Plastic Surgery: The Worst Gift Ever?
It may surprise you to find out that more and more people are comfortable giving the gift of plastic surgery. But don’t wrap your brain around that concept and stop there. One plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills has developed a gift card as an option for his clients, even claiming that children present their moms with gifts of plastic surgery. The practice suggests kids can give their moms a mommy makeover for Mother’s Day!
That concept seems strange in SO many ways.
But even more unsettling is the idea of parents gifting cosmetic surgery to their kids. A couple of years ago, MSNBC reported that although teens still make up a small percentage of plastic surgery patients, the numbers are growing. In fact, around a quarter of a million people 19 years old or younger undergo cosmetic procedures annually.
It’s a good guess that not too many EmpowHER readers consider giving plastic surgery to others. But let’s say you are thinking about it. Why, exactly, is plastic surgery not one of your better gift ideas?
The most obvious reason is that the decision to have plastic surgery is one that needs to be thought through very carefully, from the most objective standpoint possible. A prospective patient should be weighing the risks of surgery against the anticipated benefits. She should be thinking about the possible ramifications down the road. She needs to consider how she and her family and friends may react to her new appearance, in perhaps unexpected ways. How to handle the cost of surgery is a completely different matter, one that should be kept separate from the initial decision. An offer to help pay may sway a prospective patient.
Another consideration is the message a plastic surgery gift may send. Unless you know the recipient very well and you’ve taken an active role in her decision making process, your gift may say, “I agree you have something wrong with your looks, in fact, I will help pay for a fix.” Probably not a sentiment you want to convey.
When parents give children plastic surgery as a gift, there are even more possible pitfalls.
We value and respect the experiences of all of our HERWriters, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.
Add a Comment2 Comments
That could potentially be a gift that turns into a disastrous one. BUT I would venture to say that if someone gave the gift of plastic surgery to a wife, daughter, husband, aunt, etc. it would be because the person has strongly expressed their desire to have surgery. Plastic surgery is a sensitive zone where NO ONE wants to go if the idea has never entered the recipients mind. I, on the other hand, will gladly accept a plastic surgery gift card to use after the birth of my second child. Great gift idea if you ask me. ;-)
December 16, 2009 - 6:51amThis Comment
At least I know what to get as a shower gift!
December 19, 2009 - 11:55am