How have we grown so accustomed to the concept of injecting artificial, foreign substances into the human body? This article aims to discern why this generation's millennials prioritize appearance to the extent that they're willing to cast themselves in an unnatural mold with the help of plastic surgery. Additionally, it will explore how excessive plastic surgery effects society and alters traditional notions of beauty. I can't help but wonder what will happen once everyone with money elects to enhance their natural beauty via operations. Logically speaking, if there comes to be a significant portion of the population with identical perfectly symmetrical noses, luscious lips, and eternally youthful skin sans wrinkles--beauty will no longer be considered a special quality.
We can't deny that looks constitute an aspect of identity. Our faces, with their particular nuances and quirks, subconsciously affect how we regard ourselves. It may seem superficial, but personal beauty (or lack thereof) has the power to boost our confidence and alter our mood. How many times have you looked in the mirror only to notice an upsetting imperfection? Whether the bane of your existence be crow's feet or a crooked nose, it's ultimately your choice whether or not to let it bring you down. Ideally, we should all embrace our flaws, but this is extremely unrealistic. So we change them...or get rid of them entirely. Today we can make our features smaller, more refined, thicker, plumper, smoother, you name it. We can literally override nature and genetics, which in a sense defies humanity's chief essence--individuality.
In addition to the more standard botox, silicone and restalyne, hydralauric acid treatments have recently become the norm. Apparently, this synthetic compound mimics the natural elasticity of youthful skin. No matter how you spin it, the fact of the matter is that society is growing increasingly comfortable with complete facial reconstruction. What started out as subtle nips and tucks has turned into artificially re-designing the entire external self. So what does this say about our nation? That we're insecure? Perfectionists? Vain? In 2017, there were 17.5 million cosmetic, surgical procedures in the United States, which is a 200% increase since 2000. According to The American Society of Plastic Surgeons, almost all these procedures were considered "minimally invasive." Out of the more substantial surgeries, breast augmentation, liposuction, and rhinoplasty were most popular.
I can't help but notice how plastic surgery's transition from totally taboo (i.e. Michael Jackson) to mainstream (i.e. Kylie Jenner) manifested gradually, akin to a slippery slope. Malcolm Gladwell would probably ask what the "tipping point" was--the exact moment in time when breast implants, wrinkle-less foreheads, and butt injections became the status quo for models, actresses, singers, and the entertainment industry at large. In my opinion, reality television and social media are the main culprits. Today, you don't necessarily need talent nor work ethic in order to become successful and accumulate wealth. But if you look stunning, have a great body, and are willing to show it off, the sky's the limit. After all, what did Kim Kardashian do to launch herself and ultimately make over $350 million? A sex tape, nothing more.
Overall, reality stardom feeds into people's desire for fame and recognition. And young people today are growing up in a society where families can net hundreds of millions of dollars not for working extremely hard, but for merely filming themselves acting slutty, stupid or controversial. Think I'm wrong? Just check out this exorbitant list of vapid, mindless programming. Shows like these perpetuate the fantasy that one can amass overnight success with little to no effort--and plastic surgery serves as a major stepping stone to accomplish this ideal lifestyle.
It's understandable that for those in the public eye, sex appeal and good looks can directly affect income. Take Kylie Jenner; it wasn't until after she redid her face that she catapulted into extreme fame. The problem is that whenever the rest of the world sees their favorite movie stars on E! or in Vogue with absolutely no visible flaws, they start to believe this is somehow normal. Success and happiness are therefore associated with being very pretty or handsome. Even worse, most celebrities won't admit they've gotten work done when it's glaringly obvious. Consequently, girls in particular begin comparing themselves to stunners like Bella Hadid only to realize they can't compete because she continuously adjusts and updates their looks.
Of course more and more companies have been emerging in attempts to profit off America's infatuation with visual perfection. In fact, there's a whole new budding industry based solely around face-enhancing products. So let's zero in on lips; one of the most famous faces considered to be ideal belongs to none other than Angelina Jolie. It's been established that her lips got their volume way back when she was a toddler obsessed with her pacifier. Ironically, today there are actual devices manufactured for the purpose of inflating one's lips through excessive suckling, like an adult pacifier (which is sort of hilarious). Prices for these weird products range from pricy ("JuvaLips" sells for a cool 120$) to affordable, like that nifty 10$ tomato thingamajigger pictured below.
But what I'm most interested in is why so many women (and men) are doing this to themselves. Whereas before, one's unique attributes were cherished as special, today it's apparent that young adults are gravitating towards eerily similar aesthetic standards of beauty. The result is that everyone's looking more and more alike, with features that are practically identical. Just see for yourself! Below I've pasted some before-and-after photos of various female celebrities who've accumulated a massive fan following the past five years due to their looks.
Traditionally (not to mention anatomically), the upper lip is supposed to be naturally smaller than the bottom. Anything otherwise should technically be considered an anomaly or genetic aberration of sorts. But in this country, pop culture inadvertently dictates the evolution of the human female face in ways that nature never intended. I can't help but reflect on how we've evolved as a species from apes millions of years ago. Now, it's as if we're evolving into some weird new creature with exaggerated features and manipulated proportions.
