The price for perfection: Men and women share their views on the controversies of plastic surgery

4/24/08

By Mary Wheeler
Special to the Critic

In today’s nip-tuck world, more and more young people are choosing cosmetic surgery to enhance their appearance. Alexandra Mooney is just one of many seriously considering the trend that made Pamela Anderson a household name.

“I’ve had a deviated septum (a condition where the wall inside the nose isn’t located in the middle) for a few years now, and it’s to the point where I’m about 85 percent sure I’m going to get it fixed,” the 24-year-old Bellows Falls Vermont resident said.

While Mooney insists the procedure is for health-related reasons, she is aware of the additional homework she will need to do before going under the knife. “I definitely know I need to do my research,” she said.

Mooney admits that she has considered other procedures. “I’ve considered getting liposuction and a breast reduction,” she said. What’s stopping her from proceeding— “The costs, and it’s dangerous. It was more of a fantasy, rather than something I would seriously considering going through with.”

Some are less than thrilled about people artificially altering their appearances. “I don’t support women getting plastic surgery. You just have to work with what God gave you, plus I like the natural female body,” Brent McGrady, 23, of New York, said. “I would never get plastic surgery, because I don’t find it necessary.”

Approximately 12 million plastic surgery procedures were conducted in 2007- a 59 percent increase from 2000, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. While women accounted for 91 percent of those procedures, men raked in a 17 percent increase from 2006 to 2007.

For Aiesha Lang, plastic surgery should be a personal choice, but not a choice that she would personally make.

“If you feel like it’s going to help you in becoming the person you want to be, then why not,” Lang, 30, of New York, said. “People should do what makes them happy, but I wouldn’t want plastic surgery.”

In 2007, the most popular procedure for women was breast augmentation, followed by: liposuction, eyelid surgery, abdominoplasty (where fat is removed from the stomach and lower abdominal area), and breast reduction. For men the most popular procedure was liposuction, followed by: eyelid surgery, rhinoplasty (nose job), male breast reduction, and hair transplants, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

“Surgery is a serious decision and it works best if the patient is internally motivated — not pressured by a parent or someone else — and has reasonable expectations,” Dr. Brent Moelleken, a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, said, in a statement to MSNBC.

So what is the motivation behind plastic surgery? Improving self-esteem and confidence, looking younger, and work related reasons (some studies have shown that attractive people receive more promotions and raises than unattractive people) were among the top reasons for why both men and women choose surgery, according to a survey conducted by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

“As a personal choice, I wouldn’t get plastic surgery, Noah Smith, 23, of Brattleboro Vermont, said. “I suppose I could see someone getting it if they had a severe issue with something in their appearance.”

Breast augmentation, in particular, can result in some serious side effects including: infection, swelling, redness, bleeding, deflated or ruptured implants, as well as needing additional surgeries, according to the Institute of Medicine. The side effects for liposuction are equally severe which can include: infection, allergic reaction to anesthetic or other medications, swelling and scarring, facial nerve damage, and blood clots.

Think having plastic surgery will only make a minor dent in your wallet? Think again. Plastic surgery is usually not covered by insurance, because insurance companies don’t see cosmetic surgery as a necessity, but rather a personal choice, according to the American Medical Association and the ASPS. However loans, and payment plan options are available through plastic surgery finance companies such as MediCredit and Care Credit.

The price tag for certain procedures varies from region to region, as well as with each patients specific needs. These prices don’t include added costs for medication and supplementary treatments.

• Breast Augmentation (silicone gel implants) — $4,087
• Tummy tuck — $5,350
• Facelift — $6,792
• Gynecomastia treatment (male breast reduction) — $3,445
• Rhinoplasty (nose reshaping) — $4,357
(According to 2007 research from the National Average for Physician/Surgeon Fees per Procedure.)

While the plastic surgery industry isn’t going away anytime soon, young adults will still feel the pressures to obtain perfection. You have to wonder: Will societies infatuation with beauty and youth ever really diminish?

“I’d rather be attracted to someone for who they really are. More often than not, I think these surgeries don’t actually increase desirability,” Smith said.