The recent spate of tattoo thread, including this one, reminded me of my family’s long-standing objection to tattoos. “If God meant for you to have pictures on your body, he would have given them to you!”
At the same time, my family wholeheartedly approves of plastic surgery, from rhinoplasty to face lifts to boob jobs. God apparently didn’t want my mom to have C cups, but she had no problem getting them for her herself. She’s urged me to get breast implants since I was a teenager, on the grounds that “They’ll give you confidence.” (I prefer to get my confidence elsewhere, thank you very much.)
I’ve long wondered how attitudes towards body piercing, tattooing, and plastic surgery tend to align. To my knowledge, this has never been polled before. Feel free to elaborate as much as you like, since these tend to involve age limits, costs, social acceptibility, etc.
I have seen tattoos that were quite attractive. Piercings (other than ears) I find somewhat off-putting, but not in a big way. Plastic surgery is something I’ve undergone. I had a breast reconstructed.
I’ve seen some instances of elective plastic surgery that improved people’s appearance dramatically. A friend who had his nose bobbed and his chin augmented went from looking like a nebbish to looking like George Clooney. I don’t plan to have any cosmetic surgery myself, but I don’t look down on those who do.
Definitely not for me. I don’t have a problem with anyone else having them. Unless they have numerous or unusual ones and get upset when people point and stare.
Again, not for me. Depends on the reasons someone gets it done. I talked with an old friend who spent $10k on liposuction and breast work (a lift and slight enhancement). She said she didn’t feel or look any different than before and wasn’t pleased with the work. She said she did it because she no longer had the time to exercise and thought her body was going to pot. She’s 42 and works full time and has two small children. I’m not really surprised she had plastic surgery. She’s always been a bit vain. She refuses to accept that she has to age.
I think tattoos, body piercing, and plastic surgery all come under the heading of things that should only be done in moderation. I’ve had one tattoo, my ears pierced, and facial surgery (for non-cosmetic reasons, but still), and they were none of them tremendously pleasant to go through. They all, however, have improved my self-image in ways that aren’t necessarily life-changing but still quite positive. In other words, if I had to do any (or all) of them done again, I would.
Agreed. A tasteful tattoo or piercing is fine. Personally, I’m not a fan of full sleeves, facial tattoos, mult. ear, nose, and lip piercings.
I think I have a rather lax regarding plastic surgery and that may just because I am from Southern California. Plastic surgery just isn’t a big deal to me. You want your boobs done? Sweet! Want to get your nose done? Well that seems like it would hurt, but whatever. Lipo? No biggie. Botox? Even less of a biggie. I have pretty much decided that I will get my boobs done someday (within 10 years). I don’t want implants, my girls are big enough, thank you very much. I just want my boobs to LOOK fake I have my own reasons and all tht.
As was said and as is the case with everything: moderation is key. I know so many people who have had plastic surgery and look amazing because they chose a good doctor and only got a little work done. I’ve also seen the scary plastic girls walking around Rodeo- aye.
I think it’s more about the person who carries the tattoo than the tattoo itself. Some people carry their tattoos very well, even into old age. Others don’t.
I think some are beautiful and some are poorly executed or unoriginal. But it doesn’t really matter what I think; tattoos are for the wearer, not the viewer.
How do you feel about body piercing?
See answer above. The only difference is that I sometimes find facial piercings to be distracting, but I think that’s only because I’m unaccustomed to seeing them. The more accustomed I become, the less distracted I’ll be.
**How do you feel about plastic surgery?
[/QUOTE]
**
I may at some point get my eyes done (sagging lids) but that’s as far as I’d go. But honestly, I don’t know if it’s because I think it’s “unnatural” and sometimes makes people look freakish or if it’s because I simply can’t afford it. Would I have plastic surgery if I had money? I’d like to think “no” but I really wouldn’t know for sure until I found myself in those circumstances.
My opinions about plastic surgery on others is done on a case-by-case basis. For example, if a woman has been flat-chested all her life and breast implants make her feel more confident in herself, I think that’s great. But if someone is a C cup and decides she has to be a Triple D (or would it be G?), I would ask: Why?
Tattoos–I don’t mind them a bit. I’ve got one, haven’t I?
Body piercing–I don’t mind that either. In fact it fascinates me.
Plastic surgery–no problem with that either. It’s your body. I may not approve of what you’ve done, but it’s not my business. I want a little work done myself–breast implants, though I’m so chicken I’ll probably never go through with it.
I have one myself. I like them as long as they aren’t garish, poorly-done, or excessive (I don’t like the look of sleeves myself).
How do you feel about body piercing?
Not my really my thing. I’ve only got conventional ear piercings. I think mouth piercings look supremely unattractive, but if that’s what you like, more power to you.
How do you feel about plastic surgery?
Also not my thing. If you want it, have at it. To me, the ability to use my facial muscles is more important then not having wrinkles, but people are different.
