Are We Using Surgery To Solve Problems We Don’t Want To Face?
Has getting cosmetic surgery ever crossed your mind?
Have you ever wanted to go up a few cup sizes, shrink your nose, or make your lips a little fuller?
If you’re nodding your head as you read this, don’t worry — you are not alone. Like most girls and women, I’ve had those thoughts plague me too. And cosmetic surgery was an attractive option.
You see, there was a time I thought I needed fixing.
It breaks my heart seeing girls as young as 12 thinking they need to “fix” their bodies, so they can emulate the women they look up to, and be seen as more attractive by their peers and society.
When did we start believing that being 90% plastic is desirable?
More desirable than the natural features and curves we were blessed with, which make us utterly unique in this world?
The act of mutilating our bodies has become normalized.
People openly talk about the work they’ve had done.
Getting a boob job has become the equivalent of popping to the shops and picking up a push-up bra. You can find breast enlargement adverts playing on mainstream TV channels in the middle of the day.
But the hidden reality of cosmetic surgery is much darker than they’ll ever tell you.
Some of the risks of breast implants include:
- Additional surgeries
- Capsular contracture (scar tissue that squeezes the implant)
- Breast pain
- Changes in nipple and breast sensation
- Ruptures (including silent ones)
- Anaplastic large cell lymphoma (cancer of the immune system)
There is now an epidemic of low self-esteem among young girls and women, and we have been convinced that going under the knife is the answer to all our deeper problems.
The truth is, we are not addressing the real reasons why we’re unhappy with the way we look.
Aside from the toxic images and messages we’re bombarded with on a daily basis, most of our deep-rooted insecurities stem from something that happened in our past, that we still haven’t dealt with.
Maybe all the kids in school told you your nose was really big, some guy called you flat chested, or someone fat shamed you.
If you find yourself feeling like your body doesn’t measure up and you want to “fix” it through surgery, chances are you’re still carrying around those past traumas with you, and they are the real cause of your unhappiness.
Ask yourself, why do you really want cosmetic surgery?
Do you want to feel more attractive, or more confident? If the answer is yes, you need to take the time to do the inner work on yourself that’s ultimately going to help you master those qualities in the long run.
Surgery is NEVER going to make you happy. You think it will, but then you get those new breasts, and for a short while you feel amazing — until you realize that all of your problems are still there. Every last one of them.
Because nothing you can buy is ever going to bring you true happiness.
There was a time when I wanted cosmetic surgery too — I thought my A-cup breasts were too small, I thought my Indian arched nose was too big and wonky, and I thought the bags under my eyes were aging me before my time and stopping me from getting a boyfriend, and that no one would ever love me and I’d end up alone.
Now, I realize much of these feelings of worthlessness stem from being bullied as a teenager, the scars of which stayed with me for over a decade.
Wanna know the real reason I wanted cosmetic surgery?
I had zero self-confidence, I didn’t love myself, and I wasn’t comfortable in my own skin.
So, instead of opting for a quick fix, and throwing money at my problems, I took the time to do the hard work on myself, and rebuild my confidence, self-love, and self-worth.
It was a painful process, yes, but all the pain and struggle was worth it. Because my body is my own. It’s the one that I was gifted. And I didn’t allow myself to be manipulated into thinking I need a different one, a better one, or a more “beautiful” one.
I realised I am good enough, and I will carry that with me forever.
Who told you you’re not good enough?
Who told you your body needed fixing?
And why did you decide to believe them?
Hear me when I say this: you ARE so much more than good enough.
You don’t need to bend, mold, or shape-shift yourself into someone or something else.
You don’t need the approval or validation of others.
Who you are is beautiful, and as long as you believe that, nothing else matters.
I want you to know it’s possible to get to the point where you love your body, and you look in the mirror and you adore the reflection staring back at you.
Wherever you are on your self-love journey right now, please remember this. Carry it with you, and allow it to be a reminder for you anytime those insecurities or doubts flare up.
Take back control of your body today.