I have. I’m curious if other people have, and if it is still a taboo to talk about it.
I admit I’m vain. To me, that is just common sense: women are very much judged by their looks. There’s a lot of hard evidence to back that assumption up. I made the call that looking good would help me, both professionally and socially.
I’m also already pretty. Cosmetic surgery apparently is done more by people who already fit the beauty standard, because they have come to depend on their attractiveness, to some extent.
So… I’m 49, and I have done:
-Eyelid surgery, three years ago. Cost me 400 USD. Done by a local GP in his practice, who specialized in them). Worth it, but the healing time, with visible scars and redness was far longer then I had expected. I looked like I had been crying for about two months.
Liposuction of thighs, knees and hips, in one sitting. Twenty years ago. I was a rather extreme pear. Cost me 700 dollars. Very, very worth it. I have gained and lost weight, but my proportions had changed permanently, and that made wearing clothes much easier.
I went in for a nose job, thru medical tourism in Turkey. four years ago. Would have costed 2500 USD. I got cold feet at the last moment and instead opted for an upper lip lift under local sedation. Very worth it.
So…have you done anything? Did you think it was worth it, or not? Do you think women should do less of this? Should men do more?
I went to a cosmetic surgery place not really having any idea of what I wanted and ended up having filler put in the lines that connect the edges of the mouth to the nose, and botox in my jaw muscles.
They had not been clear with me on the cost: I was initially quoted $700 but then they said that was only per cubic cm of the filler and actually the cost was $3000. I was too embarrassed about the whole situation to try to complain, just wanted to forget about it (though after checking online later I found that I had pretty much paid the going rate).
I figure most people have one insane purchase in their life, this is just mine
I’m not against cosmetic surgery per se, my bad decision notwithstanding. I think it’s fine for people to fight the effects of ageing as much as they can, using whatever methods. But of course there’s a point of overuse / diminishing returns.
Never had anything done and have no interest in it. A couple of years ago, I saw a dermatologist to have a small carcinoma removed and she was apparently hinting that I could get some stuff “fixed” - I’m a little dense sometimes and didn’t realize what she was suggesting till I got home.
In the grand scheme of things, I don’t care about how I look. I try to be clean and well-groomed, but I don’t use cosmetics and I don’t follow fashion trends. It’s just not important to me. There are too many other things I’d rather spend my time and money on. Thank goodness for personal choice, right?
Like some of you, I am somewhat vain, and I cannot bother being ashamed of it. I am in my mid fifties and it is important to me to look good. I do what I can on my own: eat right, work out, dress well, but there was nothing I could effectively do about my balding so I opted for surgery.
I realized, while reading, I have had more done, but I never thought of that as cosmetic surgery.
For instance, I have permanent make-up. My eyebrows and eyeliner are tattood on. It looks subtle, but neat, and saves me time in the morning.
A couple months ago, I went to my GP to have a mole removed. It was under my bra strap and it hurt. It was one of those flat, pigmented, slightly cauliflowery spots that often come with age. It turned out, it was a five minute procedure that cost me nothing and was done by the assistant, not the doc herself. She called me when they had a bottle of cold liquid nitrogen in the office, and then touched the spot with a q-tip dipped in the cold liquid. Effectively freezing the mole off. When she had done that mole, she cheerfully asked if she could do the rest, and I said yes, so…Now I’m relatively spotless.
If you wonder what I look like after all that work, here’s a picture.
My best friend is against it. I admire her reasons for not doing it, but at the same time, I have my reasons. I think I’m done now, for the time being.
Oh, just… get over it already, will ya?
Those who want to have procedures done, I respect that. A touch-up here or there, fine, go for it.
I had lipomas on my forearms - harmless lumps that looked unsightly and became something of a distraction when I wore short sleeves. Especially in business meetings. I’d notice glances downward during conversations. So I had them removed.
One day while channel surfing I came across some extreme plastic surgery show and this lady wanted to look like a cartoon character, almost like a Jessica Rabbit. She had many procedures done, including removing six ribs for a smaller waist. Talk about extreme!
But, yeah, my lipomas. I’ve had several removed over 4-5 visits and spanning some 20 years. The damn things, sometimes they seem to sprout! I’ve removed them, mostly for cosmetic reasons (some caused pain, if pressed).
I’m pretty vain, but I decided a long time ago that I’d be better served by keeping my self in excellent physical condition rather than having any surgery (really, the only thing I would have ever considered was hair replacement).
To me, women will never be truly liberated until they accept completely their physical appearance as unimportant to their lives. What I am and what I do is what counts. What I look like is of supreme irrelevance.
I would be extremely insulted by any benefits or privileges I received, personal or professional, if I found out I received them due to my physical appearance. I want to be recognized for merit, period.
The closest I came was eye surgery. At the onset of cataracts, I had my natural lenses replaced with plastic bifocal devices. I didn’t need my specs after that, but I wouldn’t have done it for vanity.
I am who I am, I am my own age (67), and this is the face I wear for all to see. Maybe if I made my living in front of a camera, I might have had some repairs made. Maybe not.
Actor Walter Matthau said he made his living with his face, and he would never risk losing any part of his ability to express his art with it.
I’m a big believer in “it is what it is,” and that applies to me in general. However, I did have breast reduction back in my twenties, but not for cosmetic reasons. My back hurt and it was a constant pain in the ass playing softball, so lopping some off seemed to be the solution. The only problem though was that the surgeon had other ideas about size than I did and the whole thing ended up being futile. I should’ve sued (since obviously, that wasn’t his call to make), but I was young and stupid. Thus, my frigging back still hurts. :mad:
Not sure if it counts, but when I had to have surgery for an infection on my face the work was done by a plastic and reconstructive surgeon. The resulting scar is very thin and fine, and even without makeup most people don’t notice it unless I point it out to them.
I wouldn’t say I’d never have work done (to be honest, I have some broken capillaries on the side of my nose I’d like gone) but right now between finances, other priorities, and not looking bad for my age anyhow I just don’t see a need for it right now.
