Cora and her boyfriend Jeff were watching a beauty contest on TV. Jeff said he couldn't tell some of the contestants apart. Cora realized what was confusing him. She said a few of the girls looked similar because of cosmetic surgery. Jeff thought that was strange. "Why do beauty contestants need cosmetic surgery?" he asked.
"It's not just for beauty contests," Cora replied. "There is a lot of evidence that being satisfied with our appearance is good for mental health and self-confidence. Whether we like it or not, having good looks is an advantage. Don't forget, many people have facial and other physical defects caused by birth disorders, accidents, burns or disease. Their quality of life is enhanced by surgery."
"Ah, but you're talking about plastic surgery," said Jeff. "That's different. Cosmetic surgery is only for people to make themselves look better. They have eyelid surgery, nose jobs, facelifts, and lots of other procedures. These turn out badly sometimes. Just look in the media for stories about operations that have gone wrong."
Cora still didn't agree. "That's pretty rare. Most cosmetic surgery is routine and safe, and the surgeons are highly skilled. Once it's done, the effect lasts for years, while beauty products only work for a short time. In fact, some research shows that people who have cosmetic surgery become more optimistic and happier as a result."
"Yes," said Jeff, "but I still think the risk is too high. Those psychological effects you mentioned are not always positive. Many people have an expensive cosmetic procedure and feel disappointed when they realize it's not the answer to their problems. For a few people, cosmetic surgery even becomes addictive. There is always another body part that needs improvement. They end up ruining their appearance."
Cora and Jeff evidently have different opinions about cosmetic surgery. So who is right? Beauty may only be "skin deep," but it matters a lot in today's world. While most people prefer to keep their natural looks, there are plenty who are willing to pay to look better. That's their choice. Everyone has the right to do what they want as long as they take responsibility for the outcome.
Cora 和她的男朋友 Jeff 正在看電視上的選美大賽。Jeff 說他分不清楚一些參賽者。Cora 明白是什麼讓他感到困惑。她說因為美容醫學手術,所以其中一些女孩看起來長得很相似。Jeff 覺得奇怪。「為什麼選美佳麗還需要美容醫學手術呢?」他問。
「這不僅僅是為了參加選美比賽,」Cora 回答。「有很多證據顯示滿意我們自己的外貌對心理健康和自信心都有好處。無論我們喜不喜歡,有好看的外表都是一種優勢。不要忘了,許多人的顏面和其他身體的缺陷是天生疾病、意外事故、燒燙傷或疾病所引起的。他們的生活品質可以透過手術改善。」
「啊,但是妳說的是整型外科手術,」Jeff 說。「那不一樣。美容醫學手術只是為了人們讓自己更好看。他們會去動雙眼皮手術、隆鼻、拉皮和許多其他手術。有時候這些手術的結果很糟糕。只要在媒體上查看出現過的手術失敗案例就知道了。」
Cora 依舊不同意。「那很罕見。大多數的美容醫學手術都是平常有在做且安全的,而且外科醫生的技術精湛。一旦完成,效果可以持續好幾年,然而美容產品卻只能在短時間內有效。事實上,一些研究顯示,做過美容醫學手術的人會因此變得比較樂觀和快樂。」
「沒錯,」Jeff 說,「但是我還是覺得風險實在太高了。妳提到的那些心理作用並不一定總是正向的。許多人做了昂貴的美容醫學手術後卻發現這不是解決他們問題的答案時,會覺得失望。對有些人來說,他們甚至會對美容醫學手術上癮。永遠都有其他的身體部位需要改造。他們最終會毀了自己的外表。」
Cora 和 Jeff 顯然對美容醫學手術有著不同的看法。那麼誰是對的?美麗可能只是「膚淺的」,在今日的世界卻舉足輕重。大多數人喜歡保持他們天生的外貌,然而也有很多人願意花錢以變得更美。這是他們的選擇。每個人都有權利做自己想做的事,只要他們對結果負責就好。