thousands, on contact lenses and eyeglasses over that period of time.

Any type of surgery is not as easy as people think, and plastic surgery have been glamorize and make it look like it is nothing to worry about but they hide the horrible facts that can come as a result for some people.

I had surgery two time in one year and it was not plastic, and one thing I can tell you the pain the physical therapy and everything that comes with it is not a joke.

So I don't get it, how people can choose to go through all that as an elective.

Well to each there own opinion

Laser eye surgery is not something that i really mean when i said it i was talking about liposuction or changes to the physical apperance, and its a shame that you do not care about the plight od others.

I didn't say I didn't care, because I do- so don't say its a shame- i make several large donations, not to mention volunteering my time, to several organizations that attempt to eradicate it.

How much time and money do you donate?

but this is not the forum to discuss my views on world hunger- post your own thread if you want to get on to that topic.

At the start of the forum you asked what i thought about cosmetic surgery and i answered.

And youve asked me a question about it so ill answer,even though you did say this wasnt the topic to discuss it , contradicting yourself a bit there lol.

I cant really afford to donate much money considering my age i dont earn much, i just left high school in england.

And also some organisations dont let you join until your much older, but i do what i can for the local organisations around my area as a i cant travel much, things for the blind , hospice for people. And i finally get to donate blood soon lol. As soon as college is over im out there now.

Sorry if i disrubted the thread lol i wont say anymore unless i am asked anything.

On the topic though cosmetic surgery on the eyes can have its downfalls as i remember someone telling me you cant get into the RAF if you have it done.

I think some of the risks can be that you set yourself up on cosmetic surgery to improve your life , as you think you may be improving yourself by changing into what you think society wants but that can go wrong , i think she was called leslie ash if anyone in the uk knows about it . That went wrong.

I had my nose reduced in size when I was 20. When I look back, it's something that I do regret having done. My nose wasn't really that big to start with!
I regret it, because I allowed myself to be a victim of my own insecurities.
If you really don't need to have work done, then people should actually consider getting counseling for self esteem issues if they feel that they don't look physically attractive.
I have never had counseling for self esteem issues, but my rhinoplasty procedure did serve as a big learning lesson for me. At least I can look back and recognize how stupid I was.
This whole cosmetic surgery thing also raises questions about how people are portrayed in the media, like glossy mags with airbrushed people.
It can be so easy to get sucked into that.

well, I dont agree with liposuction or nips and tucks( why not just do some exercise or change your diet), and i also agree with growing old gracefuly.

Cosmetic surgery is a tricky one because someone who is very close to me went through a third of her life being mistaken for a man( even though she has a feminine face), and this caused her serious depression and she hated herself, so she got a boob job.

My point is why go through life hating something about yourself when you can get something done about it.

But i dont agree with having loads of cosmetic surgery- it can almost become addictive...

Originally posted by Fitzpatrick
At the start of the forum you asked what i thought about cosmetic surgery and i answered.

And youve asked me a question about it so ill answer,even though you did say this wasnt the topic to discuss it , contradicting yourself a bit there lol.

Who are you talking about? because i'm the only one that started the forum...and i havent said anything yet, i didnt say "this wasnt the topic to discuss it"...

what about birth marks on the face ?

Do you feel that insurance should cover the removal of them ?

I do.

But they don't, it's cosmetic surgery, it doesn't matter that someone was laughed at as a kid, not asked out to the prom, missed out on a lot of kid stuff as a youngster, was very very shy even as a young adult becuse of a sizeable birth mark on her face..... it's a shame.

I guess I should answre the original question too :

I don't think that people should mess with thier bodies to improve them. Work with what you've got, be happy that you are alive.





[edit on 20-7-2004 by elevatedone]

Sheisasdumb, no i wasnt talking about you, i was in conversewith bobbo, sorry for not making that clear.

ex wife had her boobies done , it was prob the reason why i married her (im shallow like that )

In my opinion it is fine, if you do it for the right reason. The right reason is so you can look in the mirror and be happy with yourself. The wrong reason is to impress a boy/girl friend, others. Clearly this is in reguards to people who are fine to start with, to repair damage of an accident or such is a no brainer-yes, of course. Women, if your man loves you he will do so for you, not your "figure". If that is a determining factor, you are with the wrong person. If getting a "boob job" is what gets a guy, they are shallow and will end up leaving you for someone else.
Just remember, you have to like you first, the rest will come after that.

IMO, if you can afford it and its something you really need or want - go for it.

The people I know who have had the surgery did it for themselves and had serious body image issues. It wasn't a matter of exercise or diet. One was completely flat chested, one had ears that stuck out and another who had a breast reduction. The change in these women was startling, they were more confident and assertive. Just because most of us are comfortable with our bodies, we shouldn't look down on those who aren't.