Were so vain! Why is cosmetic surgery so important?

Why is society so set on the idea of youth? Young is in and anyone who, God forbids shows signs of aging is out. Why is it so wrong to show maturity and along with it it wisdom? We are such a youth based society that I think we lose sight of the fact that with age comes answers.

BEIJING, China (AP) -- Her hair is jet black and curly, her figure trim, her face free of wrinkles.

Liu Yulan looks at least a decade younger than her 62 years -- thanks to four visits to a cosmetic surgeon.

www.cnn.com...

Every where we look from TV, to billboards, to advertising and sports, youth is accentuated. Why can't we look back into our cultural history and realize that with age comes wisdom, values and a real knowledge of the world.
There is a reason that in the US you cannot run for President until you are 42. The native americans, founding fathers, and even as far back as the roman empire knew this, so this does not explain why,especially now when people are living longer healthier lives that the emphasis is on looking younger that we are. Remeber the saying youth is wasted on the young. Oh and by the way I am not that old I am in my early 40's so at least in my world I am still young (although I have a few untouched wrinkles!)





[edit on 12-12-2004 by jeeze louise]

Jeeze Louise, beats me
Lips, butts, boobs, biceps, tushies, abs and others are augmented, lifted or subtracted. Then all the stuff people have done to their faces.
I don't get it: are people so vain---I suspect that is a YES! I think it is a continuance of the 80s and 90s where things were me, me, and more me. It has created a bumper crop of plastic surgeons and dermatologists with no lack of patients.
And then there is all the high-end beauty potions, costing more than some people's weekly food budget.

I will admit I try to look my best, to make of the most of good genes. The regular stuff like moisterizers and sun screen (I have been using Oil of Olay since 1978 ) I also had some visible veins lasered from my face--and that is as far as I go with fooling with nature.
I'm proud of the way I am maturing, and looking better than my years. But I sure don't want to look like 30s again.

*strains of Carla Simon "you're so Vain" in the background*

[edit on 12-12-2004 by DontTreadOnMe]

The article said that cosmetic surgery is a $2.4 billion a year industry in China. I would assume a country like U.S.A. probably generates more annualy on this industry. This kind of money could easily abbolish starvation in certain third world countries, or for that matter, within our own countries!! Give the homeless some homes and jobs, give more money to the schools to educate more. Update the infrastructure of underdeveloped regions in our homeland. Whatever happened to inner beauty?

I guess we just don't have our priorities in the right place! Take the rich hollywood women, or the suburban housewife for that matter, if she or he for that matter took just a little of that money and put it where it would help, the world would be a better, if not slightly uglier, place.

I am surprised that anyone would ask this question. What does surprise me is that men are starting to pick up the surgery bit.

Vanity. Can you see a monkey going in for a tummy tuck?

Originally posted by Justanotherperson
What does surprise me is that men are starting to pick up the surgery bit.

This likely has to do with a minor change in what's seen to be acceptable for males to do. It's not unusual to find men completely absorbed in their appearence and vanity can hardly be allocated solely to women.

Originally posted by parrhesia
This likely has to do with a minor change in what's seen to be acceptable for males to do. It's not unusual to find men completely absorbed in their appearence and vanity can hardly be allocated solely to women.

Well...I think you'd realise what men are truly vain about if an affordable, risk free and guaranteed successful procedure for penis enlargement came about. Queues around the block I believe.

Not that...errr...I'd...be...errr...going of course.

I think the next male vain issue is hair loss...women don't really have to deal with that but it's amazing how sensitive men get about it, it's as if they've lost their manhood. It must be some deep buried tribal instinct or something...

My mom just recently had a friend die from plastic surgery. She went in for what was supposedly a simple procedure, almost a day surgery type thing. They were going to fix the sagging neck area we tend to get with age. Two days later her neck swelled up cutting off her air and turned her to a vegetable(brain damage)

Its not worth it. Besides, its cool to look like Yoda when ya age.

Originally posted by synch11
They were going to fix the sagging neck area we tend to get with age. Two days later her neck swelled up cutting off her air and turned her to a vegetable(brain damage)

I was always told that this area was impossible to do plastic surgery on as the skin is too thin e.t.c. and is too dangerous. Has this changed or was I just dead wrong?

Originally posted by John Nada
Well...I think you'd realise what men are truly vain about if an affordable, risk free and guaranteed successful procedure for penis enlargement came about. Queues around the block I believe.

Not that...errr...I'd...be...errr...going of course.

I think the next male vain issue is hair loss...women don't really have to deal with that but it's amazing how sensitive men get about it, it's as if they've lost their manhood. It must be some deep buried tribal instinct or something...

I'm not only speaking vanity in regard to plastic surgery, but just men who are totally absorbed in themselves and their looks. Look at stores lately, there are plenty of products aimed specifically at men.

With regard to plastic surgery, men are certainly utilizing it far more than they once did, which could possibly be due to the semi-recent development of the "independant woman," in which the woman no longer must seek a husband or be socially ostracized if she didn't. Therefore, man has become vain because he, like woman, must rely on their looks as an intial attraction in order to seek compatible mates, as opposed to previously seeking them out of a desire to conform to social norms or custum.

