A few days ago, my almost teen daughter returned from school, a tad disturbed. Some of her classmates were discussing the LASIK appointments their parents had made. Even though these children won’t be of legal age for LASIK for another 5 or 6 years, the appointments have already been made, and the doctors are diligently gathering data as they monitor the development of the children’s eyes.
In our home, whenever the question of surgery has come up for any medical reason, we have always explored less invasive methods and only opted for surgery when it was deemed absolutely necessary.
So my daughter could not believe her friends wanted to go to such lengths, just to avoid wearing glasses. This prompted her to do some research on cosmetic surgery and I got curious too.
Our research has revealed some interesting facts and shocking truths.
Plastic Surgery Is Ancient
When one thinks of plastic surgery, it seems like a modern fetish. But that’s not true. The earliest evidence of plastic surgery dates back to the ancient Egyptians. The first known detailed text on plastic surgery, the Sushruta Samhita from India dating back to around 600 BC documents procedures that are still used today.
Wartime
Wartime is that surreal period when common sense is crippled but ingenuity thrives.
The turmoil and large scale destruction of life and property seems like such a pointless waste. Yet oddly, it’s in times of war that we humans have made the most scientific and technological progress. Planes, nuclear physics, and computers developed rapidly after the first world war and during the course of the second world war. The cold war propelled man to the moon.
Similarly, plastic surgery too developed rapidly after the first world war. The wide spread use of bombs and bullets for the first time, left multitudes of otherwise healthy people with disfiguring facial scars. Plastic surgery came to their rescue.
While several procedures developed to cope with their injuries improved physiological quality of life, a few were cosmetic in nature. These soldiers wanted to be accepted, not shunned or pitied.
But the question we need to ask ourselves is, should they have needed to undergo additional painful procedures to secure the acceptance of the people they risked their lives to protect? Something for us as a society to ponder on.
Confusing Kids With Mixed Messages
Modern education frowns upon bullying. It encourages kids to look for inner beauty and emphasizes the importance of talent, ability and perseverance over appearance. Yet modern parents, more than ever before, encourage their kids to use make-up.
What are these mixed messages we are sending our kids? Are the parents at fault?
Not really. Parents just want what is best for their kids. Unfortunately parents themselves are confused. Do we raise our kids to make a better tomorrow we all hope for, or do we simply equip them to cope with the far from ideal, real world of beauty and the boost?
But the signals we give little children are quite mixed up. On one hand, kids in most Indian schools are not allowed to wear makeup to school. Why? Is it because it is bad for them? Then why do their teachers and mothers wear so much of it?
Is it because it is a source of distraction? Then again why do their mothers and teachers wear it to the work place?
Is it because they’re too young for it? Then why do parents let them wear it to parties? Aren’t they too young for it there too?
Messed Up Teens
The dreaded teenage years, when the mind and body become a battlefield for raging hormones and previously learned ethics and values, are a struggle to navigate. But add to that the mixed messages coming from the most trusted sources.
Teens are told that true confidence comes from within. They are advised to accept themselves for who they are. Shakespeare encourages them to be true to themselves.
Yet mothers encourage kids to use concealers to hide those ugly pimples or wax off the unseemly leg hair. Why do they need to be hidden or done away with? Are they a source of shame? Well, that is clearly implied, even if no one speaks it out loud.
And then we wonder why teenagers are so insecure.
Acne, skin issues, awkward gait from sudden growth spurts, bloating from periods are quite enough to cope with. Does tan that protects skin from UV radiation, also have to be done away with? My pre-teen daughter went to a birthday party where the return gift was a de-tan cream. I was shocked.
But again, are the parents at fault?
Women often talk of using make up not to impress others, but to boost their own self confidence. But that begs the question, why do women need make-up to feel confident? What is the underlying social flaw that causes them to need such a crutch? Of course, no single woman can address this wide spread deep rooted issue. It's something for us all to at least think about, but what else can individual women do but learn to expertly apply make-up and teach their daughters to do the same? And then it's a small step from using make-up to opting for cosmetic surgery.
But unfortunately, it’s a viscous cycle. If good looks help your confidence and career, then every generation tries to look even better. Why stop at make-up or a rhinoplasty? As this website proudly announces,
Meet Cindy Jackson, she has successful completed 52 plastic surgery treatment ranging from face lifts to knee liposuction. Cindy Jackson holds the record for most plastic surgery treatments completed by one person.
Then there is the unfortunate story that was recently on the news of the Chinese woman who died from undergoing 6 cosmetic surgeries in one day.
Plastic Surgery Addiction
Getting cosmetic surgery seems like the obvious and socially approved of solution for someone with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). But that only treats the symptom and not the underlying cause. It provides short term satisfaction, but soon leaves the patient craving for more, eventually leading to an addiction.
Prejudice
While there has been significant efforts made towards fighting racism, the playing field is nowhere near even. This propels people from disadvantaged races to undergo racially motivated cosmetic surgery.
From skin bleaching to double eye-lid surgery, everyone is simply trying to succeed in a world where a few races dominate the narrative. But is that right? Something for all of us to think about.
The Double Edged Scalpel
Just like any other tool, the surgeons scalpel too can be used for good or for evil. While plastic surgeons are bound by the Hippocrates oath to do no harm, what is harm is not always clear. Is the boost to a woman’s career worth a small risk to her life or well being?
If a bit of skin bleaching can help her fight racism, isn’t it worth the small risk of an unexpected reaction to the chemicals involved?
If this procedure will make a woman happier can her doctor really discourage it, if the risks are small?
Tools and techniques developed by science and medicine can be used for good or for harm. The application depends on the user. But that’s not the end of it. It depends on society too. A society that values merit, fights sexism, and obsesses less about appearance or race can direct the surgeons scalpel to heal rather than dress up prejudice.
Social Media
When celebrities like Michel Jackson or influencers like Kim Kardashian flaunt plastic surgery that alters them beyond recognition, they definitely leave a mark on many teenage minds.
Teenagers eagerly discuss these personalities and emulate them.
Social media usage pressures teens to look their best in numerous selfies and group photos broadcast on various platforms, where their peers judge them, causing them to obsess over minor flaws. The desperation for pictures to get likes and go viral can prompt teens to take unfortunate risks, like undergoing botox treatment, which if it goes awry can have alarming consequences.