Plastic Surgery

[mizzkes]

Hello all:
I think that I mentioned before, in a "christmas wish" post, that I plan on having a cosmetic procedure done soon. While talking to a male friend about it recently, he commented that he has never known a black woman who wanted to have plastic surgery. (I guess he never heard of Janet Jackson, Patti LaBelle, or Mariah Carey :rolleyes
I get the same general consensus when I talk about having this procedure done. Many people, especially self involved men say "Honey, you don't need to do this to get men, you are beautiful the way you are." Excuse my vanity, but I know that I look good, that is why I model...but I am simply not happy with this particular part of my body. And, I absolutely hate it when people think I am doing it for attention... I never had a problem getting the attention of men.
My reason for deciding to do this is strictly for my own satisfaction...I love everything about every other part of my body, about my personality, etc...it is just that this one thing really makes me unhappy. I dwell on it all of the time. I made the decision to have the surgery long ago. My mind will not be changed. I always tell my mom, and others who try to talk me out of it, that "the only way I will change my mind is if there suddenly becomes a 50% chance of death. Other than that...bring on the scalpel."
Since it is supposedly so rare among black women, I pose this question to you: Is plastic surgery something that you would seriously consider? Why or why not? I look forward to reading your responses.

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Sweet dreams are made of this...

[This message has been edited by mizzkes (edited March 12, 2001).]

[AKA_Monet]

If I had a major disfigurement that impeded my abilities, yes I would have plastic surgery. I really don't have to have wrinkles removed, yet... But there are other forms of esthetics I would have done such as laser hair removal. And if my thighs started bulging, I seriously would get liposuction. And there is a loss of eye sight acuity that runs in my family, I would seriously get that laser cornea corrective surgery if I had the money. Life's too short to worry what others think of you. You are the one that has to live in your body!!! May as well be happy in it...

If anyone is in a field that is about the "looks", you have to change with what they need or you will not get the job. A good friend of mine who is a newscaster on television has to change her hairstyle daily and "they" tell her not to look too, ethnic... Then they ask her what other kinds of experiences in TV she had and her college degree what journalism/communications!!! "They" want to know if she's done commercials and other chit like that. And if you're in that field, you'd better be able to "sing" or do whatever it takes to get the part. The "green" light in Tinseltown is no joke...

If you are truly a model and the person who recommended surgery to you is your agency and they are a top NYC-Parisian agency, then you should have had your surgery done like yesterday! Whatever it is I hope your surgeon reviews with you all that you need to know so you do not get complications... Good luck on your endeavors. I hope this is what makes you happy.

[jazbri]

In a NY minute...

There's one part of me that I'll definitely have 'fixed' after I've closed the door on child bearing. In regards to that laser eye surgery, couldn't do it. I am too much of a chicken and blind as a bat to boot!

On a sad more realistic note, I feel for the women and families of those women who've chosen surgeries that have either led to death or major disfigurement. I'm sure that you've analyzed the pros and cons and have thoroughly researched the procedure you've decided upon!

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"Unless you know the road you've come down, you cannot know where you are going"
~Temme proverb, Sierre Leone~

[crayola]

I think it is up to your personal satisfaction. Like you said, you like everything else about your body except this particular body part and you are not doing it for attention. From my personal experience, i have been considering breast reduction for quite sometime and its actually because of the attention that I DO get!! Also, because it is very hard (and depressing) to shop for clothes when your body isn't really porportional.

So if you think it will make you happy, go for it!

[DST Love]

Well, let me be the first. I am strongly against plastic surgery for purely cosmetic reasons. I understand if people need it because they were disfigured in an accident or something or when a doctor deems it necesssary for whatever reasons. But I am a strong believer in "work with what you were born with". My feeling is it starts out with just one thing you want to change and then it becomes another, and another. At what point would one feel satisfied with themselves?! Not to mention, if you do only have one thing done than you have to constantly get a "retouch" so to speak, to keep it the way you want it. Personally, I do think it is vain to spend thousands of dollars on end just to look better physically and to try and give yourself better self-esteem, which ultimately is what it is. No one likes everything about themselves. But it's all a spiritual thing. If you have that, then nothing else really matters. It's just like India Arie's song (and I know most of you know it). Besides God blessed each of us with our individual bodies, features, etc. With plastic surgery, we basically all could look similar if we wanted to and I doubt that's how it's supposed to be.

I know people are in some professions where appearance is important but if people think that your natural body or look isn't cutting it, then maybe it's time to move on to something new. Maybe that profession was meant to be just for a season and not for a lifetime. Because as I said, if there is surgery that could make something on you better now, then what else will have to be changed five, ten, or twenty years from now when people are looking for that "new look". I am just saying, where does it end?

Let me restate, if it all doesn't start within (ie spiritual) then one will never be satisfied with how they look. Conversely, if one constantly gets platic surgery, then they began to neglect their spirituality. Because it's easier and feels better to change the outside, then really deal with the inside.

I am not trying to offend anyone. I'm just expressing my opinion !!

[Poplife]

I'm with DST Love on this. If I had been in some horrible accident and my face was seriously disfigured then that is something I would seriously consider. Other than that, I feel that God created me the way he wanted to and even though I don't like certain parts of my body it's something that I just have to live with. I find that when I like me from the inside, everything on the outside looks beautiful to me.

A lady that worked with me just started off getting her nose done. She said that's all she wanted. She ended up flying to Brazil to get WHOLE BODY REDONE!! It's like a tattoo...addictive!!!

I considered plastic surgery a few years back. But now I have come to believe having some one operate on you just because you don't like your nose or breasts is superficial. I was watching this program about Project Smile on television once and it really mad be feel terrible about the way I was thinking.

