My body insecurities started at a very young age and only declined the older I got until I began to heal at the age of 35.
When I was 18, I used to drive around in my first car (a Vauxhall Corse, for those who are intrigued), and I would wish I could win loads of money so that I could have cosmetic surgery.
In my head, I would list the order of surgeries I wanted to make me look more attractive because I believed that pretty much my whole body was flawed.
I grew up in the Herion Chic/Size Zero era, where skeletal bodies were celebrated, and everyone who was anyone had cosmetic surgery. The magazines I used to read didn’t help - they would show before and after photos of celebrities' procedures but not the horrendous bruising, pain and life-long deformities that came with it.
The thing about magazines is that you can pick them up and put them down whenever you want. It’s not quite so easy with social media. I probably speak for most people when I say I have a mixed relationship with social media. I can find it inspiring and uplifting and an excellent way to keep up with the goings-on. But I also sometimes wish it didn't exist. It can be a very toxic place. It can encourage procrastination, shame, comparison, and confusion.
Personally, I find TikTok to be the most toxic platform. I fail to see how anyone can come out of a doom-scroll feeling good about themselves! The food, exercise, and body trends are incredibly toxic and contradictory. But one trend caught my eye recently, and I had to pick my jaw up off the ground… “GRWM (get ready with me) for a nose job.”
Yes, you read that right! It wasn’t just one video or even two - this is trending, meaning thousands of accounts are creating these videos!
Sometimes, the influencer dances their way through the reel at different stages of their nose job: the day of surgery, an hour after, the day after, and so on. Sometimes, they talk about what they’re worried about in the lead-up to the surgery, then you see the gauze, and then you see the ‘perfect’ finished product.
The videos vary, but the point is that cosmetic surgery is still being glamorised. However, rather than being in magazines, it is on a platform whose primary users are between 18 and 25 years old.
I am pleased to say that following this trend, some women have since made reels explaining the awful downsides to nose jobs and how they would never have had it done if they had known about them.
Here’s what they had to say…
Not only do you lose your sense of smell, but you can also lose your sense of taste. This can be permanent!
You need to sleep sitting up straight for a long time after surgery.
You won't be able to breathe out of your nose for weeks and sometimes ever again.
Many people can’t breathe out of their noses when they sleep; they become lifetime mouth-breathers and snore when they previously didn't.
Your nose constantly drips, and it never rectifies itself.
Your nose is permanently blocked.
You can’t blow your nose if you've had a nose job. The only way to clean it is with cotton buds and/or saline solution (imagine never being able to blow your nose again) 😱
You must train yourself to sneeze out of your mouth, as your nose job won't take the pressure (does it fall off??).
The swelling takes a year to go down, so you won’t know if your new nose even suits you for all that time!
The pain and tenderness take months to subside. If you think about it, you have a broken bone on your face and months of bruising to follow.
Please know I am not against anyone getting as many procedures as they like. I appreciate that self-love can’t always come from within for everyone. All I ask is that you do it for the right reasons and know the consequences and dangers of getting them done.
Be curious as to why you want to go ahead with it. Ask yourself the following questions for some clarity and answer them honestly:
What will happen if you have the procedure?
What will happen if you don’t have the procedure?
What won't happen if you have the procedure?
What won't happen if you don't have the procedure?
Who benefits from you having the procedure?
What other alternatives are there?
What other memories could you make with the money you would use for the procedure?
If you are still entirely sure you want to go ahead after exploring these thoughts, go for it!
I hope this supports and inspires you if you’re considering invasive or non-invasive surgery.
Sending Light Your Way 💫
Zoë
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