Should Plastic Surgery Be Encouraged?

What is Plastic Surgery? Longman Dictionary (1987) defines Plastic Surgery as the repairing or improving of damaged, diseased, or unsatisfactorily shaped parts of the body with pieces of skin or bone taken from other parts of the body. The word "plastic" derives from the Greek, plastikos meaning to mould or to shape and its use here is not connected with the synthetic polymer material known as plastic. There are two types of plastic surgery which are Reconstructive surgery which is made to improve irregular functions of the body, and Cosmetic surgery which is made to improve appearance.

Although plastic surgery can enhance the physical beauty, give a real confidence boost and give a better perspective of life, there are negative effects in other ways.

Opponents argue that plastic surgery can improve the appearance and produce a healthier look that can change their entire lifestyle. The results of the plastic surgery are only temporary lasting and it may lead to the changing of unfavorable shape of the surgical area.

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Plastic surgery also involves numerous surgical risks such as pain, infections, allergic reactions, nausea and vomiting, which are usually related with any type of surgery. Most of the infections were acute infections which developed immediately after the surgery, while the rest happened months or, in a few cases, years after surgery (BBC News, 2005).

Nerve damage is another danger of plastic surgery that people considering plastic surgery must be aware of. Some patients can experience problems moving muscles in the area where the surgery was performed or have loss of feeling in the area that was operated on after plastic surgery.

Plastic Surgery may also cause excessive bleeding, heart attack or even a drop in blood pressure that might lead to death of the patient. Deaths due to plastic surgery should be a matter for serious public concern.

Another argument put forward is plastic surgery can give real confidence, increase self-esteem and satisfaction about one-self. Plastic surgery has the possibility to become an addiction because they feel enamored with the result and look forward to a change in each and every part of their body. According to board certified New York plastic surgeon Dr. Sydney Coleman, cosmetic surgery addiction can be caused by a medical condition called body dismorphic disorder (BDD) (Pruitt, 2009). This is a disorder that causes a person to consider themselves is hideous, not matter how attractive they really are. They feel that if they are not happy, then they must not be beautiful. In order to be happy, they must become beautiful.

The problem is the lack of happiness does not stem from their physical appearance. Once people with this condition turn to plastic surgery, they have to go back for more, because the change in their appearance does not bring the desired effect on their happiness. As such, plastic surgery becomes an obsession for them. Natural beauty and inner beauty are more precious than fake beauty and we should be grateful and accept what God gave us. Who are we to mess with what God made? The cost of plastic surgery is expensive, will cause depression and there will be difficulty in settling the payment. They are too fanatic to do plastic surgery until they never consider all these things and this will cause emotional problems.

Opponents also claim that plastic surgery would give a better perspective of life by getting a date or even a better job. However, they may face emotional problems because their family or friends maybe unable to accept them and criticize them. Patients with unrealistic expectations about their transformation will undergo a major disappointment and they get angry with the surgeon for damage done. The unattractive mark and swollen that often accompanies plastic surgery can worsen this effect, because patients often look much worse before they look better.

Sometimes, the patients who are desperate to have plastic surgery are not prepared for the surgery and they may regret, feel guilty for taking such a decision. Patients may have to deal with things like deformation, severe scarring, or even paralysis. At the same time they may feel it is their own fault for having chosen surgery, and these may feel guilty and horrible (McQueen, 2010).

In addition, if the plastic surgery is done by an inexperienced surgeon, the patient may live with deformity caused by a poor skilled surgery or undergo other painful surgeries to repair the damage. So, it is advisable to check the background of the surgeon before the surgery commitment is agreed upon (Jimmy Sturo, 2007). It is important to know the number of cases that have been performed before by the surgeon in a similar vein before placing trust on the practitioner. In a nut shell, women and teens should know the risks involved when they are having plastic surgery. The facts above are clearly stated that plastic surgery brings more negative effects than positive effects. Staying in shape and taking good care of oneself can do wonders on a person’s appearance more successfully than plastic surgery could. Every single person is unique and that is what makes life so special.

Reference list

1. BBC News.(2005) Infection risk of breast implants. [Online]. Retrieved on 2 July 2010 from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4226577.stm

2. Pruitt, E. (2009). PlasticSurgery.com. Cosmetic Surgery Addiction. [Online]. Retrieved on 2 July 2010 from: http://www.plasticsurgery.com/breast-augmentation/cosmetic-surgery-addiction-a763.aspx

3. McQueen, V. (2010). Ezine Articles. Plastic Surgery Facts. [Online]. Retrieved on 2 July 2010 from: http://ezinearticles.com/?Plastic-Surgery-Facts&id=4563292

4. (1987). Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English. Great Britain: Longman.

5. Sturo, J. (2007). Ezine Articles. Bad Plastic Surgery. [Online]. Retrieved on 20 July 2010 from: http://ezinearticles.com/?Bad-Plastic-Surgery&id=429488