I don’t think there is anything wrong with them. That said many people get them on a whim or because they’re trendy - which is a mistake. I don’t think people should get them before the age of 20.
Piercings?
In moderation I have no problem with piercings. Like tattoo’s I wonder if those kids that are 20 years old and have giant plugs in their ears will still think it’s cool when they’re 30.
Plastics?
Also, I think this is a case of moderation. The guy who has his ears pinned back because they stuck out like dumbo’s or the girl who reduced the size of her nose because it entered the room 15 miinutes before she did are valid reasons I suppose. If people feel better about how they look, they might be happier overall.
However I think some people get into a problem with plastic surgery. What they see in the mirror is not what everyone else sees. Take an extreme case like Michael Jackson. I think he would have been better off in a shrink’s office then the recovery room. But, it’s his head/nose/eyes/chin and his money.
I see nothing overall wrong with tattoos, piercings or plastics but all three can be taken to where it might become a problem down the line.
For the record I have 6 tattoos, both my ears have been pierced many times, I have a nipple ring and used to have a nose ring. I’ve also had the shape of my nose altered. I was having a nasel procedure done and I asked the doctor to trim down the bump on the bridge of my nose - I figured as he was in the area with a knife, might as well have him improve the profile of my nose (at least in my mind anyway). I’ve joked for a long time about having the bump trimmed back but I never bothered because I didn’t think it was worth the pain and the money. When my insurance would pay for it and I was going to be in pain from the other procedure, it was a different story.
I have 12 tattoos, so obviously I don’t have a problem with those. But they have to be well-done and preferably fairly original, or at least if it’s not original, something recognizable and meaningful. My tattoo artist used to make fun of dumb guys all wanting something to mark themselves as a badass: “I want a Tasmanian Devil! Drivin’ a Camaro! With a Flying V! And flames!” Most of mine are, if not original, from sources other than flash. The only one I picked out of one of her flash books is from an Indonesian woodcut, which interested me because I had a penpal of Indonesian descent who had told me a lot about the culture, and for me it also represented my friendship with her.
I have both ears double-pierced and have had my nose and navel pierced, though I took out the nose ring for work and the navel ring healed out. I don’t go for other facial piercings though, I find them distracting and honestly rather unattractive. But I don’t have to look at it all the time, so I wouldn’t say someone shouldn’t get it just because I don’t like them. I’ve never been with a partner who had a genital piercing (or for that matter a tongue piercing) so I have no comment on them one way or the other.
As for plastic surgery… it really depends on what, how much and why. I’m probably going to want my boobs lifted at some point because they’re kind of big naturally and I am in my 30s now after all. I can understand people who have reconstructive work if they’re injured, have moles removed, or re-shape something if they’re really, really self-conscious about it. I don’t get people who want to make themselves look completely different (a la Michael Jackson, who was cute when he was black, and is now just frightening), or who can’t deal with aging so they have their faces pulled and stretched to look like a reflection in a funhouse mirror. Or who get ridiculously ginormous boobs. Nobody naturally has an 18-inch waist and 72FF breasts. My personal feeling is that plastic surgery done strictly for cosmetic reasons should be like well-applied makeup: you still look like you, only better, and nobody can really tell how or why. But again, I’m not the one who has to look at it every day, so it’s all about the person getting it. As long as they’re happy…
Nicely done artwork is very nice. Mediocre artwork, eh. Somewhat negative reaction to flash.
I don’t find it appealing. The only piercing I personally would consider getting is the outer rim of the ear; anything in soft flesh is a “get that thing away from me!” (I have had people joke about dragging me off to get my ears pierced. It is fortunate for them that this was over the internet.)
Some people can do them and carry them off well. In general, though, I don’t care for them as a best-case response.
Too broad a category to have an opinion on. I mean, the category covers medically necessary stuff, reconstruction after maiming accidents, as well as all kinds of cosmetic stuff.
If one is limiting it to strictly cosmetic stuff: not for me. If I frame it as a form of body modification, it’s an “eh, weird”. Sometimes with a side order of sad, if it strikes me as an extreme form of adherence to peer pressure about standardised beauty modes.
Overall, I tend to feel that it’s your body, and your business what you do with it. If G-d has a problem with it, that’s between the two of you. He doesn’t need my help in that department. So, unless someone asks my opinion, as the OP has, I’m generally going to keep it to myself.
That said, some people seem to have a deep, immediate, and not entirely rational response (positive or negative) to visible tattoos and piercings. They may say something or make a face. A person who gets a visible tattoo or piercing ought to be prepared to accept that some people will react this way. Yes, a person who says “Your nose ring is disgusting” is out of line and rude, but it’s often a case of the mouth opening before the brain is really in gear. React to it like any other rudeness (ignore it, say “That was rude,” whatever) and move on. Personally, I think it’s just as rude to say to a total stranger, “Your nose ring is great and I want one just like it.” I wouldn’t comment on tattoos or piercings to a stranger unless it seemed relevant (“Well, since you mention it, I suggest you lay off riding that horse with the cement-mixer trot until your triangle piercing is really, really well healed.”).
