Cosmetic Surgery Pros and Cons Term Paper

Even in-office procedures like Botox and collagen injections can cause allergic reactions or injection-site infections in some people. When a person undergoes surgery that involves anesthesia and cutting, the risks become even greater. Not only is there a risk of a fatal reaction to anesthesia or other drugs used during the procedure, a surgeon may make a mistake and cut the wrong place, or the person just may not have the constitution to undergo surgery. There are tales every year of people who went in for cosmetic surgery and did not come out again. The question of whether the potential for looking somewhat more like your ideal of beauty is worth the potential physical risk of cosmetic surgery is something that every individual who considers cosmetic surgery has to answer for him or her self.

Cosmetic surgery can also become addictive for some. There are people who are so obsessed with changing their appearance, of erasing every little perceived imperfection and whipping their body into submission to their will, that they simply can not avoid going to the cosmetic surgeon again and again. It has been presumed by many that singer Michael Jackson is addicted to cosmetic surgery, and one look at his tragically carved-up and plastic-filled face will tell you this is likely true (Davis, C., 23). Model Cindy Jackson has had at least 27 cosmetic surgery procedures, including 4 face-lifts (Leigh, 1). And, like any addiction, addiction to cosmetic surgery needs to be treated. Just like drugs or gambling or sex, an addiction to cosmetic surgery can be taken to dangerous extremes, and considering the inherent physical dangers in cosmetic surgery, it is best to have the addiction treated before permanent damage occurs, before too much is removed for a person's body to ever be made to look natural again.Cosmetic surgery has definite psychological benefits to those who are already mentally stable and have no underlying attachment, abandonment, or addiction issues. The boost in self-esteem that comes with successful cosmetic surgery can create a dramatic positive personality change in many who choose it. However, cosmetic surgery does not come without inherent risks. From the general risks associated with any surgery to the risk of a botched end-result, to potential negative psychological consequences or addiction, it is clear that cosmetic surgery is not something to be undertaken lightly. It requires forethought and planning, as well as a thorough and honest self-evaluation of the motives behind it. If it is determined that a person has the necessary foundation to undergo cosmetic surgery and is fully aware of what he or she is getting themselves into, though, cosmetic surgery can be a positive thing.

Bibliography

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Crampton, Suzanne M. Developing and Packaging the Total Corporate Image. SAM Advanced Management Journal, Vol. 60. 1995.

Davis, Deborah and Vernon, Michael L. Sculpting the Body Beautiful: Attachment Style, Neuroticism, and Use of Cosmetic Surgeries. Sex Roles: A Journal of Research. 2002.

Davis, Sally Ogle. Knifestyles of the Rich and Famous. Sunday Mirror, London. September 22, 1996.

Gimlin, Debra L. Body Work: Beauty and Self-Image in American Culture. University of California Press, Berkley. 2001.

Leigh, Wendy. Secrets of a Heavenly Body...It's in the Stars. Sunday Mirror, London. 1998.

Lewis, Cynthia. Going Plastic in Costa Rica. The Antioch Review, Vol. 63. Winter….....