27 August 2019
"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" - I have always been a firm believer of that saying. Beauty does not have a single definition, it means different things to different people. However, it is undeniable that there are certain societal standards that aim to define and set an image of what it means to be beautiful. Naturally, they can vary across cultures and countries, but it's indisputable that they exist. So, where do they stand today and what does plastic surgery have to do with it? The short answer is: a lot.
Let me start by saying that I have nothing (or, well, not much) against plastic surgery. You're free to do whatever you want and if you feel that surgically altering your appearance will genuinely benefit your life and give you the confidence boost you need, then why not? I know how it feels to grow up hating a part of your body and having to deal with being made fun of because of it. I have a crooked, not very aesthetically pleasing nose, that naturally does't correspond to the general standard of beauty, and of course, I've been ashamed of it for years. Truth is, if I had money to spare and if I didn't really care about my health and well-being, I probably would consider "fixing it". But what you (and I) need to remember is that
An external solution does not fix an internal problem.
Why is that? By going under the knife, and that also includes fillers, botox and such, you succumb to the idea that there was something wrong with your appearance in the first place. And let me tell you: THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH YOUR APPEARANCE. Yes, you might not consider yourself standardly beautiful and you may not fit into society's frame of beauty, but guess what? Not many people do anyway. The magic in imperfections, as cheesy as that sounds, is that they set us apart and make us unique. Plastic surgery does the exact opposite - it unifies our appearance and if that isn't scary, I don't know what is. Remember how much you hated your school uniform? Now imagine turning your face and body into a uniform.
If you're insecure about the way you look, chances are that plastic surgery isn't going to fix that. Because that insecurity stems from within. It may be because your parents never told you that you're beautiful, or because some boy in middle school told you you have a "big nose", or because you've been fed a false image of perfection by traditional and digital media your whole life, or perhaps all of these reasons and more. So, what I'm trying to say is that this idea of unachievable beauty you have in your head is rooted deeply into your subconsciousness. And as it is with any problem, if you don't work at it from its root, it's going to keep resurfacing.
I haven't chosen a picture of Kylie Jenner by chance. She is the perfect example of trying to fix insecurities by surgically rebuilding and enhancing her entire face and body. Kylie has grown up in an appearance-centered family and in the public eye, which has had significant impact on her life and self-image. Of course, she is entitled to her decisions and is free to do whatever she wants, but as a public figure of immense global influence, she is responsible for setting trends not only in fashion and makeup, but also in the standards of beauty. What that does is mess up an entire generation's perception of beauty which is already filtered through social media and Photoshop, and creates a strive towards "perfection" which, by the way, does not exist.
What can you do about it? Fuck it all. No, seriously, in this specific case, the refusal to care is an act of rebellion. If you, within yourself, know that you are beautiful, and are secure in that statement, no norm, mean comment, or even Kylie Jenner, can change that.
But remember, self-appreciation is a lifelong journey you go on by yourself, for yourself.
xo,
Kalina
