Greetings, Travelers!
Today, cosmetic plastic
surgery for teens is on my mind. I had to research it for science. Cosmetic
plastic surgery alters one's physical features to look more
desirable. This does not include plastic surgery used to fix a
medical issue (like a cleft palate). Sometimes, this improves
self-esteem and reduces stress.
However, cosmetic plastic surgery can have serious consequences.
People sometimes don't realize the risks, and if they do, they
sometimes disregard them.
Also, many scientists and
psychologists believe there is a void of long-term studies on
cosmetic plastic surgery. Because of
this, people are not fully aware of the risks and benefits of
cosmetic plastic surgery.
Furthermore, what I find
most interesting is people believe teenagers who undergo cosmetic
plastic surgery have an increase in self-esteem, but studies show
teenagers' self-esteem increases over time even without cosmetic
plastic surgery. So, with a little patience, teens
can be confident their self-esteem will improve without medical
procedures.
Here's another thing: our
society loves perfection. Society tells us: “If you're not perfect,
you aren't worth anything. If you're not perfect, you don't matter.”
This bothers me because it is a complete lie. Have any of you read
the Lunar Chronicles by
Marissa Meyer? Especially Winter,
the last in the series? If you have, you'll understand why being
perfect is not essential to society, given Lunar society. (If you
haven't read the books, go read them. They're amazing.)
Why
is being “perfect” so essential in our society?
Being perfect
only makes us untouchable to those who really matter.
Spruce Nogard
Attributions:
Some
of this research came from a paper I did for Honors Anatomy and
Physiology in 2016.
Resources:
http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/teen-plastic-surgery-peaks-heading-back-school-rticle-1.2335968