I’ve had reconstructive surgery. It’s not fun. I understand why someone would have plastic surgery to correct a deformity (congenital or due to illness or injury) or to make a truly unusual bodily feature appear more ordinary. I don’t understand the desire for “minor” cosmetic surgery such as wrinkle correction, or Botox injections, etc. It just seems like a waste of time and money. It seems like pain for no particular gain. On the other hand, if one of these procedures allows a person to stop worrying about something that bothers them, that’s a good thing.
No problem with tattoos, I’ve got several and I’ve always found full sleeves attractive. Same for body piercings. I used to have a total of thirteen pierces in my ears and other body pierces. If you like it go for it, but I personally don’t find a lot of facial piercings attractive.
I’m not against plastic surgery, I just feel many people get it for the wrong reasons. People seem to get plastic surgery in order to conform to a fairly rigid and artificial definition of attractive. On many of those plastic surgery shows, you see people ridiculous surgery that they think will solve all their problems, like the girls who are fifty pounds over weight who think lipo will give them Carmen Electra’s figure and miraculously make it easier to “start exercising and eat healthy”. Or divorcees on the rebound who feel breast implants will give them a “fresh start”. Much of the time, I think the before would have looked just as attractive as the after if they would only lose a little weight or get a good haircut. I certainly don’t often see changes that (to me) justify spending thousands of dollars and risking invasive and potentially dangerous surgery.
People don’t get tattoos or piercings for those same reasons. They get them because they think they’re interesting or meaningful or just plain attractive, not because their life will suddenly improve. And the risks of a tattoos or piercing are so much lower. Maybe you wind up with an ugly Daffy Duck on your ankle forever, so what?
I really don’t care what other people do with their bodies*. As for me, I currently have a facial piercing (small stud, right nostril) and have had body piercings. I don’t have any tattoos but only because I’m both too chicken and too picky; I’d probably hate it within a week. I wouldn’t personally undergo cosmetic surgery unless I was in some horrible accident and doctors had to put my eyes back where they go or give me a new nose or something. But right now? Nah, I’m okay with how I look.
*I have a 2 year old. Let’s see how I feel in, say, 12 years or so… :eek:
People I know and love have tatoos and piercings (and, for all I know, some may have had plastic surgery), and I have no problem with those folks doing whatever they want with their bodies.
Barring a a future disfiguring accident, I’m going out the way I came in, unadorned and unenhanced. (I don’t even wear jewelry except my wedding band.)
Although Genesis 3 makes it pretty clear that the clothing thing was something that God endorsed as an “after the fall” fashion.
Tattoos: I love tattoos, and if I had the money I would get lots. I think someone should only get a tattoo of something if it really means a lot to them (e.g. the Megadeth logo that you got during a drunken stupor is probably not good). One of my friends loves cats and fantasy art, so she got a beautiful winged cat tattoed on her collarbone area. I’m part Cree and was given a spirit name pertaining to wolves, so I got a wolf tattoed on my lower back with a medicine wheel in the middle of its body.
Body piercing: No problem for me there. I have nothing pierced other than my ears, but I think people with other piercings can look pretty cool. My same friend with the cat tattoo has three spikes just under her lower lip and I think it looks really good on her. Eyebrow piercings I personally don’t really like though, and I think when someone pierces their genitals to the point of mutilation, that’s kind of scary.
Plastic surgery: If someone has a genuine problem that can’t be fixed any other way (birth defect, etc.) or if something about their appearance is seriously interfering with their life, go for it. But when I see people who have nothing at all wrong with them but constantly keep getting surgery to “improve” themselves, that’s creepy. Especially when after a lot of surgeries they start to look like The Joker.
How do you feel about tattoos? For Me: I have two (but have been tattooed three times). I’ve considered getting a third, but don’t know if I’ll ever commit to the idea – and I can’t imagine myself with any more than three. For Others: I don’t care. I’ve never thought differently about someone just because they had/didn’t have tattoos.
How do you feel about body piercing? For Me: It’s not my thing. I have the traditional one hole in each ear, and have never been interested in getting anything else pierced. For Others: I don’t care. I’ve never thought differently about someone just because they were/weren’t pierced.
How do you feel about plastic surgery? For Me: I can’t say never, but I don’t see it happening in the forseeable future. I don’t mind the idea of changing what God gave me, but surgery is a much larger risk than either tattoos or piercings (as tremorviolet pointed out). Luckily, I’m pretty happy with the way I am: the only thing I’d change is my weight, but there’s no way I’d resort to a medical procedure just because I’m too lazy to get off my ass. For Others: I don’t care. I’ve never known anyone who had plastic surgery (that I’m aware of), but I can’t imagine thinking differently about someone just because of it.
I have my own reasons and all tht.