Breast Implants are the most frequently-requested graduation gift. More than 333,000 adolescents ages 18 and younger had plastic surgery in 2005, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
The number of teens that are jumping on the boob job bandwagon and frivolously deciding to go under the knife is outrageous.
It's not hard to figure out where they're getting their inspiration. Today, pop culture portrays the perfect woman as a big-breasted, tiny-waisted freak and presents plastic surgery as a viable way to achieve this look. However, one television show manages to show the darker side of plastic surgery.
This past week, like many ASU students, I tuned in to watch the new season of my favorite show, Nip/ Tuck.
No more than five minutes in, I was reminded how much I have always been against plastic surgery thanks to the show's racy topics and gruesome surgeries.
Like a drug, plastic surgery can consume patients, defining their lives and creating an internal obsession for perfection.
Sure, the Nip/Tuck story lines may portray extreme cases of plastic surgery, but there's no doubt this show is reflective of our society's fixation to look and feel perfect.
We all know people who have gone through plastic surgery or are aspiring patients. I know people who are visually gorgeous, but refuse to believe it. They live each day ashamed of their appearance and drill into their heads that they are ugly.
It's sad, but too many turn to plastic surgery as a quick fix for lack of happiness, and think a nose job or boob job is the answer to their problems.
Victoria Clayton, a freelance writer for MSNBC said, "Four epidemiologic studies have found that the risk of suicide among women with breast implants is two- to threefold higher than among other women. One theory is that some people who get surgery are actually suffering from a psychological disorder known as body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), in which they falsely believe they are unusually ugly."
The media is a factor, but plastic surgery is primarily due to women feeling an extreme sense of insecurity on the inside. This is why women partake in liposuction, nose jobs, Botox, and breast implants.
"There's also reason to be wary of the psychological state of some surgery candidates, as well as the surgery's impact on mental health," Clayton said.
There are many ways to physically change your body without going under the knife:
Go to the gym like every other self-respecting human being. Or, are you ready for this life changing idea? Eat healthier!
It's not hard to figure out. Instead of costly breast implants, buy a push up. Or even cheaper, stuff it!
Botox, a toxin that is injected into the skin to removes wrinkles, not only makes people look goofy, but it's absolutely frivolous. No one is going to notice or care about wrinkles in the corner of your eyes except your plastic surgeon.
To physically change a nose that is too large for your taste, obviously, exercise won't cut it. The real solution: learn to love it.
It's true, now more than ever; women and teens are expected to fit the image of a flawless celebrity, oozing beauty and perfection.
Skinny models airbrushed onto magazine covers have fueled our insecurities and quickly diminish a woman's self esteem. Teens, women, and men all need to learn to not give into these mirages of perfection and focus on healthier mediums like Self Magazine and the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty, which encourage women to love their imperfections.
The TV show Nip/Tuck, on the other hand, reflects the reasons behind society's obsession for plastic surgery. In addition, it shows the intentions of each individual patient and the lengths they will go to feel perfect.
Jealousy, baggage from the past, the yearning to please others, and lack of self-esteem are the internal reasons why characters on the show and our society turn to plastic surgery.
It seems people will do anything to feel accepted in social situations except work harder to mentally overcome their low self esteem.
There's only one way to completely change your body, and it's not paying for surgery. To change your appearance you have to change your mindset. Choose to accept and love your body it as is; that's free.
Reach the reporter at: lauren.misak@asu.edu.
