Sculpting a Self

With modern medical technology, almost anyone can transform his/her body into whatever shape he/she wishes. Whether a woman chooses breast implants and a nose job, or a man chooses a face lift and liposuction, the opportunities for body sculpting are endless. If someone doesn't like something about his physical self, he can opt to change it to he liking. How someone views himself physically is called body image. In modern society, a person's body image is affected by more than just his/her personal beliefs; the media has a big impact on how people think they should look physically. Does this ability to take total control over one's body affect one's ability to control his/her mind? I personally feel that the more control we have over our physical self, the less control we have over our mental self.

What makes a person want to undergo plastic surgery? "Happiness...is defined in terms of the autonomy of the individual to transform him- or herself". This pursuit of happiness is "the central goal of aesthetic surgery", a more specific type of plastic surgery in which the procedure is not needed, but is instead wanted by the patient (Gilman 18). Aesthetic surgery is generally not covered under most insurance policies, and therefore the patients must pay out of pocket for the procedure. The high cost of these surgeries demonstrates what people are willing to sacrifice in order to be "perfect".

In order for a person to be unhappy with themselves, there must be some standard baseline in which they are comparing themselves to. We as humans do not live in a solitary world, but rather a society filled with people. With people come varieties of all sorts. The media takes the reins of classifying people as being "better" or "worse". This classification system is based on a person's outward appearance, or their physical being. In today's society, the media has convinced people that they need to be lean, tan, and overall beautiful if they want to live happy lives. Because of this, the number of aesthetic surgeries per year has recently skyrocketed. "The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) reports a 119% increase from 1997 to 1999 in aesthetic procedures performed in the U.S." (Covino). People want to change their self image into what the media expects them to be. Because of this pressure, aesthetic surgery is becoming more and more common every year.

An example from the media that I feel is responsible for creating this "ideal" image is the television show "Nip/Tuck". The show follows several plastic surgeons in their day to day lives, with a strong focus on the surgeries they perform. Many of these surgeries are performed on wealthy individuals who want to change an aspect of their physical self. Common surgeries in the show are face lifts, breast implants, nose jobs, and liposuction. All of these procedures are not necessary for the patients' overall good health, and instead are performed with the intentions of changing the patients' body image. The actors in the show recover from the surgeries looking better than ever with a sexy new body and a much more positive outlook on life. After watching this show, it would be very easy for the average American to look at himself in the mirror and have a sudden urge to want to change how he looks. It is this type of influence that causes people to choose aesthetic surgery.

After a person undergoes aesthetic surgery successfully, it is common for him to desire a second, third, or even fourth surgery. The person becomes addicted to the results of the procedure, and will in turn continue to find "flaws" in his body that he wants to have changed. It is this vicious cycle which keeps the aesthetic surgery industry thriving. But at what point does a person lose his/her sense of a mental self as a result of changing their physical appearance? I feel that the more a person changes their body via surgery, the more mental self image they lose. He becomes almost like a piece of wax, whose only purpose is to be carved and altered into something different. There is no longer a sense of mental self. After this loss of self occurs, the person is a product of the media and his mental self has nothing to do with his perception of his body image. He lost control to the media and has consequently lost control over who he is as a mental person to what the media wants him to be as a physical person.

What the media does not advertise, however, are the consequences of aesthetic surgery. Side effects such as scarring, distortion, and infections are just a few of the many possible physical casualties that often plague patients of aesthetic surgery. When combined with the mental side effects such as body image disturbance, which is the inability to be happy with one's appearance, as well as addiction to aesthetic surgery, the negatives outweigh the few positives of changing ones appearance under the knife. These negatives combine to form a larger problem of an individual losing his mental self to his perceived physical self (Sullivan 47).

Aesthetic surgery is a way for a person to subscribe to the beliefs infused into his mind by the media. By giving in to these beliefs, one loses the control he has over his mental self and gives into the desired physical appearance projected by the media. The loss of the mental self comes with the price of being yet another product of the media. The person is no longer aware of his mental self and instead is a statue of wax being carved to pieces in a dire attempt to satisfy the ever-present craving to achieve perceived physical perfection.

Citations:

Works Cited

Gilman, Sander L. Making the Body Beautiful a Cultural History of Aesthetic Surgery. Princeton, N.J: Princeton UP, 1999. Print.

Parens, Erik. Enhancing Human Traits Ethical and Social Implications. Washington, D.C: Georgetown UP, 1998. Print.

Sullivan, Deborah A. Cosmetic Surgery The Cutting Edge of Commercial Medicine in America. New York: Rutgers UP, 2000. Print.