Lovelyish

When people say they appreciate “natural beauty” they mean they believe in modifying themselves to a lesser extent (as opposed to actually natural without modification)… bar those that actually don’t shave their armpits, etc.

I had a nose job 5 years ago. It had nothing to do with insecurity, though. I had skin cancer, and removing the tumor kind of made a mess of my nose, so I had it reconstructed the same day. After that experience, I don’t think I’d ever want to have any surgery that wasn’t medically necessary. Surgery is not exactly a pleasant experience.

If I had the money, I would get surgery on my abdomen.  I’ve lost 97 pounds and while it’s not the most extreme case of skin sagging, it makes me very self conscious.

If it’s not your thing, it’s not your thing. It’s not necessary in most cases (I say most cases because in several cases it’s reconstructive instead of purely cosmetic). That said, if a little bit of correction is what you need to have a better self-image, then by all means I think you should do it.

I’m planning on having a tummy tuck done within the next year or so. I lost some 75 pounds and I have a good I’d say 5 pounds of flab in my mid-section. It’s enough to make me not take my shirt off in public. I won’t go swimming in a public pool or anything because I am self-conscious of it. That’s why I want it and will have it done at some point. I can’t wait to strut across the beach in nothing but a pair of stubbies shorts or a pair of really short swim trunks. I worked my ass off to lose the weight, I should feel comfortable half-naked, goddamnit.

I’m not one to encourage or advocate getting plastic surgery, but I won’t say I will never get anything done.  I will say, though, I am not a fan of excessive work done very early.  You noted that you feel women will not be concerned about having a larger bust if plastic surgery didn’t exist.  I don’t believe that is true.  We will still fuss with “miracle creams and gadgets” that supposedly increase your bust size, and fancy bras that boost your cup size by way pads, gel inserts, air and water bladders and creative boning.  There are women who naturally have a large bust, I believe it is possible that less endowed women will still be envious of their more voluptuous peers–without plastic surgery they will find other means to get the look they like.  To each their own.  I choose not to, but if others do, that’s their choice.

Eh, to each their own. I’ve been wanting a breast augmentation for as long as I can remember, and I ultimately believe that it will improve my insecurity, and so does my boyfriend, and he HATES anything fake. He would rather just see me happy with myself. I’m getting them done as soon as my credit score is high enough to get a loan. I know myself better than anyone else, so I know this will improve my confidence. I’m a B, but I’m really embarrassed by my chest. I will not leave the house without a Victoria’s Secret Miraculous bra on or at least those chicken cutlet inserts in my bra. I also do not go to the beach or swimming because I’m embarrassed to show my small breasts. If I got an augmentation, this would help me tremendously, and I wouldn’t be ashamed to leave the house without a huge pushup bra on. Like I said, to each their own, but I do know myself better than anyone else, therefore I know what is good for me and what is not.

I wear makeup, and a lot of it. Not because I think I need it (I know I’m gorgeous with and without it), but because its my passion and its an art to me. I don’t see a problem with women who wear it to enhance their appearance. I think everyone deserves to feel confident, and as much as it sucks, not everyone has natural beauty & those people deserve to feel better about themselves.

On a side note, Megan Fox is one of the sexiest women alive. I don’t think she’s had much done, if anything. That’s just a really bad, and younger, before shot. She’s aged, which changes your appearance. I look completely different than I did when I was younger, and I haven’t had anything done to my face.

This argument is tired. We all know that some people got plastic surgery done and it turned out badly, and that your self-esteem should come from the inside, blah blah blah, goes the beauty blog. 

I once wanted fake boobs cuz I though mine were ugly. Then I saw on TV how women looked to be in so much pain after. All for what?! Vanity!? Then how weird it be with these strangle bags of junk in your chest. Also that fashion lady looks hideous and the Dirty Dancing chick doesn’t even look her self! Or Rose Mcgowan (what is the last name again?), I used to think her gorgeous until she went under the knife. So personally, I dislike the idea. I’d prefer people age naturally and love their lop sided tits. 

