The Beauty Stigma: Don't Listen To Them, It's Okay To Get Some Botox
Plastic surgery is a loaded term. It’s full of stigma and images of middle-aged women with frozen faces and swollen lips or blonde bimbos with gigantic boobs. Then there’s the second layer – the idea that people who get plastic surgery aren’t accepting who they really are and are therefore labeled as “fake”. But why? Tons of women put on makeup every day to conceal insecurities and change their appearance. What’s the difference when it comes to plastic surgery? Is it the permanence of it that makes it seem so “fake”?
To be clear, I’m all for body positivity and learning to love you who are. Everyone should embrace their body and understand that nobody is perfect. Everyone should have the self-confidence to love their imperfections because they’re what make us human. We don’t live in a perfect world, so we should accept the things that differentiate us from others rather than feeling ashamed of them.
Unfortunately, this just isn’t the case. I’m a lucky person – most days, I look in the mirror and am happy with what I see. But even so, there are some days where I wish my lips were a little plumper, my cheekbones were more defined, and my boobs weren’t so small. These things never stay in my mind long and I always remind myself that I’m beautiful just the way I am. But the thing is, these are all things that could be easily fixed with some lip fillers, a little botox, and a boob job. And what’s so wrong with that?
If a few injections are going to give you the self-confidence boost that you need to be able to love who you are, why not go for it? I’ve never entertained the boob job… going under the knife freaks me out too much, and most days I like my As. But I’d be lying if I weren’t a little curious about lip fillers and botox. I’m afraid of needles though, so those thoughts never go very far. Still, I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if I end up doing it some day in the future. I just know that’s not what I want now.
I don’t see it as being fake or hiding from reality, I see it as making a minor change that will help you learn to love yourself. And isn’t wellness all about treating yourself and making healthy changes in your life, especially when it comes to mental health? Of course, some people go too far and get addicted to plastic surgery, in which case it turns into a bad thing. But the same can be said of alcohol and that’s still widely accepted by society. What I’m trying to say is that we shouldn’t stigmatize plastic surgery so much. It can be a good thing that really improves the well-being of someone who is too self-conscious of their imperfections. Life’s too short to be unhappy, so if a boob job is going to give you the happiness you deserve, you better #treatyoself.
Cover image via Medical News Today