**For all of those who are not familiar with this program it is a bunch of doctors who volunteer to fly to 3rd world countries and repair the facial disfigurements of children that can't afford it otherwise.**

I saw kids that just sat in the corner because no one wanted to play with them because of the way they looked. I saw mothers giving up their babies because they weren't born perfect. People who are disfigured suffer a great deal and I feel that they are the ones who truly benefit from these types of operations.

But hey, we live in a superficial world where looks mean A LOT. Humans have always done whatever it takes to get the look that they want/that's in. Make-up, corsets, wigs, weaves, perms & relaxers, hair dye, lifts for your shoes, fake nails, padded bra's, colored contacts, and plastic surgery. I wouldn't be surprised of people started genially engineering their kids so they'd be "perfect". I know some of you saw the movie Gattica!

[Poplife]

Originally posted by LadyAKA:
You bring up a good point about all the other things people use to make themselves look/feel better, but are these things at the same level as Plastic surgery?
I have contacts, clear - helps my stigma, I dyed my hair - will never do that again, I have a perm and can't/don't want to live without it, I did the fake nails thing but will never do that again either.

I bring these things up to say it is okay to change your looks but surgically is a different thing, you can't reverse surgery, even if you take out the breast implants your natural breast will never be the same ...see what I am saying?
[B]

I totally feel what you are saying. I was trying to illustate how extreme things have gotten. A few of those things I named have side effects even though none are as risky as surgery. Corsets cracked many women's ribs and gave them internal problems and perms and relaxers can cause hair loss and will poison you if they get into the blood stream in certain amounts.

I'm still anti-body changing for the most part. I try not to wear make-up, don't straighten my hair, and my contacts are clear and always will be. The only thing I can't live without is shaving my underarms.

My Motto: To each his own. Just know the REAL reason why you choose to do the things you do and be aware of the risks not just to your body, but your mind and spirit.

[AKA2D '91]

No Comment regarding plactic surgery...

I just wanted to say, it's nice to skee Poplife, "pop" back into the forum!

[LadyAKA]

I am not against Plastic surgery, I say to each, her own BUT after having to go in for emergency surgery for something that had to be done on/ IN my body I will never again take surgery lightly. It scared me half to death to lay on the table and be knocked out and have doctors, whom i trust, but still don't really know, work on me and take things from me that GOD personally gave me. I cried the week before, the week after just because I did not know what went on. No one is allowed in the OR (operation room) with you and to me that $hit was just scary, my sister waited patiently outside but she was just as scared that they might f' up. Now Mizzkes I am not sure what you plan to get done and I am not sure if you have to be knocked out but I can tell you if you need general anesthesia there is MORE THAN A 50% chance of DEATH. I was under general anesthesia and I they told me all the stats so I know. If you want to fix yourself up for whatever reason, have fun just know it (the fake stuff) does not stay that way forever.

Sisterly
LadyAKA

[LadyAKA]

Originally posted by Poplife:
But hey, we live in a superficial world where looks mean A LOT. Humans have always done whatever it takes to get the look that they want/that's in. Make-up, corsets, wigs, weaves, perms & relaxers, hair dye, lifts for your shoes, fake nails, padded bra's, colored contacts, and plastic surgery.

You bring up a good point about all the other things people use to make themselves look/feel better, but are these things at the same level as Plastic surgery?
I have contacts, clear - helps my stigma, I dyed my hair - will never do that again, I have a perm and can't/don't want to live without it, I did the fake nails thing but will never do that again either.

I bring these things up to say it is okay to change your looks but surgically is a different thing, you can't reverse surgery, even if you take out the breast implants your natural breast will never be the same ...see what I am saying?

- I wanna hear other comments about these things, where my Greek chat peeps at?

[DST Love]

Originally posted by LadyAKA:

You bring up a good point about all the other things people use to make themselves look/feel better, but are these things at the same level as Plastic surgery?
I have contacts, clear - helps my stigma, I dyed my hair - will never do that again, I have a perm and can't/don't want to live without it, I did the fake nails thing but will never do that again either.

I bring these things up to say it is okay to change your looks but surgically is a different thing, you can't reverse surgery, even if you take out the breast implants your natural breast will never be the same ...see what I am saying?

- I wanna hear other comments about these things, where my Greek chat peeps at?

I was going to comment on that. While I do not wear much make-up, never worn weave or fake nails, etc., those are very different from surgery. Those things enhance but they do not permenantly alter one's natural features nor mess with the composition of organs, tissue, muscle, etc. And as LadyAKA stated, surgery can be dangerous. I doubt that many people have died from using any of the above enhancements.

We do live in a superficial world but I don't want to cater to that if I can help it. There is nothing wrong with wanting to look good for yourself or anyone else, because you feel good when you look good. However, when it is something that consumes you to the point of wanting to alter, not just enhance, yourself, then I would say maybe it's time to look within.

[Poplife]

Originally posted by AKA2D '91:
No Comment regarding plactic surgery...

I just wanted to say, it's nice to skee Poplife, "pop" back into the forum!

Thanks! I was chillin in France! Didn't want to come back...

[toocute]

Originally posted by Poplife:

Thanks! I was chillin in France! Didn't want to come back...

No comment on plastic surgery either...
Just wanted Poplife to know I was jealous.
Welcome back.

[AKA2D '91]

ohhhhhhhhhhhh!

[novella000]

Ladies (and gents), I am seriously considering having a procedure... I was wondering if anyone out there works in the cosmetic surgery industry? I would like to email you with some questions for a third opinion.

My e-mail address is in my profile
THANX!