Though I tell you, do not say never! So with that I say… I prefer not to as Bartleby (how do you spell that again!? Can’t spell worth a s*it today!) would say.

Mind your own business, ignoramus.

@DrummingMediocrity@xanga - I can get behind that. 

I’m the same way. I don’t support plastic surgery unless it is needed for reconstructive purposes. 

I used to think exactly like you did regarding plastic surgery, but you’re actually referring to cosmetic surgery. Cosmetic surgery is suppose to enhance one’s features and isn’t usually medically necessary. Anyway, I’ve eased up on my stance against cosmetic surgery. If an individual decides to get cosmetic surgery, then it’s his/her prerogative to do as he/she wants. Besides, he/she isn’t hurting anyone. What I’m saying is, live and let live.

you haven’t had braces, have you? ‘cuz then you’re being totally hypocritical

Yawn. Old topic is old. We all should bake cakes filled with rainbows and smiles and everyone would eat and be happy (;

@WaitingToShrug@xanga - Thank you.  I’m thinking of writing a retort about why my totally unnecessary  nose job permanently (not “temporarily”) enhanced my self-esteem and attractiveness.  The unsubstantiated assumptions the OP of this post made are astounding.  And based off of what, a few celebrity morons who overdid it?  For every Michael Jackson there’s hundreds–if not thousands– of successful (and discreet) cases of plastic surgery.

@DrummingMediocrity@xanga - Judging things that are nobody else’s business are a great way to distract yourself from thinking about anything substantial. I like your nose! 

You’ll feel differently about plastic surgery if you’re ever in an accident that cause any kind of facial/bodily deformity. Some older people have to get eyelid lifts because aging skin causes problems with vision. Don’t generalize plastic surgery. Some people really do need it, not get it because of body image issues.

@ShirleyD@xanga - Just wanted to say that I totally got that reference. Melville ftw!

Also, Lovelyish, this is not a good post to show how non-judgmental you are. It is quite obvious that judgment comes from both sides.

@DrummingMediocrity@xanga - Agreed. I know quite a few women personally who have had their breasts done, and each & every one have told me it was the best decision they have ever made and that it has permanently improved their confidence. You know yourself better than anyone else, so you know what is best for you.

@SUPletstake___surveys@xanga - I’m an A cup and I’d never go under the knife to be bigger– but I guess I just think the fake ones are really obviously fake, and kind of stupid looking. If they could make them look like real ones, maybe I would consider it… My As may not be as nice as naturally big ones, but at least they’re cuter than two fake balloons jutting out of my chest! To each her own, though, I suppose.

I am willing to bet my last dollar the original poster will absolutely agree with everyone that commented because she probably was writing about cosmetic surgery and not reconstructive surgery. I bet if she had called it cosmetic surgery instead of the blanket term “plastic surgery” in her post, the comments would be different. But instead of actually trying to understand where she was coming from, everybody jumped on her wording and created a mountain out of a molehill and also COMPLETELY ignoring the validity of her post. Her opinion holds water, people. It really does. 

I can understand wanting cosmetic surgery. I have had incredibly low self-esteem since I was a small child. Before I had my children, it was low, but I definitely did not scrutinize and fixate like I did after they were born. Oh, if it wasn’t my stomach it was my breasts, or my ass or thighs or my flabby arms or my boob fat (funny how that works when you have no boobs????) and then I realised my eyelids are uneven or maybe it’s my eyebrows….

