Thoughtful Thursday- Plastic Surgery

I've been thinking about trying to start a little something for Thursdays, as I don't see a lot of memes or blog hoppin' carnivals on Thursdays. So here's the first of what may be a regular feature here at Made In Secret. I hope you can join it today!!




Yesterday Lady M and I were on our way out for the first time since the snow storm last weekend. We were listening to the radio when a song from Johnny Diaz-  A More Beautiful You . One of the lyrics says something about "her body isn't fake", and it started a conversation between myself and Lady M. Lady M didn't know what the song was talking about when it mentioned a fake body, so I explained that the song was talking about women who'd had plastic surgery.

And that opened a huge can of worms....

Lady M had lots of questions, why would anyone do that? What types of plastic surgery can you have? I explained that sometimes people get plastic surgery because they would like to permanently change something about their appearance. Then Lady M asked if I knew anyone who'd had plastic surgery. Of course, I had to respond "yes". She bugged me to tell her who it was, and I just wasn't comfortable telling her names.

Maybe it was because I didn't want her going to these people and asking them about why they would have surgery like that done. Maybe it was because I didn't want her to change her opinion of the people that we both know who've undergone the knife to have their nose or boobs done.

So here's my question:

How would you address plastic surgery with your kids? If you've had anything done personally, how did you explain it? 


I can't say that I've never considered having some "work" done. Of course, I don't have the money to do it. But if I did, would I??

There was a time when I could easily say, absolutely not. I would not have something done to myself that was not part of how God made me. But since I've had 2 brain surgeries that have left their impact on my face, it's definitely more of a consideration now. I truly don't think there's anything that could be done in the plastic surgery world that could fix the indentation at my left temple or the fact that my left eyelid doesn't have the same muscular/nerve structure as it originally did. I would love to have a more symmetrical face. And that's not all. A boob job would probably be great, since I have nursed 2 children and my boobs grew 4 cup sizes with my first pregnancy, then deflated to empty balloons. Sure, I'd love to look more proportionate. And who wouldn't love a little lipo??

But then I have to look at the message I would be sending my kids. Would it be okay for me to have surgery  and then tell my kids to be happy with how God made them? I would definitely be living a double standard. I think back to when I was a teenager, with no girlie shape, tall and lanky, skin and bones, glasses, braces and pimply skin. I was not happy with how I looked then. How would my life have been different if my parents had the money or gave me permission to have some enhancements?? Would I feel better about myself or would I have always looked at myself with even more critical eye and asked "what else can I have fixed"?  Or what if my mom had looked like a supermodel because of some surgeries she'd had? How would I have felt then?

Who knows? I don't. I really can't say. I guess it all comes down to what's most important to you. I've known several women who had full mastectomies because they'd been diagnosed with breast cancer, then had implants. I've known women who've had mastectomies out of fear of breast cancer because it was so pervasive in their families, then received implants. If I was in either of those situations, I would do exactly what they did. I know people who've had a nose job as a teenager because it was such a hang up for them, their parents gave in and paid for the surgery  because they thought it would make their child feel better. In the end, it didn't help any of the girls I know. They still have lots of issues.

I can't say one way or another whether I'll have plastic surgery ever in my lifetime. I'd like to think I'm confident in who I am in Christ and my body doesn't matter. Really-truly-honestly, who knows what I'll do in the future? I probably won't ever do it (I'm chicken).  As far as talking to my kids about it, I'm supposed to build them up to love who they are, who God created them to be. But I also don't want them to judge women who have had surgery. It's a very thin line....

So now it's your turn. How would you handle talking to your kids about plastic surgery? How do you feel about undergoing the knife for beauty's sake? Blog about it, or leave me a comment. I'd love to know what you think!!