“No one is ever perfect. But I am obsessed with plastic surgery and with maintaining my looks,” Montag points out, “I’m just starting.”
Montag agrees that plastic surgery makes her feel beautiful, and plans to maintain her beauty by plastic surgery as she ages.
Montag, like so many other young women, wants to be perceived as perfect; the difference is, she is obviously willing to risk her health, or even her life, to achieve this physical perfection.
And so the question is, is the current American society so superficial, that a 23-year-old feels that she has to change her whole external self to be accepted by her peers?
Plastic surgery is becoming more popular in recent years; the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery states that the number of cosmetic procedures increased by 44 percent from 2003 to 2004, adding up to approximately 11.9 million procedures a year.
In fact, cosmetic surgery is becoming more common for teenagers as well, adding up to about 240,682 procedures in 2004, despite the fact that these adolescents are still developing physically as well as mentally.
Psychiatrist David Castle, MD, who conducted studies on the psychological functioning before and after cosmetic procedures, says that psychiatrists need to characterize the population being studied.
“There may be strong cultural pressures that are so unrealistic in terms of how we’re supposed to look,” Castle adds.
In other words, American women are trying to achieve physical “perfection” according to how the media, and their peers, perceive it. But no one can be perfect, right?
Also, the outcomes of plastic surgery can be negative, especially of those who hold unrealistic expectations, or have a history of depression and/or anxiety. Castle’s studies found that patients who are discontented with their results will request repeat procedures, experience low self-esteem or depression, social isolation, family problems, or unnatural anger toward their doctor and/or the staff who conducted the surgery.
There are health risks to plastic surgery as well. Including the risk of taking to much painkiller medication, there are many side effects to plastic surgery that one must take into consideration.
The most common are nausea and vomiting, fevers, headaches and an allergic reaction to the anesthesia. The less common side effects, but most dangerous, are blood clots and infection, both of which may be deadly to the patient.
Plastic surgery seems like a quick fix to any “imperfections,” for celebrities as well as teenagers, but is it really worth the risk? It is up to the individual to decide.
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