Duke It Out: Plastic Surgery

January 22, 2010 9:00 am     Posted in Reality  Lauren H - The New School g+ page


By Lauren H

[It's pretty obvious that the average CollegeCandy reader has some very strong opinions. Opinions that she likes to share with everyone on the site. We love a strong woman (unless she happens to be charging at us with her fists raised), so we thought we'd give her a real forum to discuss her thoughts, feelings, and perspectives. Every Friday I'll be featuring a hot topic (like socks with sandals!) and leaving it up to you, the readers, to duke it out. So, read it and get your debate on in the comments section below!]

In case you’ve been living in a hole for the past week (or, you know, busy paying attention to important world events), Heidi Montag got plastic surgery… like seriously! While we and pretty much everyone else has been clear on what we think about her new “look,” it got me thinking. One of the big things people have pointed out about Heidi’s work (aside from the sheer number of surgeries) is her age – specifically that she seems incredibly young to be having work done.

Now we’re not talking about medically necessary surgeries or reconstruction here, I’m talking the pure “make me pretty because I want it” type of thing, and I admit, I can see the appeal. While I have always been a proponent of the “love yourself the way you are” mentality, there are definitely days where I have wished I could wake up with a smaller nose or bigger boobs or a magically flat tummy – and I know I’m not alone. I was always taught that self-esteem is important, and most of us wouldn’t think twice about, say, coloring our hair or getting a gym membership to boost our self-image.

Isn’t plastic surgery just an (admittedly extreme) extension of that? 

And the truth is procedures like these cost a pretty penny so if you’re going to invest in them, why not do it early and get you’re money’s worth? Should you have to wait years and years to do something you know you want just because you seem too young for it? If you have the will and the means, is it fair for other people to tell you that you shouldn’t do something that will make you happier?

The flip side, of course, is that the risk of buyer’s remorse goes up the younger you are. I mean, I know a lot of people who got tattoos just a few years ago and already regret it, so dropping that kind of cash on something you may want to get reversed down the road isn’t a real appealing thought. Also, we women have spent a long time just trying to be accepted for the bodies we have, so going the other way to make yourself seem more “perfect” seems counterintuitive to that idea. (Especially when Heidi goes on TV and says her message is that “beauty comes from within.”)After all, (as my mother loves to tell me) it’s the little flaws that make us the most beautiful – where would Lauren Hutton have been without that gap in her teeth or Beyonce without her bootyliciousness (I can’t believe I just put those two in the same sentence). It might take a long time to finally make peace with the way you look, but wouldn’t it be better to be special than generic?

OK, now you tell me – what do you think about getting some work done? Would you do it if you could? Would you hold it against someone if she did? And should age be a factor in the way we look at it?

Duke it out, ladies!

37 Comments on "Duke It Out: Plastic Surgery"

  1. C says:
    Fri, 22nd Jan 20106:17 am 

    *your

  2. Casey says:
    Fri, 22nd Jan 20106:58 am 

    Well, just because someone has work done doesn't mean the work they're getting is going to make them look "ideal". Some people just don't like things about themselves. I don't know about anyone else, but I don't think there is an ideal nose, and so getting a nose job wouldn't be trying to obtain some impossible image of what we consider beautiful, it's just they think their nose is ugly and want a new one. The "perfect nose" would be whatever looks best on your face, which, to the person getting it, may or may not be what they were born with.

    Body surgery is a little different since we have "ideal body types", but just because there IS an ideal body type doesn't mean that the person is getting surgery to obtain it. There are lots of different reasons people get surgery.

    It all comes down to the person getting it and what they want. If it's what they want and they're happy with it then who are we to judge? It's their body, not yours, and unlike some procedures that people like to use that argument for, this decision affects the person getting it and only that person, so why do so many people care?

