Would you ever get plastic surgery?


A few weeks ago I was having dinner with some friends. Conversation turned, as it so often does while you’re trying to enjoy your dinner, to talk of something a bit gross. In this case it was plastic surgery.

Now I have always said I would never have plastic surgery. It’s expensive, it’s risky and really, I’d rather spend my time and money on something else. Anything else actually. And what’s the deal anyway with having to change the way we look??

Whether it’s a little tummy tuck or a big investment in implants, lots of mums though do toy with the idea of getting a firmer body through surgery. One woman I was with at dinner admitted to having had botox and fillers around her mouth. But just how common is it to actually go through with your surgery dreams?

Numbers from the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons shows that, even though household budgets may be getting tighter, cosmetic surgeries on the whole are increasing. In 2011, the total number of surgeries for women increased by 5.8 percent, with breast augmentation – the most popular procedure – experiencing more than a six percent increase. That procedure was followed closely by eyelid surgery and face/neck lift, up 4.8 and 4.7 percent, respectively.

These operations, combined with less common procedures like rhinoplasty, abdominoplasty, liposuction, fat transfer and brow lifts, made for a 2011 total of 38,771 surgeries for women.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t always go to plan.

As more and more people flock to plastic surgeons hoping to get the face or the body that they’ve always wanted, clinical negligence solicitors have reported that claims related to botched procedures have risen, too. In fact, 2011 was the year that the French manufacturer Poly Implant Prothese went into liquidation, uncovering details of potentially harmful silicon meant for industrial use actually composing its breast implants. An estimated 47,000 women could have PIP implants.

This is not to say that surgery is never a positive experience. The key to making the decision of whether to get a cosmetic procedure is to ask yourself why you are pursuing it. If you simply want to improve upon your looks, surgery could be a great way to do that. But if you are thinking of surgery as a way to alter your interactions with others, or as a fix-all solution to other self-image concerns, you are likely to end up disappointed with the results, even if you aren’t a victim of negligence.

Personally, I’d want to dig a little deeper. (Not literally, not with a scalpel or anything…). Someone might say ‘I’m doing it for me, to improve the way I look’ but what does that actually mean? It implies such a whole lot more emotional investment doesn’t it? How do they as an individual imagine that changing the way they look is going to change the way they feel about themselves? Are they hanging hopes of future happiness on something that is so artificial? Is there ever a real justification for putting your life at risk just to change something about your outward appearance?

So, if you do decide to go under the knife, how can you make sure you won’t find yourself in need of medical negligence solicitors? You should always search for a doctor who is certified, or, even better, one who is registered with the General Medical Council. In order to build trust and feel confident that you are in good hands, ask if you can talk to former patients about their surgery experience with the doctor and the medical facility in which they had the operations. Lastly, don’t be afraid to get more than one consultation. You shop around for clothing, food and other mundane items, so it only makes sense to do the same when it comes to your body and your health.

What do you reckon, would you ever consider plastic surgery and if so, what would you have done?

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11 Comments

  1. 27 January, 2013 / 4:29 pm

    I’d have plastic surgery for something “major”, like if I’d had my face burnt off or something, but I wouldn’t have plastic surgery for vanity.

  2. 27 January, 2013 / 5:26 pm

    I agree – I wouldn’t have it for vanity. I have no desire to look younger and would hate to put my body through unnecessary surgery and the risks that go with it.

  3. 27 January, 2013 / 5:36 pm

    I don’t plan on having it any time soon – the thought of going under a general anesthetic for something not life-threatening seems crazy to me – but one thing I have learned is never to say never to anything. I have a number of friends who’ve had cosmetic procudures, some for more frivolous reasons than others, but it’s hard to judge them once you know their reasoning. One friend, for example, had a tummy tuck after 3 full term pregnancies (sadly, with only 2 live births), and when she told me what she was considering I thought she was crazy. Then she showed me the folds of skin hanging down on her stomach – and I have to say, I could see her point..

  4. 27 January, 2013 / 10:01 pm

    I skip the boob job. But would jump at the chance to get the wrinkles ironed and fat sucked out. Hell, yea!

  5. 28 January, 2013 / 2:09 am

    I guess these things are never black and white. While I instinctively think boob jobs are unnecessary, if one has a body that is very far from the ‘norm’, it’s easy to understand the impulse to alter according to need.
    It’s the same with women who feel that their bodies have altered in a dramatic and wholly unwelcome way post-children. As a bloke, I’m not sure I’m overly qualified to preach in any case!
    Equally, I’m suspicious of blokes (and women!) who are intolerant of ‘different’ or ‘unconventional’ body shapes and sizes.
    And I’m VERY suspicious of scalpel-happy doctors and a multi-million (billion?) pound industry that encourages people to hate or be ashamed of their ‘imperfect’ selves.

  6. 28 January, 2013 / 8:26 am

    I had a tummy tuck when I was 21, I knew the risks and understood that no result would ever be perfect. In a ideal world I wouldn’t have needed it, But having it done gave me a chance of a normal life. Results wise I now have a wonky belly button with weird excess fat on my hips but It’s liveable and a small price to pay to have some normality in my life as people treated me like a freak before the operation.

    I always said I wanted more but I’ve come to accept my body now, So who knows If I will want more in the future.

  7. auntiejanola
    28 January, 2013 / 9:35 am

    I don’t think I could ever get plastic surgery – just because I am freaking out just because of the word “surgery” there…But I do believe its a personal choice for everyone and sometimes there’s a deeper story behind those decisions that no-one else can notice. I agree, sometimes it is just vanity but sometimes people really do feel bad about themselves, about the way they look and then, if it is supposed to help them, why not? Dieting, make-up, high-heels – it’s all the same…

  8. 1 February, 2013 / 11:05 am

    I do wish women would focus more on building their character or their kindness or their educational level or something, rather than always focusing on the way they LOOK. Plastic surgery is all such a hiding to nothing anyway, because if you paint the door jamb, you have to paint the door and then you end up painting the whole house…

    Besides, the first person I ever met in real life who had had Botox, I thought was a stroke victim – her procedure had had the exact opposite effect of what she was aiming for, in that it made her look older because her face was less mobile.

  9. 25 February, 2013 / 5:32 am

    It is good to know that many people are benefitting from Plastic Surgery. The only thing to consider is choosing the surgeon. Make sure he is well experienced and is reliable!

  10. 17 October, 2014 / 4:45 am

    I do have to agree that it really depends on the reasons of the people who plan to go under the knife. It is indeed common that some go for cosmetic surgery purely because of vanity. but, there are times when some people decided to go with the procedure their reasons are just.

  11. 28 September, 2015 / 5:05 pm

    Getting plastic surgery is not always about keeping up with the trends but also about personal satisfaction. This means that getting plastic surgery is completely dependent upon personal choice, which can never be argued with as everyone has different opinion on every matter.

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