In Defense of Plastic Surgery
Out of the many accounts of unabashed exploits of celebrities and “celebutantes,” there is apt to be one or two jeering at somebody who just had something done. Likewise, the paparazzi would give anything to catch an unsuspecting star who has just emerged out of a plastic surgery clinic, her brand-new assets magnified in print for all to see.
Undoubtedly, there is a stigma associated with going under the knife. Cosmetic surgery is vain, no question about it. But under the stigma, people miss what plastic surgery is for, to begin with — health.
There is definitely a line between plastic surgeries for health and ones for cosmetic reasons. A case in point: the septo-rhinoplasty procedure.
In this procedure, the surgeon realigns the septum of the nose. It’s not as cosmetic as one thinks however. Rather, this kind of procedures is critical in saving the lives of those who have trouble breathing due to obstructed nasal passageways.
Women with big endowments, who nonetheless undergo breast reduction, are often targets of derision. But they find that it is a better price to pay than having to suffer back pains and needless shoulder and neck strains due to big mammaries stressing their bodies.
Granted, plastic surgery can be had for cosmetic reasons. For someone who has survived breast cancer however, plastic surgery is nobler than that. It restores one’s confidence just when mastectomy seems to have done away with it all. The human psyche is just as blissful a beneficiary as the flesh.
At its best, plastic surgery has a cause. Operation Smile, which has been conducted around the world on children with cleft lips for free, is virtually a plastic surgery organization.
In hindsight, there really is a great gulf between plastic surgery that elevates self-worth and one that is pure vanity.
Dr. Harold Farber is a respected dermatologist and expert on skin conditions.
Harold Farber is profiled on UCompare HealthCare.
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