  3. Beverly says:
    Fri, 22nd Jan 20107:17 am 

    I would never get anything that wouldn't medically benefit me. Like, I don't need a breast reduction by any means, but I would get one in a heartbeat, since I'm very active and like high impact sports and wearing cute tops, which I can't pull off nearly as well with D's instead of the B's I used to have.

    I could probably benefit from some lipo or something, but I would never get it, or a nose job that isn't medically necessary.

    I think a lot of times, people end up looking worse, or at least really fake when they get surgeries.

  4. Alyssa says:
    Fri, 22nd Jan 20107:21 am 

    I don't know about this one. I fully intent on getting a boob job at the appropriate time so…I really don't think there's anything wrong with plastic surgery. If someone has the money and wants to do it, why not? People drop tons of cash on purses, shoes, hair extensions, makeup, etc and no one bats an eyelash. How is this more "unnatural"than caking on layers of makeup. That being said, I actually like Heidi's before better than the after. Atleast in the face department.

  5. Lauren - University says:
    Fri, 22nd Jan 20107:21 am 

    I think there's a line for stuff like this and heidi definitely crossed it. To each their own, but she looks totally plastic and artificial. And does she really think anyone can ever take her seriously again? This is just pathetic and a cry for help.

  6. megan says:
    Fri, 22nd Jan 20107:52 am 

    i guess you're right in that it's her body not any of ours, but think of the time/money/effort/medical skills it took to make heidi look 'perfect'. don't you think those things could have been better spent on say, people sick or suffering? especially at a time like now when people are beyond suffering over in haiti.

  7. Zoe says:
    Fri, 22nd Jan 20107:58 am 

    I agree that it is her body and I don't judge her personally for her decision, however I do think that it's a very sad reflection on society how normal it has become for people to go under the knife. The idea behind it (whether consciously noted or not) is that there is one correct way to look and that any variation is a flaw. I'm sure I would be considered sexier if I had a boob job, but I'm a believer in making the best with what life gave you. We dont all need to blow ourselves up and trim ourselves down, we just need a bit more self esteem. Being worshipped by horny guys only gets you so far, how about making over the inside??

  8. Erich says:
    Fri, 22nd Jan 201010:20 am 

    OK I agree she totally crossed the line, I mean Triple D's WTF is any man going to do with those, Spencer isnt 6'8. And her reasoning was the pressure of hollywood, well we all have pressure to succeed in life, but that doesnt mean that I am going to chnage the way I look cause this is the image that TV execs want to see. I am me, why should I have to feel so insecure about myself and my job that I go out and get all this done. I'm sorrbut if it were one of my friends I'd advise them to find a new job.

  9. TheBritishGuy says:
    Fri, 22nd Jan 20101:18 pm 

    It's funny how double standards work you ever noticed most people promote individualism yet when somebody does something radical individualism goes out of the window pretty damn fast?

    I don't see why anybody should feel any differently about her because she chose to take a step that others wouldn't.

    If shes happy with the way she looks than thats great for her and she should be wishes the best with her career. If your hating on her because of what shes doing to her own body maybe your the one with the problems.

    People speak on the subject with such emotion its easy to see the jealousy seeping out.

  10. Sara says:
    Fri, 22nd Jan 20105:21 pm 

    Oh yeah, I think we're all totally jealous of a Hollywood B-lister who spent almost $100,000 to make herself look like a drag queen 15 years her senior.

    But seriously, obviously everyone is entitled to look however they want to look. That doesn't mean that people who don't understand why Heidi wants to look that way should keep their opinions to themselves. And don't mistake women thinking this girl is stupid for being insanely jealous that they can't rush out and do the same thing she did.

