Body Modifications Part 3.

The Big Time: Surgery.

Now this could be the most controversial of the three. Surgery does carry a certain stigma around it, and if you read what I wrote about piercings you’re probably thinking that I will be all against it. But surgery has both its goods and its bads.

Let me start with the differences between cosmetic surgery and plastic surgery, because this may surprise you but they are not the same things.

Cosmetic surgery and plastic surgery are not the same thing:

Cosmetic surgery procedures enhance a person's appearance toward some aesthetic ideal.

Cosmetic surgery is practiced by doctors from a variety of medical fields including dermatologists, facial plastic surgeons, general surgeons, gynecologists, oral and maxillofacial surgeons, ophthalmologists, otolaryngologists, plastic surgeons, as well as doctors from other fields.

Unlike cosmetic surgery, plastic surgery focuses on repairing and reconstructing abnormal structures of the body caused by birth defects, developmental abnormalities, trauma, infection, tumors or disease.

And so with those lines drawn you might be thinking that I’m just gonna say cosmetic bad, plastic good. But it’s not as simple as that, and by those definitions plastic is good, but that does not necessarily mean that cosmetic is bad though. But it isn’t, not always anyways. I do believe that surgery should be the last choice not the first one. I am a big proponent of loving the body you’re in or learning to love the body you’re in. But I also so acknowledge that it is not always possible for this to happen. And in that case I do believe that if there is nothing else that can be done, cosmetic surgery is a completely acceptable option. As I said before it shouldn’t be a first choice, but a last resort. Now I should be clear that if you think that changing your body because you think it will make someone else like you more. No, simply no. Don’t get surgery to impress someone else, because if they have a problem with your body it is not you it’s them.

See now I am not even sure if it is something that surgeons let you rush into. Because piercings can be taken out, tattoos can be removed, but surgery is not always as easily reversible and there’s no guarantee that it will turn out the way you want it to.

Think hard and embrace your quote unquote imperfections before you decide to surgically change them. Because I’d like to believe that changing your mind is more beneficial than changing your body.

Post Script: I’m sure is more research that I could do on this, but I do think this does cover the point I am trying to get across. Also I am hoping that I can keep up on regular posts. I think I am doing good so far. Wednesdays are good right?

Body Modifications part one:

The small stuff: Piercings.

Now I do strongly believe that every person has the inherit right to do whatever they so choose to their own bodies. With saying that I should also say that I think that excessive piercings are stupid and just generally not a good idea. Now using the word stupid might be a little controversial, and I should clear it up, I am not saying that a person who gets multiple piercings is stupid, but if we could learn anything from Wolverine it’s that filling your body with metal is not the wisest thing in the world.

I should explain a bit more. I am not against piercings; I am against the excess and/or pointlessness of many. I can understand ear piercings, shiny things attract the attention of possible mates up to eye level (while not being overly distracting), and eye contact encourages more listening. (This is very similar to eye make-up being used to draw attention to them.) In saying that I’m not talking about stretched lobes, because I won’t even try and understand why someone would do that. (I mean not having or ever wanting piercings I don’t understand the appeal anyway, but more so with stretching.) I’m gonna start with non-ear facial piercings, but not all of them. My main annoyance is focused on two specific piercings: the septum and Monroe piercings. (I should clarify that this does not mean I have no opinion of other non-ear facial piercings. I think nose piercings are better as studs rather than hoops, multiple eyebrow piercings should be consolidated on to a single brow rather than spread out, as well I can only assume that any piercings in or around the mouth and lips could make talking, eating, kissing, etc. a bit more awkward or difficult.)

Now, my issue with the septum piercing is simple, it minds me of those cartoon bulls which is ridiculous because I believe they originally put those rings through the inside of their noses was so that their owners could guide them to where they want them to go, like a dog on a leash. I know you can’t do that with a person’s piercing, but I still envision myself as a matador from time to time when I see that piercing on people. (Also because I could never envision myself doing this with an actual bull.)

And the Monroe. (In my opinion the worst of the two facial piercings.) The Monroe in its placement, is poor, based only on the criteria that other facial piercings are on an edge, I can only assume that you can’t comfortably put a hoop into the middle of your cheek. I know its purpose was supposed to imitate the beauty mark that Marilyn Monroe possessed, and yes, I understand why that appeals to people. Having a natural “imperfection” on a “perfect” face, because there is just as much beauty in our “flaws” as there is on our fine points. But I think one point of that is it is a natural “imperfection”. (Quotation marks were used to show that even though I used those words I don’t necessarily agree with them.)

Now I will admit, I actually can’t think of anything bad to say about belly button piercings. I mean they’re not my kind of thing, but like the common non-stretching lobe piercings they don’t bother me all that much.

And finally the stupidest (and this time I do mean stupid) of all piercings. The piercings into the tightly packed nerve clusters, aka genital and nipple piercings. I know what people will argue to support these piercings. “They intensify pleasure,” or simply said “They make sex better.” Now I won’t say that they’re wrong on that fact, because I just don’t know. But I do know how uncomfortable it can be to get my underwear caught up or bunched up down there, and that clothing is meant to be there. I could only imagine adding a metal rod into the equation. On top of that if mouth/lip piercings make things more awkward or difficult, I’d guess that genital piercings would only be worse.

Post Script: This originally was on both piercings and tattoos, but I decided to break them up into two separate parts. That I want to post one right after another, which probably means I should write the one on tattoos. I should also be clear that I don’t judge you on whatever choices you make with your body.