Wondering if cosmetic surgery is for you? Discover the pro and cons of getting reconstructive surgery here…
As social media becomes an ingrained part of our society, so does the social pressure to conform to stereotypical beauty standards. Despite the increase in body positivity across these platforms, there’s still more people than ever choosing to alter their appearance through surgery.
Due to the rise in people getting cosmetic surgery, there’s also no doubt been a rise in cosmetic surgery claims. This demonstrates the risk that people put themselves under when opting for a procedure like this. The question is, why would anyone take this risk?
In this article, we’ll answer this question by showing you the pros of cosmetic surgery. We’ll then take you through the cons to give you a balanced view on things. Take a look…
The Pros of Getting Cosmetic Surgery
Let’s first take a look at the advantages of cosmetic surgery so we can get a sense of why people choose to take this path…
Can Make You Feel More Confident
Apart from the obvious surgeries to fix abnormalities for health reasons, most cosmetic surgery is done to improve your physical appearance. Of course, this is a totally subjective matter, but many people choose to alter their appearance to fit with what’s deemed to be “beautiful” in certain societies.
Because of this, you may feel more confident in yourself, and in facing others, if you have cosmetic surgery. This is never a bad thing, and could mean the difference between living a long and happy life, and not.
Helps People Recover from Trauma
Traumatic accidents, like car crashes and abuse, may leave people with scars and disfigurements, reminding them of their past trauma. It can also cause a huge lack of confidence, especially if it has changed the way you look.
Cosmetic surgery can alter this as best as possible to make you feel more like yourself again. It can also help a person to get over any PTSD they may have.
Can Kickstart Weight Loss
For those who are obese, weight loss can be tricky to achieve. This is usually due to being stuck down a rabbit hole; if you lack confidence, you may be more likely to binge eat fatty and salty foods.
That said, certain procedures can be used to remove fat around the body, which can help this situation. If a person feels better in their body, they may be more likely to continue on a journey towards meeting their weight goals.
Improves Quality of Life
Because of the above pointers, you may find that your quality of life increases too. After all, if you’re confident in the way you look, you’ll feel much better during the day-to-day stuff.
The Cons of Getting Cosmetic Surgery
Now that we’ve taken a look at some of the benefits, it’s time to break down the cons of cosmetic surgery for a balanced view…
Costs Money
Due to the predominantly unnecessary nature of cosmetic surgery, it can cost a lot of money. A nose job alone can put you back between £4,000 and £7,000. Some procedures, like facelifts and body lifts, can even cost you over £10,000!
It’s clear to see that this type of augmentation is not for the faint-hearted. If you’re truly serious about it, you’ll need to start saving now.
Long Recovery Time
Due to the nature of cosmetic surgery, it can take a while to recover. For example, a rhinoplasty, otherwise known as a nose job, can take up to six weeks for you to recover. The bruises and redness are likely to stick around for at least three weeks, and strenuous exercise can only be resumed after six weeks.
Ultimately, your body will take a while to recover, which will mean you’ll have to adjust your life accordingly. You’ll also have to go through the phase of having to wear bandages around the region whilst it heals. This sets you back weeks in terms of looking and feeling confident.
Can Take a While for Results to Show
Of course, this depends on the surgery itself, however, sticking to our nose job example, it can take around six months for the effects to be visible. This is mainly due to the swelling around the region as your face adjust to the new bone shape.
Putting Yourself at Risk of Harm
The reality is that unnecessary surgeries, like lip fillers and Brazilian Butt Lifts (BBLs), put your body under serious stress. In fact, the death rate for BBLs alone is around every 1 in every 3,000 to 5,000 procedures. That’s an incredible risk for people to put themselves through; essentially, people are willing to risk death for a rounder buttock.
Specifically, BBLs are dangerous as they involve injecting fat into the buttocks. However, post-mortems of those who have died from this procedure have shown that fat has accidentally been injected into the bloodstream via the inferior gluteal vein, a large vein in this area. This then causes a fat embolism, which is usually fatal.
There are a number of reasons why this occurs, mainly due to the structure of this vein which means it doesn’t move out of the way of a surgeon’s needle. Ultimately, though, it’s clear to see that this surgery alone is extremely dangerous, and there are many more out there which are also dangerous too.
Caused by Social Pressure
One thing we have to wonder about the rise in cosmetic procedures is whether this is healthy. With the young people of today growing up in a world of social media filters and face tuning, and the older people being made to feel unattractive, it’s really no surprise.
Because of this, we have to question whether the people who get these procedures really want to, or simply feel as though this is the only way to achieve a “desirable” body and face. Are people feeling pressured to get cosmetic surgery due to this social pressure?
This is something we must consider, and those thinking about taking the risk should ask themselves this question before doing so.
Is Cosmetic Surgery Worth the Risk?
As you can see, there are a number of advantages and disadvantages to getting cosmetic surgery, and this list is by no means the whole story.
We’re not here to tell you that it isn’t worth the risk. After all, cosmetic surgery might be saving many people from drastic mental health problems which may have an even more damaging effect than any surgery.
Ultimately, it’s down to you to decide if it’s worth the risk. Feel free to leave your thoughts and opinions in the comments down below.
Please be advised that this article is for general informational purposes only, and should not be used as a substitute for advice from a trained medical professional. Be sure to consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if you’re seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment. We are not liable for risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information on this site.
