Wow, how the mice will play while the cat’s away! I post a simple quote on Facebook while I’m on a cruise: “Yea or Nay to Plastic Surgery?” and an awesome conversation follows. You Little White Liars rock!
This is obviously a hot topic for women (and men), so I want to continue this important conversation, starting with these comments from the thread:
“This is so personal and what one does is her business.”
“To each their own. It’s that simple.”
“ANYTHING a person does to their body IS NONE OF MY BUSINESS.”
I happen to agree with these comments – in fact, it’s really the basic concept of The Little White Lie – showing up authentically in your life, no matter what age.
Creating YOUR OWN definition of beauty and self-image – one that you can own and love. However … I don’t believe it’s that simple. Remember my blog, Why do we fall for how “They” tell us to look? I’ll nudge your memory with this graphic:
How we see ourselves and the decisions we make to feel beautiful, young, acceptable, etc., are undoubtedly influenced by society. With all the pressures and messages inundating us about how we should look, feel, and act — how do we really know what WE want, what truly defines OUR OWN beliefs about how we look?
I realize that these issues are different for Hollywood actors, but Halle Berry’s comment about the pressure to get plastic surgery still rings true for me:
“I won’t lie and tell you that those things don’t cross my mind, because someone is always suggesting it to me. ‘You know if you just did a little bit of this and that, lift this up, then this would be a little bit better.’ It’s almost like crack that people are trying to push on you. That’s what I feel like.”
Where are we getting our information, and who’s influencing us?
Well, you know me — the Digital Diva — I did a quick search on where the trending topics are coming from. No surprise here (and NOT reassuring): The internet is filled with ‘trends’ about plastic surgery, almost all of which come from plastic surgery websites and marketers. It’s being noted also that the giant popularity of selfies and photo apps like Snapchat reveal that Americans are becoming more obsessed with how they look — and how people respond to their looks.
I also found it disturbing to see SO many articles on the significant increase in teenage girls seeking cosmetic surgery, including Labiaplasty (genital). Wow! What are we mature women telling our girls?
P.S. One news article stated that “celebrities are driving the teen plastic-surgery boon.”
One more thing to point out from my findings: The trends that are informing us, subtly or not, are also changing rather quickly. For example, New York plastic surgeon Dr. Stafford Broumard says: “Over the last 20-plus years, I have seen a rise and fall — pardon the pun — in the size of breast implants…Today, patients’ requests have moderated somewhat [from wanting large breasts].” Being mindful of this helps us see through that ‘trend veil’ more clearly.
Here are more comments from the thread:
“The one thing I want women to know is if they are doing plastic surgery to feel ‘accepted’ and attract men, that is about fear/ego, not self-love.”
“What concerns me is when I see gorgeous young (early 30s) women who say they need Botox, breast implants, fake eyelashes, etc. … That in my humble opinion comes from a place of feeling not good enough, not this or that enough.”
“A natural look is the best look, to me. But sometimes natural needs a little help! A little nip and tuck here and there. But someone trying to be someone/something they are not is another issue.”
“Not for me, unless I had something going on that hampered my quality of life…I am who I am. Learning to accept time and the aging process is part of my personal spiritual growth.”
“I had a tummy tuck…painful and expensive surgery [but] has allowed me to wear jeans comfortably and for that I am grateful. I believe every human should be given the freedom to make choices about their body, without judgment. Everyone has their own journey, their own path, to personal evolution…”
Do we have a brilliant, amazing LWL Community or what?
Thanks for joining the Little White Liars!
