Should We Undergo Plastic Surgery - 1489 Words

Some young women have even taken more drastic measures by turning to plastic surgery to alter their appearance. However, unlike makeup, plastic surgery is definitely something that can be taken too far since it is permanent. Women should not have to feel the need to undergo plastic surgery at all: unless it is for reconstructive purposes. Sadly, last year alone, facial plastic surgeons recorded 64% of their patients under the age of 30 had undergone cosmetic surgery or injectable treatments (Matthews, 2016, para. 8). Some surgeons, including Matthews, have credited this increase in cosmetic procedures to the â€Å"Kardashian Effect† or â€Å"Selfie Mania†. Thus, demonstrating how powerful social media’s influence is on a woman’s decision to undergo†¦show more content†¦Images on social media seem to be flawless and perfect, however, most of the images out there are distorted, Figure 3 shows how Photoshop can be used to turn a regular sized womanâ €™s body into the body of a coveted supermodel. These unrealistic expectations are what push consumers to turn towards excessive or extreme cosmetic surgery. The fact is, there is no guarantee when it comes to plastic surgery. There are risks such as infection, nerve damage, swelling, and even scarring. Furthermore, some cosmetic surgeons even tell some of their patients upfront about not bringing in pictures of famous celebrities that they want to emulate, because the results might not be what they pictured (Matthews, 2015, para. 11). These toxic ideas are slowly being diffused into our culture through all sorts of mediums. One study analyzed the amount of advertisements about weight and dieting in women’s magazines, and shockingly it contained ten times more advertisements than the magazines read by men. At the end of the century, the study found that about 85% of those who suffered from eating disorders were women (Chapman, 2011, p.7). It has been proven time and time again that human beings are affected by what they see. The media feeds on low-self esteem and addictive behavior to keep their industry afloat. For instance, the media has labeled Caucasian women as the ideal standard of