Discussion Text

Should People Do Cosmetic Surgery?

September 18, 2013

By Elza Netri

Cosmetic surgery has been mushrooming since several years lately. Cosmetic surgery is a type of elective plastic surgery to improve a person’s appearance and helps her to feel better about how she looks. Eyelid surgery (the eyelids are reshaped) and Liposuction (Fat is surgically removed from the body) are such kinds of cosmetic surgery that people usually do. Nowadays, there are so many advantages of the cosmetic surgery. Cosmetic surgery can provide great results, but there are limitations to what can be achieved. It is too risky and has several bad or negative effects that may also be associated with the process. There are so much controversy concerning cosmetic surgery and everybody has her own opinion about this matter both of agree and disagree with it.

Physically, cosmetic surgery gives a lot of advantages to make the human appearance looks better and gives one's body a sense of beauty. After have cosmetic surgery, people bodies will seem more beautiful and proportional than before. Cosmetic surgery can reshape the body and this is what people want if they are unhappy about their body. Donald J. Capuano, a cosmetic surgeon, in his web stated “Abnormalities can be reconstructed by such kind of surgery. Some examples of this kind of surgery would be a cleft palate or some other born-defect”.  Clearly, it emphasize that cosmetic surgery have advantages on physically side.

Another advantage is emotionally. Cosmetic surgery has good effects on the patient's emotional state. Capuano said, “People’s body image, or perception of how they look, often controls their life, both directly and indirectly. Good looking is often helpful in receiving more attention as well.” Moreover, Richard B. Stark in his book, Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, stated “Recent studies have shown that person of pleasing appearance are accepted more readily by peers and by seniors, and also more successful.” An important pro to cosmetic surgery is that you may receive your dramatic results and be happier than you have ever dreamed possible. Therefore, cosmetic surgery give benefit on emotional side.

Psychologically, cosmetic surgery can build self confidence. Cosmetic surgery makes people easier to interact with others. Richard stated, “An individual whose body image is different will find it hard to form meaningful interpersonal associations and may become a social outcast, suffering psychological damage inherent in this particular type of rejection. Improving their appearance may allow them to be accepted by a younger group or may vault them into a more meaningful life”. Indeed, people who undergo cosmetic surgery, will have psychological benefit in their life.

On the other hand, cosmetic surgery also has many disadvantages on health. According to a research that stated on buzzle.com, the most common complaints are: headaches, nausea, vomiting, and prolonged pain, which are experienced by some people after the surgical procedure. Inflammation around the area where the procedure was carried out is another problem associated with plastic surgery. From this research, we will know that cosmetic surgery is a risky procedure and have disadvantages for people’s health.

Beside that, cosmetic surgery is a very expensive procedure. People should know every aspect of the method and the cost involved to do cosmetic surgery. The buzzle.com also stated that the actual cost can rise dramatically over the estimate of cosmetic surgery cost, leading patients to suffer pressure to pay the entire amount. People tend to take only the cost of the surgery and forget about unexpected cost that can arise from postoperative complications and the hospital charges during they have to stay back in the hospital. When the cost is spread out over a payment plan, it can cause more stress. In all, plastic surgery is a costly and complicated affair.

The psychological effect is the last one of the negative effects of cosmetic surgery on patients. People who undergo cosmetic surgery tend to suffer from an obsession with how their appearance. This condition can cause them to undergo plastic surgery for several times. Buzzle.com stated 'body dysmorphic disorder', where people develop such a distorted and weird perception about their body cannot be satisfied with any look. Besides that, the patients of the cosmetic surgery will be depressed if the result is different from what they were expecting. If it happened, they will suffer from intense regret, anger to themselves, and the doctor for a wrong procedure.  They also get embarrassment and criticism from their friends and family. To emphasize, cosmetic surgery will give bad impact on patients on psycologically.

In conclusion, cosmetic surgery has many advantages in physically side, emotionally side, and psychologically side. In contrast, it also has many disadvantages on health, financial and psychologically. I personally disagree with cosmetic surgery and people do not need to do it for any reason. Whatever your reasons, you have to realize that cosmetic surgery presents many risks. Cosmetic surgery is not a magic way that will cover your problem and make your life better. It will not make an older woman become young again and it may not necessarily transform your experiences in life. Cosmetic surgeon can make you have the physical appearance you have always imagined, but it cannot fix who you are on the inside. In short, Cosmetic surgery cannot make you to be a  perfect person.

References:

Bora, Chandramita. 2012.  Negative Effects of Plastic Surgery. http://www.buzzle.com/articles/bad-effects-of-plastic-surgery.html (retrieved on 11/09/2013)

Capuano, Donald J. 2001. The Psychological Benefits of Cosmetic Plastic Surgery. http://www.drcapuano.com/plastic/marisa.htm (retrieved on 11/09/2013)

Eblin, Jennifer. 2013. Negative Effects of Cosmetic Surgery. http://www.ehow.com/about_4759600_negative-effects-cosmetic-surgery.html (retrieved on 11/09/2013)

Kennedy, Tiffany. 2009. Pros and Cons of Cosmetic Surgery: Beauty Has a Price. http://voices.yahoo.com/pros-cons-cosmetic-surgery-beauty-has-price-3064281.html?cat=69 (retrieved on 11/09/2013)

Makeover Travel. 2013. Cosmetic surgery is increasingly becoming a part of mainstream world society!. http://www.makeovertravel.com/plastic_cosmetic_surgery_abroad/Abroad_cosmetic_plastic_surgery_center.htm (retrieved on 11/09/2013)

Nordqvist, Christian. 2013. What Is Cosmetic Surgery? What Is Plastic Surgery? http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/cosmeticsurgery/Pages/Whatiscosmeticsurgery.aspx (retrieved on 11/09/2013)

Stark, Richard B. ------. Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, Inc.

Complete process

Cosmetic surgery is a term that always makes me ask and vexed. How people want to do this? How cosmetic surgery can change people’s appearance? How cosmetic surgeon can do this? And what is the advantages and disadvantages of this? I have been interesting about it since three years ago. I often search in the Google about cosmetic surgery.

When my classmate and I were asked to make a discussion essay, I decided to choose cosmetic surgery as the topic. The first step that I do was made an outline about cosmetic surgery. Then I searched a lot of information and references in the Google. After that,  I made the discussion essay that was supported by some sources and experts. My discussion essay still had many mistakes, so I did revision for many times.  The last form of my discussion essay is look like the essay above. Over all, that is the process how I can make this discussion essay.