[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!

I love the way I look. I’m confident and generally pleased with my body in a bikini. Well, at least I am now… after my breast enhancement. That’s right, I have implants and I’m not ashamed of it.

I’ll give you a moment to get all your thoughts and comments out of the way:

“I can’t believe you succumbed to breast implants just to fill some ignorant societal notion that ‘bigger is better.’”
“Getting implants is so slutty.”
“You’re an embarrassment to women and should be ashamed for fueling the fire for women to attain an impossible body image.”

Trust me. I’ve heard it all. But maybe it’s time for you to hear my side of the story. I’m not giving you the stink eye for going all natural (or spending all your money on Victoria’s Secret’s latest push-up), so hear me out.

I never was extraordinarily flat-chested, but I couldn’t fill out my prom dress the way most girls could. I had perky ta-tas, but they never drew any attention. I was unhappy with my chest, which left me rather unhappy with myself. I envied girls with bigger chests; I often felt they were more worthy than me. And why not? The guys who were walking right past me and fawning all over them and their cleavage-y ways seemed to think so.  I even resorted to stuffing my bra a couple times; particularly embarrassing when I had bits of Kleenex poking out of my Gap tank top after gym class one day in high school. Boarding school kids show no mercy.

The point is, I wasn’t happy with my body and I wanted to do something about it. I can work out and get a flat tummy, throw some cover-up under my eyes when I’ve downed too many dirty martinis at Pure and guess what? I can go to my doctor and get him to boost my, errr, confidence.

I know the taboos and I knew all the risks going into the surgery, but I’m thrilled with my choice. I feel better about ME. It’s not about pleasing others and it doesn’t mean I’m going to run out and pose for Playboy (at least not yet) or hop onto a pole (although I am a big fan of Carmen Electra’s strip tease excercise DVDs); it was a personal choice and I feel my life has improved significantly in more ways than one because of it.

No one says anything to the girl who works out six days a week and starts eating healthy when she feels self-conscious about her weight. Same for the millions of girls who dye their hair or layer on the makeup every day. We all have our insecurities and, let’s be honest, we’d all do just about anything to fix them and make ourselves feel better.

My boobs were my insecurity and my implants make me feel better. In fact, they make me feel great.

And really, what’s so different between what I did and, say, that water bra you picked up last week?

Phew! I was worried I could only afford one boob. That would have been a little weird.
Thank you, Dr. Hotchandani!

So, we all know who Carrie Prejean is.
And I’m pretty sure we’re all sick of her.

But just in case you weren’t completely and utterly tired of Miss California (yes, she is still Miss CA) and her shenanigans, we came up with 5 new ideas for her to try to keep herself in the limelight for just a liiittle bit longer. If none of these work, perhaps bunking up with Spencer Pratt would help. We can’t seem to get rid of him no matter how hard we try.

1) Create her own line of Prejean Panties (bras not included). Evidently, Prejean think bras, or any tops, are overrated. At least, she likes posing without them. While Prejean said herself, “I am not perfect,” we imagine she will soon follow that up with, “But I can make your butt look that way!”

2) Start her own blingin’ jewelry line on QVC. She obviously doesn’t have enough shiny, glittery, oversized, tacky ice already. So why not start her own line? If she makes those hoops just a little bit longer, they may even cover her exposed chest!

3) Create a fund for small-breasted girls who dream of competing in beauty pageants. Because you can’t win a beauty pageant without fake breasts. And because all women need to feel good about themselves. According to the Pageant organizers (who paid for Prejean’s boob job), the best way for women to land this confidence is by cutting up their bodies and inflating themselves with silicon! (We thought you looked better in those nude pics before the boob job, Carrie.) Carrie is all about helping people, so this would be the perfect way to give back.

4) Become a reality TV show host. We’re all getting a little sick of Tyra and ANTM, so let’s bring another annoying D-List celeb into the forefront!  “America’s Next Top Bimbo” could be a real hit! She could teach the contestants how to strut and pose topless, all the while spreading Jesus love. Or maybe “I Can Make You Straight!” where she takes more nude photos of herself and shows them to gay men in an effort to straighten them out to live in “her” country. I hear Fox calling!

5) Start a campaign denouncing same-sex marriage. Oh wait. She has that one covered.

The way this girl has been eating up the media attention, we wouldn’t be surprised if she took a stab at rapping. Watch out, Asher Roth!

