Taboo Opinions
The many voices about aesthetic choices.
Opinions and (you know the word)…everyone has them. I can't speak for men, but I'm amazed at how many opinions women endure. I hope that the majority are more confident than me, but after many conversations with friends spanning ages and backgrounds…I'm not certain any of us is immune to the barrage of opinions women are required to endure. This isn't a story about social media ruining confidence…that's a different story. This is about actual, spoken comments. Old school judgment.
The last time I cut my hair without wondering what other people thought, I was 12. The haircut was a 'shag'. It was supposedly 'modern' and 'chic'. I looked like a nerdy boy from 1967…a great vibe but not what I was going for. This haircut though was the moment I started listening to the murmurs. Every aesthetic decision causes a cavalcade of mental checks and balances, ending with weighing how much I want an aesthetic result vs. perceived opinions. I'm going through this process right now getting my nearly 12 year old breast implants replaced.
I had my boobs done at 24 because I always wanted them [boobs]. Not big ones, just something that feminize my figure and show through a sweater. Since the Lord did not bless me with breast tissue, the first thing I did when income > bills was book a consult with a reputable, well reviewed plastic surgeon. I told the doctor that I wanted a full C cup. We looked at implants and decided on a size. When I was on the operating table he decided that my breasts would look better larger and increased the size by 50 ccs. I didn't know this until long after the operation, when I was trying on bras, that this had happened.
This story is shockingly common. The new boobs looked great, but they never sat right with me. This surgery was my first decision on what I wanted my body to look like, and that choice was taken away from me. Since I have to replace my implants , I decided to get the size I originally wanted with a subtle lift and a little liposuction. Everyone says that things change and 35. I did not believe them. They were correct. I could have kept this a secret, but I'm not that person. I like the open book mentality with plastic surgery. I love that I have the ability to make these choices, and think its important to normalize people making aesthetic choices that make them happy. The opinions are endless…
It's taken a lot of conviction to continue with my plan. My body and my perception of it have been at war for a long time. Only recently have I started appreciating it for non-physical attributes like strength, balance, and the ability to move about the world without pain. I'm calling this surgery a tune up for the next phase of life. The hope is 15 years from now I'll have achieved more indifference towards a little sag or bulge.
There will be a lot of opinions on this revealing post. I can't believe you shared that. Why would you want people to know? I'll leave you with this. Legally Blonde came out in 2001. The movie stars Reese Witherspoon as Elle Woods, everyone's favorite sorority girl turned Harvard law student. Elle ends up as a fabulously dressed legal intern who plays an integral part in a murder trial. The trial is challenging because the woman who is ON TRIAL FOR MURDER would rather go to prison for life than tell the public her alibi. The alibi? She had liposuction. Let's move forward from this taboo, shall we?