Sangmi, Yoo
04/11/08
General V R/W
Do you have a friend or relative who has had some part of his or her body changed wanting to be better looking? If you had been asked this question ten years ago, you probably would have said, "Not really." However, a new way of buying beauty has rapidly become so common recently that now you might say, "I'm one," without batting an eye at all. A few weeks ago, I heard the tragic news on TV that an 18-year-old girl died after undergoing breast surgery. Although she decided to have the surgery to correct a congenital defect, many teenagers choose to go under the knife just for a bit of extra beauty. According to a survey conducted by Bliss magazine, four in ten teenage girls have considered plastic surgery. In my country, Korea, the same percentage of teenage girls have considered it, and two in ten actually have had the surgery already, especially right after their high school graduation. Moreover, there's a statistic from a study conducted at a women's university in Seoul in 2006, showing that eight in ten students who were in their early twenties had undergone or planned to undergo the procedure. It isn't surprising anymore to hear about getting an eyelid surgery as a high school graduation present in Korea. However, I don't understand why people are trying so hard to change their looks unless their looks are loathsome enough to bring them some serious issues in normal life. In the past, having plastic surgery was generally considered to be a bad choice by most people in the view of the fact that it's against nature. Today, there are some negative conceptions of plastic surgery, too, since it has been bringing many social problems. In spite of the fact that it has caused many troubles, more and more people are getting involved in having a surgery. A few years ago, plastic surgery was mostly for females, but now the number of male patients is gradually growing. Also, the ages of those who get surgery are various. Changing one's look can be a gift to some people, but it could be needless for others. Moreover, when plastic surgery is conducted for teens it could be a disaster for them. This is because it is more dangerous for teens than for adults. Also, it can lead them to plastic surgery addiction easily and have a negative influence on their sense of their own individuality.
Everybody knows that getting any kind of surgery involves some risks. However, for a teenager, whose body and mind are immature, it involes even higher physical risks. A patient has to put chemical substances into his or her body to get rid of the tremendous pain during and after the operation, and artificial substances are needed to change the shape of the body during the operation. Of course, the doctors will perform the operation considering the patient's physical health, stage of development, and general condition. However, if the body is immature, its immunity is probably weaker than that of an adult, and surgery can have more consequences for the body. Although this could rather be an extreme comparison, let's think about a sick baby who must take the risks of an operation. An unnatural and poisoning chemical liquid is injected into that small, fragile body, and he or she will be struggling to find comfort after the operation, which is going to be very long and painful for him/her. This baby must endure this because he/she is on the line between life and death, and the operation, which involves cutting the tiny body with cold steel, could give them one more chance to live life. However, what are most young people who are considering cosmetic surgery thinking of? They are totally blinded, imagining a changed look that nobody can guarantee. They could get a different look, unlike the one they were expecting; however, they just go for it. Their impulsive and immature minds make them go through the severe pain and gamble with their entire lives. Plastic surgery can be conducted on teens because there are no legal terms prohibiting it only because of age. However, the problem is the fact that they are making a very important decision lightly over an aspect of their looks which does not necessarily need to be changed. That 18-year-old girl was vitimized by the failure to detect her genetic problem. She didn't have to have the surgery, but she made the decision and took the risk, ending up dead. Surgeons say, although this is extremely rare, it could happen to anybody, and it is hard to predict what is going to happen during an operation. I wonder if teenagers have ever thought carefully enough about whether changing their looks is really worth risking their lives or not. Even though they haven't considered the danger of a surgery that could lead them to the end of their lives, most of them survive anyway, like the surgeons said. Yes, it is rare to die literally, but many teenagers, who are still alive after the surgery, are gradually dying mentally.
Whether the result is successful or not, those who undergo the surgery will have more complicated problems. Teenagers are sensitive about their looks, and the opinions they hear from their peers are very important to them. If the procedure goes well, they'll have some compliments from their friends and will think they have made the right decision. However, they are adolescents; they often feel vulnerable about themselves; moreover, there's no end to human desire. Besides, the standards of good-looks can be changed as other beauty trends change constantly. Then, they are going to pick another body part that they don't think is the best look at the moment, and they will make it happen again and again. In fact, many of those who have the experience of plastic surgery are not afraid of changing another part, or they may even change two things at the same time, such as fixing the eyes and having a nose job together. The idea that they can change any body part with money is very dangerous, and it can turn out to be a sort of addiction just like smoking cigarettes or drinking. What if it goes wrong and they are unhappy? It will cause the same problem. They'll have to endure a long recovery time again and spend even more money until they get the look they want. They say redoing cosmetic surgery gives the patient much more pain than the first time, so if this happens, they will get stressed out and could have some depression as a result. Today's teenagers are busy enough doing many things already and don't have as much time to spend on recovery as others, like celebrities, nor do they have the money. So, why choose to spend so much money that they can barely afford and energy that they don't have to try to achieve something nobody can predict? Honestly, to me, they're trying too hard to become a different person.
The teenage years are a crucial period for everybody in order to build a strong and healthy self-image, but many teenagers have a lot of infulence from the media and are just not happy about their unique look. They want to have the same bigger eyes, higher and narrowed nose, and slim figure as their idol does. However, not accepting who they are can give them such a hard time learning about themselves from the beginning that they start to think serious about their lives, and it makes them confused about their identity. They should know everybody can't look the same, and they should be satisfied with their own appearance, which distinguishes them from other people. Besides, they are still growing, so they don't have to rush to see a doctor. I understand the pressure they feel and the desire for popularity among their peers; however, I hope they won’t lose their unique individuality by pursuing endless desires.
Teenagers are very sensitive about their looks because they often think they will be judged by their looks. Therefore, some teens decide to change their body parts with plastic surgery, even though this risky choice can threaten their lives. Also, it can be an addiction to them and very harmful for their sense of individuality. I understand everybody wants to be better looking, but what is "better" looking? That same big eyes, high and straight nose, and thin arms and thighs? Many young people don't realize how they look naturally beautiful without changing anything. Neither do they realize that they will be favored by their family and friends no matter how they look. Today, stepping into the world of plastic surgery is like starting to use drugs, and more and more teens are hurrying to take this “drug.” However, before they decide to have fun, they had better think more carefully about the consequences and other values before they yield to that excitement. Most of all, they have to remember that they will not be able to return to the past nor will they be able to change a decision once it has been made because our lives are given only once.