Perhaps this disturbing societal shift has something to do with "group think," or man's prehistoric pack mentality; as more and more women replicate the same set of novel, distinct standards of beauty currently perpetuated by the media, those who haven't yet caught on to the trend may feel even more compelled to keep up. Not wanting to be left behind nor considered an outsider is simply human nature. Moreover, there's an unhealthy competitiveness inherent to plastic surgery among stars of this generation. Seeing as there are only a limited number of image-based gigs for aspiring models and actors, everyone's vying against each other to be selected. For example, People Magazine chooses only one female celebrity per year for the cover of their infamous "World's Most Beautiful" issue---they never specify that the winner must be naturally beautiful. Or take the the Victoria Secret Fashion Show, in which producers choose only the sexiest, most gorgeous young models to strut down the runway in lingerie. Even though the majority of the American public doesn't at all resemble these svelte Amazonians, most people still love watching the spectacle. Just last year, the show garnered around 5 million viewers, which networks considered unusually low.
I can't help but feel disappointed in the mass corporations that continue to brainwash today's youth with the message that you don't need talent nor education nor compassion in order to be successful. In this country, if you're beautiful enough, you can be an exception to the tired and true ways of making a living. In fact, you can even become a billionaire by having absolutely no skills, qualifications, nor consideration for others whatsoever...as long as you have a great face and figure. Quite frankly, it's sickening that women participate in these superficial pursuits, as if tacitly encouraging one another to profit off exploiting themselves, exposing their bodies and re-making their features as if they were renovating a kitchen.
What we need are more role models who embrace themselves for who they are, not what they look like. We need more women with dignity. Luckily, there are some ladies in the limelight who stand up for what really matters--who they are on the inside. A great example is Lady Gaga, whose anthem "Born This Way" is practically the antithesis to society's plastic surgery craze. Not to mention Sia, who takes great pains to ensure her singing ability takes precedence over her appearance. While performing live, she's known to cover her face with wigs and masks so that her voice can take center stage.
At the end of the day, beauty is subjective. From Audrey Hepburn's boyish physique to Marilyn Monroe's curves, societal ideals clearly evolve over time. I truly hope that in the next decade people focus more on making a positive difference in the world and cultivating strength of character. I'm grateful that I grew up right before this rampant plastic surgery influx really took off. Luckily, my mother taught me to respect myself and nurture my spirit instead of strive for the most "likes" on Instagram or swipe rights on Tinder. And unlike past decades, beauty can now be bought. It may be trite, but I believe gorgeous hair or a dazzling grin means nothing without inner beauty.
In conclusion, each and every one of us has a responsibility to decide for ourselves what we value most. And this year, I hope that more meaningful attributes (such as compassion and ethics) come to the forefront in lieu of, well...this. And this. Not to mention this this. But you'll have to excuse me, I need to go fix my makeup real quick before my date gets here...
What we need are more role models who embrace themselves for who they are, not what they look like. We need more women with dignity. Luckily, there are some ladies in the limelight who stand up for what really matters--who they are on the inside. A great example is Lady Gaga, whose anthem "Born This Way" is practically the antithesis to society's plastic surgery craze. Not to mention Sia, who takes great pains to ensure her singing ability takes precedence over her appearance. While performing live, she's known to cover her face with wigs and masks so that her voice can take center stage.
At the end of the day, beauty is subjective. From Audrey Hepburn's boyish physique to Marilyn Monroe's curves, societal ideals clearly evolve over time. I truly hope that in the next decade people focus more on making a positive difference in the world and cultivating strength of character. I'm grateful that I grew up right before this rampant plastic surgery influx really took off. Luckily, my mother taught me to respect myself and nurture my spirit instead of strive for the most "likes" on Instagram or swipe rights on Tinder. And unlike past decades, beauty can now be bought. It may be trite, but I believe gorgeous hair or a dazzling grin means nothing without inner beauty.
In conclusion, each and every one of us has a responsibility to decide for ourselves what we value most. And this year, I hope that more meaningful attributes (such as compassion and ethics) come to the forefront in lieu of, well...this. And this. Not to mention this this. But you'll have to excuse me, I need to go fix my makeup real quick before my date gets here...
Works Cited
Anello, Cailee. (2014, Nov. 7) “Pack Mentality.” http://inpathybulletin.com/pack-mentality/
Mattia, Nancy and Lydia Price. “Every Woman Who Has Been on the Cover of PEOPLE’s Beautiful Issue: Then & Now.” (2017, Apr. 17) People Magazine.
Ross, Adam. (2018, Mar. 1) “American Society of Plastic Surgeons Report Rise in Body Shaping and Non-Invasive Procedures.” https://www.plasticsurgery.org/news/press-releases/new-statistics-reveal-the-shape-of-plastic-surgery
Wilson, Robert Evas Jr. (2009, Dec. 9) “Pack Mentality.” Psychology Today.
“Mo’ Money! The 25 Richest Reality Stars of 2018.” (2018, Oct. 30) Ok Magazine. https://okmagazine.com/photos/mo-money-the-25-richest-reality-stars-of-2018/
“The Dumbest Reality Shows of All Time.” Ranker. https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-dumbest-reality-shows-of-all-time
I've always been extremely shocked and saddened by the amount of plastic surgery I see on the daily, especially while living in Los Angeles. The most devastating part to me, is that little girls are now starting to look up to this unrealistic standard of beauty. Not only will this affect the way that young girls view themselves, but this standard of beauty will intensely increase mental health issues. I think all of these issues will be perpetuated due to social media and it's harmful effects. I can only hope that these societal expectations change for the better.
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