Natural Or Artificial Beauty. Which One Does He Prefer?

‘’Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” we’re all too familiar with this statement and yet in this social media era of ours, nothing could be further from the truth. In a selfie-ready world where people are prepared to go to great lengths to look good, it’s no surprise that artificial beauty is gaining ground. Plastic/cosmetic is the new trend, over the last few years, the number of plastic surgery procedures has increased from 14 million to 23 million globally. Beauty is considered artificial when one alters his or her body through plastic surgery to correct body parts they don’t like. The most common types are rhinoplasty (nose job),  liposuction (tummy tuck), butt and breast im[lants and whatever else that could be altered to make you look better. As more and more people strive to meet the media’s idea of beauty, going under the knife is fast becoming the new normal. 

On the other end of the spectrum, there’s also a growing wave of natural beauty advocates, who clamor the benefits of the all-natural look. They believe in the health benefits of staying as natural as possible and consider any alteration made of the body for the sake of aesthetics as defying God’s creation. As both trends grow there’s a constant battle of which one will overpower the other. Let’s take a closer look at some of the reasons both sides advance for their importance in today’s society.

As the trend for bigger ‘Kardashian’ curves gets more and more popular, some will give everything to be with a woman who looks ‘’perfect’’. Given that men are naturally visual beings, they’ll naturally gravitate towards women with visible assets. Most men prefer women with generous curves because they perceive such women as sexy and sensual. The kind of women on TV and in magazines also help fuel this idea of bigger is always better and the fantasy that curvy is much more attractive.

Another reason why some men prefer women with big breasts and butt is that such women tend to be very confident. They feel good about the way they look and that confidence comes across in the way they carry themselves and how they interact or relate with others around them. There’s nothing like confidence when it comes to attracting men, it’s this confidence and approval that most people who go for plastic surgery are trying to achieve.

The Oxford English Dictionary describes beauty as ‘the quality of being very pleasing to the senses’. This could mean different things to different people, that’s why when it comes to beauty everyone has their preferences, while some people prefer the natural look others swear by man-made beauty. To better understand the ongoing debate between natural and artificial beauty it’s necessary to compare both of them side by side by looking at the pros and cons of each one closely.

We all have flaws, no one is perfect but those who can’t stand their flaws see plastic surgery as a way out of their insecurities. An opportunity to meet up with the world's beauty standards. South Korea, for example, is the leading country in plastic surgery: with about  74 procedures per 10.000 people of all ages per year.  Minor to major adjustments is made to suit the media's portrayal of ‘beauty’. It’s important to note that there are two types of plastic surgery- reconstructive surgery and cosmetic or aesthetic surgery. Reconstructive surgery is usually carried on abnormal structures of the body caused by congenital defects, diseases, and trauma. Cosmetic surgery, on the other hand, is purely for aesthetics. 

Advocates of plastic surgery argue that it’s the fastest way to obtain your desired appearance without having to go through long periods of dieting or exercising. A tummy tuck can remove all the excess fat from your belly leaving you slim and fit. You know what you’re getting beforehand and you get to choose the results you want.

The greatest advantage of cosmetic surgery is that it improves self-image and boosts confidence. When a person enhances their appearance, they feel better about themselves, love the way they look and this is a game-changer that gives them higher self-esteem. There’s also a common belief that physical attractiveness provides better opportunities. This means that people who are good looking stand a better chance at succeeding in the corporate world.

Unless you go to one of those quack doctors we hear of every day, plastic surgery does not come cheap. And most insurance policies do not cover such procedures, so financially you’re on your own. And if you’re not a Hollywood star or part of the 1%, chances are you’ll have to save for years to have cosmetic surgery. The average annual salary for a cosmetic surgeon in the US is around $150,000, but some make over half a million dollars a year.

Plastic surgery is never a single procedure, in order to maintain the work that has been done, recurring surgeries are always required. At times the surgery does not produce the desired effect, leading to more corrective surgeries to fix the mistakes.

Artificial beauty over time can cause health problems ranging from minor complications to more severe problems. Cosmetic surgery sometimes results in severe pain, long recovery times, and infections. The use of anesthetics can potentially cause brain damage, heart attacks, strokes, paralysis and so on if things go really wrong. There is also a chance of necrosis, a condition where the skin cells begin to die. 

Plastic surgery has the potential of becoming addictive, the more you alter your body the more you become unsatisfied with it. It becomes a vicious cycle and like a junkie you keep going back for more. A good example is TV personality Joan Rivers, who had a staggering 348 cosmetic operations but she died unhappy with her looks. 

This is when you choose to embrace your flaws and imperfections. This may sound like a green planet ad but natural beauty is not only beneficial to your health and the planet, it also is a sign of confidence and high self-esteem. Advocates of natural beauty hold that beauty comes from within and that those who feel insecure about their looks up to the point of altering it actually have a psychological problem that can never be fixed with superficial solutions.

Staying natural is way more healthy than any other option out there, you’re not running any risk of post Op complications, infections, and after-effects that come with plastic surgery. We’ve all heard horror stories of implants bursting in people’s butts, chronic back pains from heavy breast implants, and the list goes on and on. There’s also the aspect of everything going downhill when you get old. With natural beauty, you’re sure to age with grace.

Accepting that you have flaws and you’re far from perfect is a sure sign of mental and psychological strength. Some degree of insecurity is very normal and healthy, as long as you don’t allow it to stop you from being happy. Those who embrace their shortcomings and abnormalities are always in a better mental space than those who can’t accept what they don’t like about themselves.

The only downside to natural beauty is that you may not be the most attractive person in the room, but if you’re fine with not looking like Angelina Jolie or having a butt like the Kardashians, then you’re good to go. 

In my opinion, plastic surgery is acceptable when the need arises, when you have a defect that is stopping you from living a normal life. Reconstructive surgery for a cleft lip, hand or leg defects, transferring tissues from one part of the body to another to replace a missing part and to correct all types of malformations. Such problems require plastic surgery to make the person whole again.

However, when it comes to cosmetic surgery for the sole purpose of aesthetics, just because a person does not like the shape of their nose or feels their boobs are too small they decide to go under the knife, it’s unnecessary risky. Putting yourself in harm's way to fulfill an idea of beauty is reckless. A good example of plastic surgery gone bad is the story of Canadian activist Nicole Garuda who has the Facebook group  Healing Breast Implant. She had implants to ‘’fix’’ her breasts which she considered flawed, after her procedure, Garuda developed kidney and thyroid issues, plus fatigue so intense that she had to leave her job. She also developed swollen lymph nodes due to breast-implant complications. In her own words, she confessed, "I lost a decade of my life and health to these so-called safe breast implants." There are lots of other horror stories of plastic surgery gone wrong that confirm the belief that when you go under the knife the outcome is never guaranteed.

At the end of the day every person that has cosmetic surgery does it for his/her own reason, there’s no hard and fast rule written on the stone that natural beauty is good and artificial beauty is bad or vice-versa, everyone is entitled to their take on beauty. 

Our recommendation is that you should consider the pros and cons, as well as possible scenarios resulting from plastic surgery in order to make an informed decision. Ask yourself: Would you rather be artificially beautiful at the risk of potential complications, or remain natural and avoid those problems?
If you opt for plastic surgery, don’t take it lightly, the better the odds, by using professionals who know what they're doing.