By: Scott Green, MD
The Australian government recently banned excessively-skinny fashion models (read all about it here). I find it interesting that the Land Down Under points the finger at photo-editing programs like Adobe Photoshop and how they have “retouched” our concepts of beauty.
It’s true that in Photoshop, anything can be added, removed or redone, resulting in bodies that skew our perceptions of “normal.” But are the images to blame, or are we creating these images based on a deeper and more ingrained sense of beauty? Should the images we see in advertising be taken literally?
Responsibilities of Image-Makers
In the U.S., since we don’t have a law like this, it’s still an “anything goes” world when it comes to retouching images in the media. And there’s no doubt that images of “perfect” bodies and “perfect” faces can easily cause anxiety and impact the self esteem of teens and adults alike. Does the media have an obligation to be more “real”? I’ll admit this isn’t my area of expertise, so I’d love to hear from you on this issue.
Responsibilities of Cosmetic and Plastic Surgeons
I have a little more to say when it comes to how cosmetic and plastic surgeons should be advising their patients in light of some of the unrealistic expectations out there today. Like pretty much all Sacramento plastic surgeons, I encourage patients to seek natural-looking results with cosmetic surgery rather than the type of “perfection” magazines offer.
With just a few clicks of the mouse in Photoshop, eyes become brighter, lips become fuller, and waistlines become slimmer. Such easy and painless revision isn’t possible in the real world. Some imperfection or slight variation is inevitable following a cosmetic surgery procedure, so trying to live up to media portrayals of beauty is a no-win situation. Having a healthy understanding of and respect for what cosmetic surgery can do is the way to go.
Women and men with legitimate cosmetic concerns can benefit greatly from plastic surgery procedures. I see it every day. If there’s something about the way you look that you don’t quite like, I encourage you to think about the reasons why, doing your homework and exploring some “before and after” photos of real patients to see if the results you can achieve are really the result you want.






Tue, Aug 31, 2010
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