When is it too much? -Kelsey Kernstine
I was very intrigued by the lecture last Monday. I cannot believe how much people do to their bodies from tattooing their eyes, their entire bodies, to getting plastic surgery, etc. There is so much new technology, but I feel like a lot of time we misuse it. I think that plastic surgery can be very beneficial for people who have been through a traumatic accident in their lives where plastic surgery can help to restructure a person to a their similar state. However, I think that the number of lips injections, implants, liposuction are out of control. So many people are putting their lives at risk for the sake of looking better. And for the most part, many of them look worse than better after such procedures.
Not only does some of the surgery go badly. People are getting plastic surgery at a younger and younger age. Are we really that insecure of a society to feel that a fifteen year old child should be getting a nose job and implants? I really feel that the surge of plastic surgery is really just a surge of insecurity amongst society produced by the media. It is the whole mentality of never feeling good enough. A feeling of always wanting to look better. However, where is the line drawn? People are obviously not going to stop getting plastic surgery, but when is too much too much? Many surgeons will perform procedures just to make money. Shouldn’t ethics come in at some point. Should doctors really be reconstructing a fifteen year olds nose? In fact, I did a little research on it, according to the Washington Post, it says, “While rhinoplasty remains the most common cosmetic operation for teenagers, doctors are performing an increasing number of procedures such as breast implants, liposuction and tummy tucks on young women like Casto and even girls as young as 14″ (Boodman). Or giving them implants? A New York Surgeon, “said that of the 100 teenage girls to whom he has given implants in the past year, about 20 had an accompanying tummy tuck or liposuction,” (Boodman). Not only are patients getting younger and younger, it has become highly addictive. I have read about people wanting to implant diamonds in their arms or have 20 nose jobs. The following is a clip of a doctor implanting a $3,000 diamond into a patients arm:
http://www.revver.com/video/1059805/surgeon-implants-diamond-under-patients-skin/
It is just interesting to me what doctors allow and agree to these type of procedures. There are so many risks involved. However, plastic surgery is a money making profession. There are many surgeons who claim they will give the cheapest prices for nose jobs, lipo, implants, etc. However, there have been many scandals of people saying they are certified plastic surgeons when they are not, “Ads promoting cosmetic surgery often may mislead prospective patients about the doctor’s training and board certification. ‘A doctor may represent that he or she is a ‘cosmetic’ or ‘plastic’ surgeon, and also ‘board-certified.’” (surgeon.org). Anyone can claim they are a practicing surgeons. So it is very important to make sure that they are a certified surgeon.
As for the tattoos, many people claim that this is an art and a way of expressing themselves. However, I really feel it is more of a way of hiding themselves. Many people would disagree, but what is the point in tattooing your head? Is this really art or just a way to make a statement and get attention from people? Or, tattooing your eye, what is the point? It is very risky and what is the point? What doctor who is trained and certified would agree to do such a surgery? Or, maybe they are not trained or certified. I really think that all of this tattooing of the body and now the eye is more of a statement of society insecurity again rather than the statement of art. But, when does it become too much?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A62540-2004Oct25.html