  11. D says:
    Fri, 22nd Jan 20105:57 pm 

    I think it’s very easy to get emotional over plastic surgery because it brings up insecurity, the concept of beauty (and how ridiculous and unnatural it is in our culture), and self worth. It’s no new news that girls are under a lot of pressure to look a certain way and it seems that the more time goes by the crazier these standards get. The problem with plastic surgery is it sends the message: “Don’t embrace your flaws, change them!” and that’s a lesson I don’t want my younger sisters to take to heart. No wonder people become addicted to plastic surgery, once you get it in your head that you can simply change any little thing you don’t like…hell why expect how you look when you can change it? It’s not a good message to send to young girls (and boys) who are bullied for their appearance or look in the mirror and hate what they see. Our culture is teaching them to change themselves instead of accepting their own unique beauty. I’m not jealous of people who get plastic surgery, I feel bad for them because it’s hard to deal with pressures to be pretty…but it feels so good when you can overcome that. Without surgery.

  12. alana says:
    Fri, 22nd Jan 20107:48 pm 

    I kind of don't understand her whole logic for getting that much plastic surgery. How is it supposed to help your self-esteem or whatever if everything about you has been fixed? It's like her unconsciously saying that there isn't a damn thing about her natural self that she liked. And proclaiming the surgeries to the world; people now gawk at her like a freak of nature, which she might mistake for being awed by her "perfection". Something is seriously wrong with this girl in the head. I truly hope she gets the mental help she needs.

    It might just be me but pretty to me means naturally pretty. I'm not impressed by girls with pancake makeup, fake lashes, hair extensions that practically run out of the bar when they turn on the lights. Just the same, I wouldn't be flattered when someone tells me my plastic surgeon did a good job turning me into Barbie.

  13. jamesrubec says:
    Sat, 23rd Jan 201012:52 am 

    Clearly she has more issues than we are conventionally seeing. This sort of extreem body modification would be looked on as completely insane less than five years ago.

    I wrote about it (http://pbjmag.wordpress.com/2010/01/23/montag-should-go-hide-in-the-hills-or-just-kill-herself/)

    but you bring up some good points. I feel sometimes that I don't live in the same world as the women around me. If i was recieving a marketing message from somewhere telling to get surgery to be hotter I'd probably go and directly tell the marketer to fuck off. Out right boycot and design a web campaign saying that that type of advertising is evil and wrong.

    It seems the boat already left for all you ladies. Now you are stuck with the Frankenstein Monster of body image issues…

    Heidi Montag is Frankenstein. Talented celebrities, womans groups, mothers groups, and anyone interested in the culture norm will be the pitch fork, torch baring mob.

  14. Anna R - Northeaster says:
    Sat, 23rd Jan 20108:18 am 

    I don't think the fact that she got plastic surgery is wrong at all, but I do think she became addicted to it and ended up getting a lot more done than she originally wanted. I always thought she looked better before ANY of her surgeries, but that's only my personal opinion. If she felt better having slightly larger boobs and a different nose…. whatever!! But now it's so extreme… it's like people who get a tattoo, then they get another, and then they can't stop. It's a psychological addiction.

  15. Margo M says:
    Sun, 24th Jan 20103:10 pm 

    This is an issue of self-esteem, which should be developed from discovering your strong points throughout your life. This costs as much as a procedure. I can't speak for everyone, but I hate Heidi and other image-crazy celebs out there because I do not agree with that particular image, nor their actions. As for plastic surgery, I am getting reconstructive work done in the future. The truth being that while I would be healthier, less susceptible to complications, and maybe even have a longer life–I would also look whole lot better. For this reason, I am not sure how everyone around me would react/ judge.

    I don't think that a part of you dies if you surgically alter your appearance, unless this was your intention.

    If I had to judge anyone, i would have to look down upon all of those women who claim to love the way they look without plastic surgery. While having pride is a wonderful thing, it is more important to love yourself on the inside. Looks change… if you spend the majority of your life loving your looks, and then for some reason you don't look the same anymore, then I guess you just have to re-learn how to love yourself, huh?

  16. ajeanw says:
    Mon, 25th Jan 201012:19 pm 

    why did she get liposuction on her hips and thighs? Why didn't she just go for a jog? And I think the brow lift makes her look older-she doesn't look 23 anymore-she could definitely pass for 30 something now. The plastic surgery look makes young women looker (at least in the face department). oh well. I wonder what she'll do with her life since her album flopped.

