Why go under the Knife? Why not stay above it?

I read MayLee's blog post about how she read Xiaxue's blog post (which I also read btw) about her "going under the knife" (Xiaxue, not MayLee) aka plastic/cosmetic surgery.

Somehow the topic just sparked a fire in me (I never knew I had). >.<

After leaving two rather lengthy comments on that particular post in MayLee's blog, I felt a little guilty. If I had so much to say, why didn't I just say them all in my own blog, instead of spamming hers. I mean, if personal blogs aren't for expressing personal opinions, what are they for, right?

So.

That, gave birth to this blog post.

Xiaxue posting her after-surgery pictures were freaky to me as well. And her enthusiastic reassurances of how "...this is only day 2 ! Will get better one :D" did nothing to well, assure me. >.<

For me, the big question is, Why go under the knife in the first place?

Who do we do it for?

I'm sure you'd agree that it's silly to undergo such risky (however "small" an operation it may be, there are still risks involved) procedures for other people. Regardless of who these "other people" are -- boyfriends, girlfriends, soon-to-be-partners, the general 'other' people -- they are not reason enough for you to have to change yourself. No, not even change yourself, in fact, it is merely on the superficial.

Why would you change how you look just to please others?

Are you seriously considering a nose job because your boyfriend once tactlessly commented that your nose "is a bit flat"? Or that your eyes are "too small"?

Why should you care about what your boyfriend thinks, or anybody else for that matter?

Maybe you yourself are insecure about how you look. Ask yourself why. Why is it that you think yourself ugly, unattractive?

More often than not, those people who complain about how "ugly" they are, aren't ugly at all. In fact, many, I would say, are even above-average-looking.

They are just plain dissatisfied with what they were born with.

Either that, or they have unrealistically low self-esteem.

Either way, it's just not right, and something should be done about it !

It's crazy to think that plastic surgery will solve all your problems.

It's possible that even after surgery, some people still cannot see themselves as anything other than ugly, or less-than-perfect. It's unlikely that after going under the knife you'll finally snag that rich, hot guy and live happily ever after. It's unlikely that after plastic surgery you'll be happy. Well, at least not for long.

Yet, people do actually believe that. Well, maybe not exactly that that, but some people think that they need plastic surgery when frankly, they don't.

And our idea of what is beautiful is really contorted. >.<

I'm sure you must have seen these videos being forwarded. While people are going ooh and aah over them, I wonder who dictated these standards of beauty. "Big Eyes Is Beautiful." If I didn't have big eyes, I'm not? That makes me ugly?

I was with my aunt and her two daughters (my cousins) one family reunion. I can't remember our conversation verbatim, what exactly it was that we were talking about, but I remembered my aunt was comparing her eldest daughter with the younger one. 

Now, the older girl was a little more tom-boyish, a little awkward and gangly (she was at that age) while the younger one was, to most people I guess, more girly and sweet (she was anything but sweet, believe you, me >.<). That's the truth. But there is nothing wrong with either of them being the way they were, was there?

Right in front of the two of them, my aunt compares them -- by their physical appearance. You know what she tells me?

"(My eldest daughter) doesn't have them, but (my youngest daughter) has been blessed with double eyelids. "

Wait. What?

No, her daughter is not blessed with a roof over her head, good food to eat, a privileged education, loving family. No. She's been blessed with double eyelids.

I just couldn't stomach the way she said that. And right in front of her eldest daughter too. Can you imagine what it must have felt like to have been compared to your younger sibling and found lacking.....in a second eyelid?

Is this the society we live in? Is this how the younger kids are growing up? Thinking that they're less-than-perfect for something they were born with? Or in my cousin's case, born without?

I guess it is no wonder then that everyone claims they need plastic surgery. Their nose is too flat, their eyes too small, they have no pretty double eyelids. How can they survive?

You know what? Flat noses are beautiful. Small eyes are beautiful. Non-double-eyelids are beautiful too.

We're all beautiful. Just as we are. And the next time we complain about each and every body part that is "less than perfect", think about this. There are people who were born without a face ! :(

Disclaimer: I have nothing against people who have done/will be/are for plastic surgery. This is just my humble opinion.