No Need to Go to Extremes for a New Look
by Donna L. Schillinger
They say beauty is only skin deep and cosmetic surgery is proving this adage to be absolutely true. According to the annual statistical report of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons released last March, in 2003, more than 8.2 million cosmetic surgical procedures were performed, up 32 percent from 2002. Topping the list were nose reshaping (356,554), liposuction (320,022), breast augmentation (254,140), eyelid surgery (246,633), and facelifts (128,667). Not surprisingly, 82 percent of these procedures were performed on women. Surprisingly, most of the women were under 50.
The female mutilation of Western Civilization, cosmetic surgery is no longer just for the rich and famous. With many procedures, such as Botox® injections and microdermabrasion costing under $1,000, women from all classes are putting off purchasing that new sofa to purchase a new nose instead.
Whereas most women are probably satisfied with the results of their procedures, one has to wonder if the price of skin-deep beauty, regardless of how affordable it is, is really worth it. Consider Uma Thurman and Jennifer Lopez, both are practically perfect as exteriors go; yet their looks did not keep Ethan Hawk and Ben Affleck, respectively, from looking elsewhere. Both women suffered humiliating infidelities--proof positive that beauty does not ensure a good marriage or a faithful partner.
So what is the value of beauty? What is a face like Julia Roberts worth? About $10,000? Surgeons can take literally anyone--overweight, hawk-nosed, balding--and make that person over to look like Julia Roberts. What does Julia have that someone with $10,000 can't have?
ABC's reality show Extreme Makeover is graphically demonstrating that with a little nip, tuck and lift, anyone can become super-model material. Pictured here is Cynthia from episode 12, before her extreme makeover and after. I wonder if Cynthia and her husband still make a cute couple.
There is nothing wrong with looking and feeling your best. But where do we draw the line with surgical intervention in obtaining that best look? Soon we may be able to choose a new face like we can choose a hair color now. Will that make our lives any better though?
It does seem that better-looking people have it easier in life. They seem to get treated better, waited on faster, better parking spots and usually pick the quickest moving line at the grocery store. So there may indeed be some rationale for looking our best.
Regardless of the perks, we should want to look our best for ourselves. Just like we should always try to do what is right and be kind, we should always try to look our best. It is a way of praising and expressing gratitude to nature and our creator.
However, we don't have to go to extremes to look our best. And we should work with what nature has given us. If you are doing the best you can and still think it's not good enough, try someone else's idea of your best look. Seek out the person whose look and style you admire most and enlist his or her help in giving you a non-surgical makeover. Chances are that person would really like to give you a few tips.
You may just want to exchange some ideas in a chat over tea. Or you might ask for a bigger commitment, like accompanying you to a salon to have your hair styled or eyebrows shaped. Invite your style mentor to go through your closet with you and tell you what looks good on you and what you should never wear again. When it's time for new glasses, ask your style mentor to accompany you to pick out new frames.
There is a lot you can do short of going under the knife to feel better about how you look. (See below for some tips.) Regardless of what you do, you should never give up your identity or sacrifice your individuality. As for changing your nose…Barbara Streisand, Celine Dion, Leanne Rimes. Need I say more?
5 Inexpensive (and Natural) Alternatives to the Extreme Makeover
Crooked teeth? Try shaping your smile by wearing rubber bands on your teeth when you're at home in the evening. The rubber bands should pull your teeth in the direction you want them to go. This may sound like primitive braces, but its the same concept orthodontists use. Adult teeth do not take as long as adolescent teeth to realign. You can get results within months.
Yellow teeth? OK, there's no excuse for this, unless you just like the color yellow. For about the same price as other name-brand toothpastes, you can get super-whitening formulas that really do work. Rembrandt is not just for smokers. It's a great whitening toothpaste. Want a natural product? Tom's of Maine Natural Tartar Control and Whitening Toothpaste, 800-FOR-TOMS. Remember, though, that teeth come in different colors. Ask any dentist.
Sagging butt? Putting a serious one-year boycott on the elevator or escalator for anything under 8 floors can yield results as good as a Brazilian butt lift if you have stairs in your daily route.
Acne? Purchase a small bottle of tea tree oil and rub it sparingly on your face in the morning and at night. Before you finish that bottle, your acne will probably be gone. Test a little on a patch of skin first for allergic reaction.
Wrinkles? Give yourself microdermabrasion twice a week by taking a coarse facial scrub, like the inexpensive St. Ives® Invigorating Apricot Scrub, and working your face over until you think you've scraped it off (about 3 minutes), concentrating on your wrinkles. Although it seems counterintuitive, it is actually possible to sand blast your wrinkles off-this is in fact, what microdermabrasion does. You rub away old, dead skin and encourage new cell growth. Use a rich moisturizer afterwards. All natural version--sand followed by cocoa butter.
About the Author
Donna Schillinger is a freelance writer and editor who learned, after paying $500 for 5 microdermabrasion sessions, that she could obtain the same results by "sandblasting" at home. More content now than ever with the way she looks, Donna lives peacefully in the boonies of Arkansas with her husband John, daughter Gwendolyn and 8 pets.