Can you not see how completely insane I sound right now? Omg, yes.. I have thought about plastic surgery before – pardon meCOSMETIC SURGERY, and really… I just can’t bring myself to do it. The unevenness in my face REALLY bothers me, but honestly, I’m sure it’s not as horrible as I think it is. I have to learn to accept myself. I’m starting to feel okay about my breasts, even though I know nothing will probably ever make them perkier and fuller again barring implants (even though I’m trying with some herbal pills Lol idk if it’s working but it actually makes me period shorter and completely cuts the cramps and backache so I might keep taking them anyways, that side-effect alone is worth it Lmao but see I feel okay about that because it doesn’t involve a knife and it is not drastic, but yes.. I understand it is a wee bit hypocritical, but at least I’m being honest with you guys, I definitely didn’t have to bring that up and no one would have ever known).

And honestly, who can afford to replace their breast implants? It’s expensive enough getting it done the first time. Yes, folks, they are NOT PERMANENT. And how can your self-worth be tied to something that isn’t permanent, let alone not even YOU. And if that truly IS the case for these people, then what happens to your self-worth when your breast implants have to be changed? What happens to your self-worth when, heaven forbid, your breast implant ruptured? I imagine your self-worth would be incredibly damaged if that happened – I mean, after all, you have linked your self-worth to something that is not even a part of you. It’s just a temporary “fix”, much like a drug addict needs.

That’s just my humble opinion, of course. Take it or leave it.

@TheyCallHerEcho88@xanga - I try to think “oh yeah, my breasts are cuter than big balloons” but it’s super hard for me because I’m barely a B now but I had beautiful C cups before the children and I feel like I didn’t even get to enjoy them since I was 18 when my daughter was born like ughhhhhhh they were so nice and it’s hard to let that go Lol it really, truly is. But I still try!

Cosmetic surgery isn’t always done out of insecurity.  Even some of the most confident people have things they’d like to have enhanced, fixed, or removed.  

You’re entitled to your opinion.  But your reasoning behind it is incredibly shallow and uneducated.  All the plastic surgery in the world can’t fix stupid.  Good thing you’re against it.

@acquiredthought@xanga - Lol, well, I’m not even a B. But I don’t like the look a fakes, I don’t want to risk my life for something that may not even turn out favorably, and I really don’t feel like going through all of the pain just to potentially lose all sensation in my breasts… just to go through it all again in 10 years! So cosmetic surgery just isn’t a valid option for me, and I think people are a little too casual with it. It’s expensive!!! I guess if you’re filthy rich and bored with the way that you look/ don’t care about potential surgical complications, go for it.

@chronic_masticator@xanga - Seemingly confident people can have insecurities… You have no real way of knowing how confident another person is, so you can only really assume that they’re confident based on their actions and demeanor. Not to mention they may be very confident in certain aspects of their lives, but lack confidence in other aspects. I think it’s overly simplistic to label people as confident or not confident, because never in my life have I ever seen someone so easily categorized as one or the other. We all have strengths and weaknesses. And why would you spend the money, risk your life, and risk a plethora of other surgical complications if not for a really good reason (e.g., that part of you is making you really miserable… and if it IS making you miserable enough to want to surgically correct it, then I feel pretty safe in assuming that you are insecure about it)? And who decided that these procedures are “enhancements”, anyway? They’re just changes– you can’t objectively determine if they are actually “better” or “worse” because beauty itself is subjective. The OP may have made a generalization about why people choose to get plastic surgery, but I can’t think of any other reason for it other than insecurity, either. Please, enlighten us with the psychological reasons people use to justify cosmetic surgery– I genuinely want to know.

All I read was

 ’ooo i’m all naturaleee babehh wit pancake titz, hairy as chit, wrinkleh as chit-  all teh otherz are fakurz wit der plastic and lipo!! it’s okai if i let mahself go when i’m old cuz it’s alll natural. naturaleee bbehhh!’

Good for you. How about you let other people spend their money on whatever the fuck they want and keep your financial opinions to yourself. If there wasn’t plastic surgery, there would still be make up, tattooing, piercings and traditional shit that people do to attain their desire for self-conceived beauty/improvement on themselves. 

