What is this obsession about beauty that makes us alter our bodies to please the eyes of other people? Is it the fault of television programs and huge billboards that brainwash us everyday to look good? Are they the ones setting the correct meaning of what it beautiful or not?

You have to agree, people are social beings. We belong to different groups in our society such as family, community, work group, sports group, religious group, and our circle of close friends. The people in our lives influence our thoughts and beliefs. For example, if you have intimate friends who are drug addicts, it’s probable that you will become a drug addict too. So if you are frequently associated with people who are obsessed about beauty, you will consider plastic surgery too, just to be an important part of the circle.

Not too long ago, only rich women in their fifties or sixties are thinking about plastic surgery. The famous ones are Botox, liposuction, and face lift. But today, younger women are dipping into the world of artificial beauty too. Can you imagine 18-24 year olds saving every penny they’ve got to get a breast implant? What about those fat young girls who are toying about the idea of liposuction and tummy tuck instead of eating proper diet and exercising to lose weight?

Internet statistics confirm this phenomenon. Majority of visitors to plastic surgery sites are within this age demographic (18-24), and it has been increasing every year. While older women now are visiting sites on keeping healthy and preventing diseases, the young generation is deeply focused in improving outer beauty such as skin care, weight loss, bodybuilding, and of course, plastic surgery.

Although, there is one thing that prevents the majority of these young people from going under the surgeon’s knife: high cost. In fact, a more detailed search statistic reported that common Google searches include the word “cost” such as “breast augmentation cost,” “breast implant cost,” or “plastic surgery cost.” This indicates that even though outer appearance is an obsession, economic consideration is still the number one show stopper, especially in the face of the declining U.S. economy.

Another reason for delaying plastic surgery is the fear that surrounds this procedure. Although there are a lot of successful operations already, there are also risks associated with it. We can never remove the fact that some doctors make mistakes, or the possibility that our body will react adversely to the operation.

Have you heard of the tragic story in the U.S. where Stephanie Kuleba, a cheerleader (18 years old) died of complications as a result of going through a breast augmentation procedure? Scary! And there were many more that ended with the same fate.

So if you are young, think really hard before you decide to have plastic surgery. Remember that you still have a long life ahead of you. Would it be worth it? Do you really think everybody needs to have a perfect body? Maybe you can learn from the old verse that says “Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.” Just highlight what’s good in your body today, and your beauty will shine through.