  17. emily says:
    Mon, 25th Jan 20103:07 pm 

    thebritishguy said that getting plastic surgery supports individualism…to me this is a joke. How individualistic is someone who is trying to fill out some arbitrary image of beauty? I mean, fake blond and fake boobs? REALLY unique.

  18. danbirnbaum says:
    Tue, 26th Jan 20106:41 am 

    Check Out What The Campus Diva Thinks About All This Plastic Surgery Non-sense

    http://www.precioustimeny.com/blog/?p=8715

  19. Syd says:
    Thu, 28th Jan 20107:48 pm 

    Of course, it's the person's choice, but that doesn't mean I have to agree. Like look at the example given. Picture one=HAWT. Okay, Heidi Montag isn't my type (don't like chicks, blondes, never a big fan of that look anyway, etc), but I can see why she's all ~famous~ and stuff. She's got a nice body, nice hair, her face is fine, blah blah. Picture two=WTF GET IT AWAY! Big boobs are nice, huge silicone monster pumpkins aren't. She was already thin, and she got liposuction. Whatever they did to her brows was just hideous. Her nose was imperfect, sure, but not in need of any surgery, and I DON'T think they did a good job on it. She reminds me of this girl who was a few years ahead of me in high school. At the ripe old age of 15, she decided she was flat and hideous, got a nose job, a boob job, butt implants, and lip implants. She wasn't like, super pretty or anything, but she showed up one day looking like a duck with these stiff, rusty cannon boobs popping out of her shirt. Another girl got liposuction and got LESS cute (she was chubby, yeah, and could have stood to loose a few pounds, but she was always cute and pleasant looking, but after way too much lipo, she looks all frail and weird).

    You compare it to getting a dye job or joining the gym or other similar ways of making yourself more attractive. But those things don't have the potential to kill you. If the dye job turns out bad, you can dye it back, or wait a few months for it to grow out. If you don't like the gym you're at, you can find a new one. Makeup? You can wash it off. Trendy clothes? You can change them. And I also think that flaws like big noses make people MORE attractive.

  20. spikey says:
    Fri, 29th Jan 20106:50 pm 

    I don't feel any particular way about plastic surgery; if you think it's best for you, by all means…I personally would never do any type of plastic surgery because I've had the displeasure of having medically necessary surgery twice, and it's a very scary thing. I won't lie and say I never thought of having plastic surgery; I breastfed my son & I'm a little saggy, lol (a breast lift would be nice). I could def use some lipo/ body sculpturing…the point is, I LOVE LIFE!!! I LOVE LIVING!!! I LOVE MY FAMILY, FRIENDS, CAREER, etc…I would never risk my life for a want as opposed to a need.

    However, what I really wanted to say about little miss Heidi, lol, is I actually think her surgery looks nice! Did she need to do all that? Probably not, especially considering she has no real talent other than appearing on reality shows, in tabloids, and posing in Playboy. I could see if she was enhancing her look because she had this burgeoning acting, singing, something career & a huge honker was impeding her progress (it happens so much. In LaLa Land, lol). This girl has NO TALENT!!! In the end, what's it all for???

  21. Tawana says:
    Sat, 30th Jan 201010:02 pm 

    It has nothing to do with age at this point, it has to do with morality.

  22. ali says:
    Thu, 4th Feb 20104:21 pm 

    I think that she looked better in the before picture, as afterwards her face just looks generic and her boobs are out of proportion with the rest of her body. Looking perfect is not a realistic goal, and it is the quirks in a person that make them memorable.

  23. bree says:
    Tue, 9th Feb 20102:39 pm 

    i think it can be good if you really have issues with the way you feel about yourself or it will actually fix something, but heidi was already pretty, and to be honest she was prettier before. she looks slight ly manly to me and her boobs are unnaturally large. not a good look lol.