@TheyCallHerEcho88@xanga - Let’s use myself as an example here.  I’m pretty damn happy with the way my body looks.  There really is nothing wrong with it.  But if I wanted to get a boob job, it’s not because I don’t like my tits or feel insecure or embarrassed about them, it’s because I fucking want to.  

Putting on makeup is technically cosmetically changing.  So are contact lenses, tattoos, piercings, and any other mainstream body modification.  Nobody says “that girl must feel awfully insecure to get her ears pierced.”  Because she’s not, she just wants a fucking hole and a pretty piece of metal in her ears.  Same thing goes for elective surgeries.  

Are you all just about done preaching natural beauty from atop your high horses, or need I go on?

@chronic_masticator@xanga - So… you just want surgery simply because you can get surgery? I’m honestly trying to understand this. I don’t get why anyone would want to change him/herself if they are already happy with the way that they look. What is your motivation for it? I mean, I could stand up right now and start dancing like a chicken around my apartment in my underwear, but I have absolutely no motivation to do so… so I won’t. What if you couldn’t go back to the way that you looked before? No to mention you ignored the parts about the complications. It’s all about risks and benefits. Most likely, I’m not going to die or become seriously injured from getting my ear pierced (which, for the record is because I like jewelry, not because I want a hole in my ear– the hole itself is gross), wearing make-up, or wearing contacts (I would say glasses are more of a modification than contacts, since contacts allow you to look more like your natural, glasses-free self), but the risk of death/injury is a lot greater if I have surgery. I don’t get why someone would risk his/her life to look differently… especially if they have no problem with the way that they look to begin with. It’s an exercise in futility.

@TheyCallHerEcho88@xanga - Way to miss my point entirely.  

Since you seem to have no reading comprehension at all, I’ll lay it out simply:  I like my body the way it is.  I also might like it a different way.  And why the holy fuck should anyone have to justify anything that they do to their own bodies just because you disagree with it?  

And if you really want to go the risk/benefits route, here’s a lovely tidbit for you:  Surgery is safer than getting your ears pierced.  The tools are sterile, the doctors are scrubbed down and clean, and given today’s medical standards, there is little to no risk of injury.  But that person piercing your ears, do you know when they last washed their hands or if their needles are new and sterile?  You probably don’t.  For all you know, they just finished scratching the inside of their asshole and picked up whatever tool/needle/whatever was in the closest reach.  But you like jewelry, so that’s okay.

@chronic_masticator@xanga - LOL, sooo much hostility. I’m not saying you have to justify what you do to your body. I’m not allowed to ask someone why they choose to do something without getting called stupid? I was honestly curious. Suffice to say it’s not the same way that I feel– so I will apologize if I came across as obnoxious, I was just offended by the tone of your original response. I don’t recall the OP saying anything directly offensive, she simply stated an opinion– and now we all know that your opinion is not the same. You don’t have to be rude to make a point.

Also, I just re-read the original post, and she simply stated that an insecure person who has cosmetic surgery will still be insecure afterwards. Obviously there is no way that the OP could really KNOW that (maybe it really is a miracle cure for insecurity) but she never said that everyone who gets plastic surgery is insecure. She also was very clear at the beginning that it is HER PERSONAL CHOICE not to get plastic surgery, and she was just stating why she doesn’t ever want to get it.

I get offended by people who advocate plastic surgery because it feels to me like a slam against anyone who chooses not to get surgery– which admittedly, is dumb. Your choice to get it and my choice not to get it are completely unrelated. Likewise, it seems like you are offended by her choice not to, and her justifications for not getting it. But then again, I don’t have any reading comprehension skills, so I probably am too stupid to comprehend what’s happening here. Either way, I apologize for being rude/ obnoxious– these conversations have been a nice distraction from schoolwork, and they have made me think about how I would react if someone that I loved wanted to get plastic surgery. Still not sure about that one, since I would never see the need for it, but I would want to be supportive, and wouldn’t want to lose them over something so trivial as physical appearance.