When Perez Hilton attacked you for your answer to his question about gay marriage, I wanted to defend you.  Not because I agree with your stance on gay marriage–which I actually disagree with–but because I wanted to give you credit for being honest and not giving a phony canned answer that you knew would help you win.  You stuck by your beliefs, even if they weren’t P.C.

But this morning I heard that you’re planning to launch a campaign against gay marriage.

Since the day after the Miss USA pageant aired, you’ve been all. over. TV. talking about how you know your answer cost you the pageant, but you would stand by it.  I gotta say – I’m getting a little sick of all the attention you’re getting.

It seems like to me that this whole thing has gone from you speaking out for what you believe in to just another way for you to get media exposure. No one ever remembers the runner-up…unless she does something ridiculous to stay in the headlines…

Don’t get me wrong, I still think you’re allowed to have your beliefs, even if I don’t agree with them, but now I think you’re taking it a little too far.  Yes, farther than Perez.

You say that the reason you oppose gay marriage is because it goes against the “traditional values” of our country.  Excuse me, but you’re in a beauty pageant–how does prancing around in a bikini with a spray tan and breast implants support “traditional values”?  You know what I want to start?  A campaign against beauty pageants for setting unrealistic and unattainable standards of beauty for young women. 

The Miss California Organization paid for your implants; what sort of message is that sending to young girls everywhere–that they can only be accepted as “beautiful” if they have big boobs?  Maybe if beauty pageants focused more on girls of all sizes and inner beauty, less women would have problems with low self-esteem, negative body image, and eating disorders.

You believe that gay marriage is wrong because that is what the Bible says, but I have a feeling Jesus wouldn’t really approve of altering your body to win a stupid crown.

What do you ladies think? Care to join my movement to ban annoying pageants?

Is your boyfriend making you fat?

Looks like someone really had somewhere to be…

So, where do all our Presidents rank?

The 10 Corniest Rom-Com movie lines ever.

Who steals from Lance Armstrong?

Barbie hits Fashion Week.

Heal your ailing feet.

What do dudes think about when they fantasize?

Remember the 13 year old dad? Well, there could be a different (15 year old) daddy…

There’s no implants in boxing!

Express has some really cute shiz right now. Get there.

Beyond the obvious, “Are those things bigger than her head?” I was left with so many questions.

WHY????

Why would she even need boobs that big? How does she find clothes that fit? How does she find bras that fit? Can she even close her arms? Can she give someone a hug? How does she sleep? Can she go running, or would that be too dangerous? How does she even stand up without falling over face-first? How did her skin stretch that far? Could someone suffocate in there? Do her boobs get swollen during PMS? Is there an animal/small man trapped inside there? Does she even need to use a table anymore to eat her dinner?

It seems that Sheyla is yet another publicity whore looking for an unconventional way to get famous without actually doing anything worthwhile. She’s appeared on Fox News, The Insider, and, as her website states, “Her career is just taking off and about to soar to heights of majestic proportions.”

Pun intended? We think so.

The latest figures show that “the number of cosmetic surgical procedures performed on youths 18 or younger more than tripled over a 10-year period, to 205,119 in 2007 from 59,890 in 1997.” That is an astronomical number!

I know I shouldn’t be surprised being I can name more than a few people who have been offered a pair of silicone implants wrapped in a red bow come graduation day, but that number really shocks me.

I understand that beauty and perfection have been something that women have constantly strived for and I also understand that cosmetic surgery has become more acceptible in our society. I mean, just turn on the television and I bet you can find at least three makeover shows on right this minute, and at least one re-run of Dr. 90210. Still, maybe we should be wondering why young girls are inceasingly begging and pleading for new noses, breasts, chins, teeth, ears, tummies and every other resize-able, reshape-able body part.

Self esteem is a huge argument for teens when trying to convince families to take the life-changing plunge into cosmetic surgery. I don’t necessarily say life-changing in a postive light either. Not only are there serious risks associated with these surgeries, but sometimes they require upkeep, which means a life under the knife.

It makes me sad to think that girls think they need to look a certain way to fit in. The media may not show it, but noses have bumps, girls have bellies (we have organs in there!), breasts are big and small and pointy and round, and ears stick out – that is what is normal. At one time or another we were all part of the itty-bitty-titty committee… it’s part of growing up. Eventually your body changes, and if it doesn’t, at some point you start to love it for what it is. If only we all had Oprah on speed dial; I think we would remember this more often.

What do you think? Should we do anything we can to feel better about ourselves, or just learn to love what we have?