--WRITTEN BY: P3ST
Ok, look at the picture below carefully. Now tell me which is Janet Cunliffe, age 50, and her daughter Jane, age 29. Maybe it's just me, but I had to take a few long looks before figuring out that the woman on the left is the product of nearly $15,000 worth of cosmetic surgeries (the hands gave her away!). One might be impressed by the wonders of medical science today in transforming a woman of that age into that of her daughter 21 years younger, but I cant help but think, is this what our society has come to? I'm sure many mothers out there have looked enviously at their daughters in the prime of their lives while shrugging resignedly at their winkles, droopy eyelids and all other signs of old age, but now you know it's perfectly possible to regain your youthfulness as long as you have the money to spare.
I'm not saying that what Janet did was wrong- she's perfectly entitled to spend her money in what ever that makes her happy. What I'm more concerned about is the role of cosmetic surgery being increasingly perceived as the instant solution to problems like low self esteem and poor self image over other traditional means such as counselling. I believe everyone is insecure about their bodies at some point, but are we taking our insecurities too far? In fact, are we even being unknowingly led to think that our flat noses,laugh wrinkles,small breasts, love handles are all wrong because hey, those celebrities and models you see in the media dont have them, and that happiness and success in life can only be achieved after correcting these imperfections?
Take South Korea for example, with many well known celebrities 'coming out' about their plastic surgeries over the years in order to please their fans and garner more showbiz opportunities. The resulting media interest on cosmetic surgery is so overhyped that parents are giving their offsprings plastic surgery packages as graduation gifts in hope that better looks will lead to a brighter future. More and more young koreans are being led to think that exernal beauty is more important in ensuring their success in life, with eight out of ten women over the age of 18 feeling the need to go for cosmetic surgery and nearly 70% suffering stress because of their appearance in a recent survey. What is even more disturbing is that one in two women in the same survey indicating that they had undergone cosmetic surgery at least once. Media programs too, has excebated this phenomenon by distorting the vision of beauty and sending messages to the masses that cosmetic surgery will solve all problems and completely transform lives. In USA reality shows like The Swan, Extreme Makeover, participants are given free cosmetic treatments in return for meeting their own personal goals from getting a job, saving a marriage gone cold to winning a beauty pageant.Ever noticed how such shows always focus on interviewing the subject and their families over the transformation while editing away massive portions of the process and ugly post surgery effects like swollen face? That's right, what these shows did not tell viewers are the risks and pain involve in undergoing such treatments, and the high maintenance and regular follow ups needed in order to keep the changes going. Instead they choose to glorify the process and concentrate on protraying the idea of the means justifying the ends, thus grossly misleading viewers with extremely wrong perceptions on cosmetic surgery that it is a small price to pay for vanity and everlasting happiness.
Now here lies another problem. When do we know enough is enough? We are all pressured into coping with the stress of modern living- the need to fit in with everyone else, having an edge over others in order to stand out and be chosen for success. This fear of being left behind in the race for perfection has inevitably led to some people resorting to drastic means in order to make them feel better about themselves. Coupled with deep seated insecurities or other forms of obsessive compulsiveness to be perfect, problems of unrealistic expectations have surfaced. As one well known Korean plastic surgeon remarked “ I'm not a psychologist, I can only improve what's on the outside.”
The danger of addiction is very real. What most people dont realise is that cosmetic surgery is ultimately still an extremely lucative business, and how patients might be subtly manipulated by their own plastic surgeons into undergoing more and more treatments in their quest for ultimate beauty. For example, many plastic surgeons have taken on offering lunch hour procedures such as botox injections and microdermabrasion. While these low risk, instant result treatments are very popular and considered affordable, they are only temporary in terms of effectiveness. The surgeons themselves know it, and they cant be happier to slot you in for more appointments or recommend treatments once you point out an imperfection on your body. Afterall, it's all possible as long as you can pay them. Before you know it, you are seeing your plastic surgeon every month, looking into the mirror everyday and finding new things to get upset about, getting more disatisfied with the last treatment or surgery because you think your nose should be even higher now that you know you can make it so and it's time to start saving for it.
This brings us to the Dorian Gray Syndrome.I know an ex-colleague who admitted frankly “once you are in, it's hard to stop, no one wants to look like an old hag when you know you can avoid it.” She first started out with a simple botox injection out of curiosity, and over the years it had branched out to various nose jobs,liposuctions, breast enlargement and whatever impefections about herself that she can think of and knows can be corrected through surgerical means (I hope she's just joking about perfecting her vagina). But will changing the physical aspects of our bodies really remove those hidden fears and difficulties in coping with the realities of aging and maturation of both body and mind? I really do not think so. What I think everyone needs to understand is that we will all grow old eventually, and that it's part of nature. Changing the physical body through artificial means is as good as deceiving youself because ultimately, if you are rotten inside, everyone will still be able to see it and you will never achieve happiness for long. The more insecure you are, the more people will notice and in turn leads to you getting more and more drastic or even dangerous treatments in order to compensate the fear-it's really a neverending cycle. Instead, it's a less painful and much more enriching experience to just embrace your years and see the changes on your body as a positive testament to getting over hundles in life and appreciating what you have achieved,no matter how big or small.
That I think, is really what life is about.
Taken from: http://thejamkingshow.wordpress.com/2009/04/15/50-year-old-mother-who-has-spent-10000-on-surgery-to-look-like-her-daughter/
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