So anyway, berate me all you like after this, I’m done.

I am impressed with your innate self esteem. This is a good thing. I would say that many people fight to achieve that level of self esteem. But not all people have cosmetic surgery because they think something is wrong with themselves. Many want a little enhancement, many have worked out hard and just cannot attain that flat stomach they want, particularly after childbirth. Often with a tummy tuck after childbirth, it is not just about fat, it is also about tightening muscles that have separated. So yes, it is good to be happy with your body, and your looks. But when there is a small thing that can be enhanced or when a procedure is also medically needed (such as breast reduction often is), why condemn those who choose cosmetic surgery?

Dr Rhys BranmanLittle Rock Cosmetic Surgery Center

@TheyCallHerEcho88@xanga - I believe cosmetic surgery is a very personal decision, and there are hundreds of reasons people choose to have cosmetic surgery. I certainly do not advocate it for everyone. In fact I say, it is ain’t broken, don’t fix it! But again, it is an individual choice, and actually in my position as a cosmetic surgeon, a doctor, I have an ethical responsibility to turn people away who are NOT candidates for certain procedures. They may be unnecessary, the potential patient may be too young, or they may not be medically feasible. It would not be good for someone with Body Dysmorphic Disorder to have a surgery that will not help the real issue. It is important to distinguish advocating from choosing.

Dr Rhys BranmanLittle Rock Cosmetic Surgery Center

@TheyCallHerEcho88@xanga - You shot yourself in the foot with “And who decided that these procedures are “enhancements”, anyway? They’re just changes– you can’t objectively determine if they are actually “better” or “worse” because beauty itself is subjective.” 

You answered your own question by saying that plastic surgery should not be done because one cannot consider what is more beautiful etc… but then went on to say that beauty is subjective. So if someone gets plastic surgery because they consider a certain look to be more beautiful or feel like their new look after surgery is more “beautiful” than the one they have before is that not executing the whole beauty is subjective statement? 

I lost all respect for you in that botched comment full of hypocritical statements. You love natural beauty, congrats, but you’re being a hypocrite by saying beauty is subjective but plastic surgery is a no no. Bottom line, it’s superficial and shallow to only pay attention to the exterior changes that someone else undergoes in THEIR LIFE. If beauty means nothing to you why are you so caught up on someone else changing themselves on the OUTSIDE? 

And why is it that people seem to have to answer to you in order to justify their reasoning behind going under the knife? You’re a tiny dot in the universe and no one needs to answer to your questioning when making a certain choice. You don’t carry the answers to what is wrong or right or anything…so why the heck do people have to even justify anything to you  

Make your own decisions, be an adult and be respectful towards those who are executing the plans in their lives they chose to carry out. How about worrying about your own shit anyways seriously…..

@petiteme_x@xanga - Wow, way to scrape the bottom of the barrel for weeks old conversations just to pick a fight. I don’t even know who you are, have never read your blog, and could really care less if some fellow “tiny dot in the universe” has “lost all respect” for me.

@DrRhysBranman - Thank you for your informative response. I’m really glad that it is the norm (rather than the exception) for surgeons not to perform cosmetic procedures on people with BDD. I would have responded thanking you earlier, I just hadn’t planned on commenting on this topic anymore. Please don’t feel obligated to answer, and please don’t feel that I am demanding a response or seeking some kind of justification (since others have misinterpreted), but I am curious– do you request psychological evaluations if you suspect that an individual coming to your practice for cosmetic work has BDD? I’m assuming it’s fairly rare to run into someone that has it, but I’m just interested in knowing.

@TheyCallHerEcho88@xanga - Much like no one could care less about your perceived problem with plastic surgery. And yes, when these articles pop up and I take an interest in an opinion presented by a writer and happen to scroll down and stumble upon ignorance in the comments section, I support the idea of correcting said individual who clearly doesn’t know what they’re on about