How's that for spewing crap.


Who knows.. perhaps in the future men will become slaves to the knife - rather than embracing the natural process of aging they will try to turn it around and strive for the youthful images that both sexes are innundated with.

Originally posted by parrhesia
Therefore, man has become vain because he, like woman, must rely on their looks as an intial attraction in order to seek compatible mates, as opposed to previously seeking them out of a desire to conform to social norms or custum.

How's that for spewing crap.

Hardly an improvement is it? Whatever happened to personality?
and I will NOT wear those 'mens' products, clothing e.t.c. so I guess I'm in trouble when it comes to attracting the opposite sex.

Who knows.. perhaps in the future men will become slaves to the knife - rather than embracing the natural process of aging they will try to turn it around and strive for the youthful images that both sexes are innundated with.

I don't have a problem with looking/feeling old, I just have a problem with dying...

Originally posted by John Nada

Hardly an improvement is it? Whatever happened to personality?

and I will NOT wear those 'mens' products, clothing e.t.c. so I guess I'm in trouble when it comes to attracting the opposite sex.

When the prevalent media (tv, magazines, music videos, etc) all show a certain view of beauty, especially in regard to women, women begin to strive for that image, no matter how unattainable it may be; hence plastic surgery for some I'm sure. Personality and substance iseems to be downplayed in favour of external beauty.

Originally posted by parrhesia
Personality and substance iseems to be downplayed in favour of external beauty.

Sad but true, luckily all aren't taken in by it though. It's strange that the women who are supposedly seen as 'beautiful' in the media, music/movie world e.t.c. I find totally un-attractive...and I know I'm not alone there.

Right, time for the long, cold walk home...

Originally posted by John Nada
I think the next male vain issue is hair loss...women don't really have to deal with that but it's amazing how sensitive men get about it, it's as if they've lost their manhood. It must be some deep buried tribal instinct or something...

Aaah, John, if only that were true

Nearly 40% of women by age 60 experience some form of hair loss. It's no longer about male hair loss versus female hair loss.

www.hairlosstalk.com...

When a woman loses her hair or when a women's hair dramatically thins it is so much moare devastating than it is for men! No one, including the woman involved, thinks women have hair loss issues.
Many women in their teens and twenties experience hair loss. Women experience hair loss issues due to hormones during and after pregnancy. Pere- and menopausal women lose hair.
You have no idea how traumatic hair loss can be for men, let alone for women. And for women, it is something no one even talks about. *sigh*

Oh I said not really DontTreadOnMe, I know women experience hair loss...just not to the extent that men do. Although because of the pressure of what society says women will find hair loss devastating, I think you'd be surprised just how badly men actually take it. Not all men obviously, but I've known some to take it very bad. I'm not sure how I'll react, I guess we'll see when I get there...

*looks in mirror* "Is that a grey hair? I'm I thinning at the front? ARGH!!!"

Well, John, I guess I'm a little sensitive to that subject. My loss is not noticeable but was verrrry traumatic when it happened. Thankfully, my mane was so think, I could afford to lose some.
If you ever need a good site, should your hair desert you, check out the link I provided.

I hung out there for awhile, learning what I could. I read the stuff the guys were going through too. I just think there is less acceptance for bald women.
Vanity, vanity.

[edit on 13-12-2004 by DontTreadOnMe]

Its a choice, not one i would do personally. Society projects image of "attractive people" on the masses all the time if this was changed maybe this situation would go away.

I would never get plastic sugery most of the time it looks to fake and you can tell where someone had it done.

I can't wait to be old. I'm gonna be sooo crotchety.

Originally posted by parrhesia

When the prevalent media (tv, magazines, music videos, etc) all show a certain view of beauty, especially in regard to women, women begin to strive for that image, no matter how unattainable it may be

Yes you hit it...it is unattainable because it is fake. Porn mags, photos, mag covers it's all airbrushed, or rather now days, computer enhanced...in movies it's theatrical make up...that's why so many times you see a star on a talk show...and think they really don't look the same....the whole thing is silly and childish but there are those shallow people that will always think looks iare number one top priority.....so sad!

Originally posted by LadyV
Yes you hit it...it is unattainable because it is fake. Porn mags, photos, mag covers it's all airbrushed, or rather now days, computer enhanced...in movies it's theatrical make up...that's why so many times you see a star on a talk show...and think they really don't look the same....the whole thing is silly and childish but there are those shallow people that will always think looks iare number one top priority.....so sad!

You got it, LadyV.

I've been in grocery stores, etc., with men and they seem appalled at those tabloids which show celebrity women as they really are - Just like us!!! (perhaps minus the self-absorption). It seems hard for some to fathom that celebrities aren't as they appear in magazines and on screen.

it's an unrealistic form of beauty that women strive for and it's really unfortunate that some lack an understanding of the manupulation that is really going on.