When we think of plastic surgery, there can be immediate connotations, positive or negative, that come to our minds: our favorite celebrities, our guilty-pleasure reality TV shows, or even our friends and families who have had procedures. There tends to be an air of negativity around plastic surgery: assumptions about people’s motivations, and judgements about before and after transformations, can make plastic surgery feel like a taboo topic. While this blog focuses on plastic surgery, the same points apply to botox, fillers, and other cosmetic procedures.
Recent news about Khloe Kardashian’s transformation through surgery has started an important conversation about why certain people choose to have procedures done. While I can’t speak for Khloe, since I do not work with her, I can say that it’s impossible to know someone’s motivations without knowing them personally, and, often, plastic surgery helps people maintain their confidence and self image. it’s important to remember that plastic surgery can be a source of positive change in someone’s life!
We don’t always know the reasons for someone’s personal transformation. There are many reasons a person could choose to have plastic surgery, and it can be hurtful to assume plastic surgery is a direct result of low self esteem. Plastic surgery can be a way for someone to increase their self confidence in their image, and feel more like themself. Often, it can be in pursuit of creating an outer appearance that matches the person inside.
Plastic surgery can empower a person to choose how they want to present themself to the world because they have a clear sense of self, and they know exactly how they want to look.
When people have dramatic surgeries, they might look like a completely new person to you. However, keep in mind that, to them, they are embracing the image of themself that they have always had inside. This kind of dramatic surgery can invite and open a new beginning for people who have undergone plastic surgery procedures.
If you are considering having plastic surgery, it’s important you know your own motivations! If you’re feeling uncertain about why you are going through with a procedure, you can ask yourself these questions to explore if you’re empowering yourself by choosing plastic surgery, or if you might be making a decision based on negative feelings about yourself.
Do you have a clear sense of what you want? Or do you find yourself scanning for ideas for future procedures, without a clear sense of what you want?
Are you being influenced? Are you doing it because anyone else in your life is telling you to do it?
Are you being safe and responsible? Are you compromising yourself financially for these procedures and/or going to doctors that you don’t really trust in order to save money because you want more procedures?
Whether or not you choose to have plastic surgery is a personal decision, but don’t let stereotypes or assumptions about these procedures stop you from becoming the person you want to be! If you are embracing the inner you by making an outer change, be empowered in that choice, and celebrate the transformation to a truer self!
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