  24. t wells says:
    Sun, 14th Feb 20102:54 am 

    lets see

    braces for my teeth and teeth whitening

    padded push up bra and or chicken cutlets

    hair dye and extensions

    spanx from neck to knees

    heels

    fake eyelashes

    makeup

    lipstick

    fake nails

    spray tan

    eyebrow waxing, bikini wax

    no difference between what she had done and what the rest of us do daily. no woman who follows the above regime is in any way"natural" or should stand in judgement of heidi. let us all stop being hypocrits.

  25. InternGal says:
    Mon, 15th Feb 201010:13 am 

    I had my chin augmented (i.e. had an implant put in to lengthen my jawline and profile) after I finished high school. It was one of the best decisions I've made for myself.

    I'm a very petite (*barely* 5'0") girl and I had constant "baby face" that made me look pudgy-er than I was on the rest of my body.

    The augmentation improved my self esteem, I'm far less critical of how I look now (esp. my face) then back then. I don't wear nearly as much make-up, I don't worry about contouring with make-up and when I put effort in to losing weight… it finally shows. When friends I hadn't seen in a while saw what I look like now they asked if I lost weight, it wasn't *extremely* noticeable.

    I think Heidi or anyone else should only go through a cosmetic procedure if it's for *them*. For how they want to look for themselves, not the world. If you don't like something then you change it as best you're able.

  26. verdemontresident says:
    Mon, 15th Feb 20101:03 pm 

    Just DON'T Do It!

  27. elliot says:
    Mon, 15th Feb 20102:02 pm 

    For the most part I think people need to do what they need to do. What disturbs me about Heidi is that she was so attractive before (kinda tragic and clueless, but alluring none the less) that I think she did it for the publicity. I really do. It seems all she and Spencer want is publicity and viola! She's on the cover of People. Think more people are gonna tune into the Hills now? You bet. And they knew that. I hope I'm wrong, I really do, but I'm almost certain her Q rating was at least 50% of her decision.

  28. ajeanw says:
    Wed, 17th Feb 20103:52 am 

    I don't think the people who post on here are jealous, britishguy, it just really strikes a chord with us girls to realize the extent that we'd have to go to be "perfect" and how much that is glorified. Yes, we all wear makeup (for the most part), dye our hair, and wear heels but it's scary to see someone take it so far and say that they finally look good and are happy with themselves. It makes me worried, because my breasts are not near DDD cups. I think we're all hoping that no one thinks she looks great because what does that say for the rest of us who still put on makeup and hair extensions-we'd need to try harder which is just not an option for me

  29. Katherine says:
    Sun, 21st Feb 20109:56 am 

    I believe that Heidi made a poorly thought out decision. She looked beautiful before so what was the point of the change? It's sickening that the market has targeted girls as young as six years old. When I pick up my cousin from the bus stop all I see are girls in 6th grade wearing stilettos, heavy make-up, and shirts that show off the obviously stuffed bras. Stop sending a message to the next generation that in order to look good they need to be fake. What is even more concerning is because these girls want to look so much older they are either A) gettiing raped B) having sex or C) being targeted by older men. Then parents try to blame it on the people who own the place where it occurrs when the fact is if they hadn't let their daughters dress like fake whores in the first place it never would have happened.

  30. Jake B. says:
    Tue, 27th Apr 20105:59 pm 

    I've gotten plastic surgery, nose, chin implant, jaw implant, and to be honest you can't tell and my life is better. I have more of a choice of what women I can date. Being ugly isn't a rather pleasant experience, and I was never a wimp, I played sports, was and am an alpha male, but sometimes you just born with an ugly mug, and you can either live with it, or pay someone to get rid of it. The thing is it takes money to get it done good (40,000), and two weeks recovery.

  31. Jake B. says:
    Tue, 27th Apr 20106:01 pm 

    Also just as an FYI I was twenty at the time. It's only been a year, but I can already tell you if I could undo it, there is no way I would.

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