The pros and cons of cosmetic surgery
Cosmetic surgery is broadly viewed through two different lenses. There are those who believe in it, love it, and embrace it. There are those who believe in staying natural and that having/needing cosmetic surgery implies a damaged sense of oneself.
Why do people have cosmetic surgery? If someone has a feature of their body (ears that stick out, a bump on their nose, etc.) that makes them deeply unhappy and affects how they engage with the world, how they relate to others and how they see themselves, does that justify taking this radical step? I believe it does. But if that feature is something many would perceive as trivial – perhaps saggy upper arms (cruelly labelled ‘bingo wings’), or breasts that have ‘dropped’, is that justified? Well, if it makes the person happier and more confident, then surely that is as valid a reason as any?
How about the more dramatic surgeries? For example, the recent trend in the Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL)? Especially when the death rate is relatively high? Here is some research dating back nine years – even then this danger had been recognised:
“In July 2016, the Aesthetic Surgery Education and Research Foundation (ASERF) sent a gluteal fat grafting survey to all active members of The Aesthetic Society and the International Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (4843 questionnaires). A total of 692 surgeons responded (14.3%) on 198,857 cases. The survey asked members if they were aware of any BBL deaths, and from the answers estimated the mortality to be between 1/2351 and 1/6241, earning BBL notoriety as the deadliest procedure in plastic surgery.
This survey raised the alarm about BBL deaths, with many voices in plastic surgery asking if this procedure was too risky to perform. Media reports documented that, in 2017, 5 deaths following BBL had occurred in South Florida alone.”[1]
Despite reports like this, which are disseminated in the Press, there is still a huge desire for all sorts of remodelling of the body. I follow Chats and social media pages inundated with discussions on who the best or cheapest surgeon is, and they are hard to read; the desperation behind them is clear and obvious.
This kind of surgery seems to more closely relate to the power of peer pressure and social media’s ability to act on a woman’s desire to be ‘perfect’. The power of peer opinion has always been strong – I remember it from my college days – but it is worse now that social media spreads doctored photographs and images of unachievable lifestyles across the world; these can generate unhealthy obsessions with the need to change perfectly lovely faces and bodies.
It is mostly women who subject themselves to cosmetic surgery, but some men do this as well. They can be just as vulnerable to peer pressure to look slim and fit.
For those who have been disciplined enough to lose a lot of weight, there can still remain an issue of the excess fat which is often then removed surgically. I have worked with people who then experience pain and mobility issues from the resulting scarring; this can cause them much anxiety and distress.
Whatever the surgery, there are scars left behind and this is the element of all surgery that is rarely discussed in public. Not only are these, ironically, potentially disfiguring, but internally they can cause huge problems as they can adhere structures together that should not be stuck together, and cause mobility issues, pain and reduced functionality.
I cannot prevent people from having plastic surgery, but one thing I can do is to help with the scars and the internal adhesions that develop. I invite members of the public to come in for free, supervised work to their scars, using Sharon Wheeler’s ScarWork of which I am an accredited teacher. Particularly, my Pelvic and Abdominal Scarring course addresses the issues around cosmetic surgery and those who need help are welcome to come in and be cared for.
See Training Courses on this website for a list of the courses currently available.
If you would like to be a ‘scar model’ for our students please email Julie, on admin@bodyinharmony.org.uk and ask to be added to the mailing list.
To find a ScarWork therapist see https://scarwork.uk/find-a-therapist/ and www.scarwork.com.
[1] National Library of Medicine. Aesthet Surg J. 2022 Aug 11;43(2):162–178. doi: 10.1093/asj/sjac224. Brazilian Butt Lift–Associated Mortality: The South Florida Experience. Pat Pazmiño; Onelio Garcia Jr. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9896146/#sjac224-B12 [Accessed 18.6.25]