Are selfies causing more young women to go under the knife?
If you’ve found yourself anywhere near a social networking platform over the last few weeks you’ll most probably have encountered Jasmine Tridevil. Don’t recognise the name? Then perhaps you’ll recognise her breasts. For she has three. It’s been debated whether or not she really has had surgery to create multiple mammaries or whether it’s just a hoax, (the world’s first triple breasted woman just so happens to bear the surname ‘Tridevil’? How very convenient), but regardless of her story’s validity, our fascination with the idea means we’ve plastered it all over the TV and internet. It’s proof, if ever it was needed, that the world’s become obsessed with the concept of altering the human body beyond what’s natural.
One could argue that it’s all a bit of fun; an amusing nod to the bizarre hypothetical underwater world in which triple breasted women dwell in Busted’s hit song Year 3000. But with recent heartbreaking news of teens committing suicide because they’re not satisfied with the way they look in selfies, there’s evidently something sinister surrounding the way we’ve come to view ‘normal’ body image.
Here at Your Coffee Break we firmly believe that beauty is not skin deep. However, we also hate the idea of any woman not fulfilling her incredible potential because she’s so crippled by her misery about her big nose or saggy skin, (note: your nose is not too big, nor is your skin too saggy), and in those circumstances we understand that going under the knife might feel like the right option. But be warned: whilst all over the world more and more women are dreaming of bigger breasts and smaller noses, more thigh gap and fewer wrinkles, there are some places that can quickly turn dreams in to nightmares.
Figures released by the Guardian show that over the last two years there’s been a 109% increase in the number of Britons travelling abroad in search of fast and cheap plastic surgery. Tempted by the additional lure of low-cost flight deals, Britons are paying little attention to the dangers involved in medical tourism, and in trying to save money they’re taking some extremely expensive risks.
Low cost, low quality
On the surface medical tourists pay notably less for their procedures: the average cost of a breast augmentation in the UK is £3,736, whilst in Poland it’s a far more appealing £1,972. But with a diminished price comes a diminished chance of satisfaction with the outcome. The initial delight of saving £1,764 comes at the expense of surgeon experience and vital aftercare.
Given you get what you pay for, can you really put a price on your own health?
Expensive corrections
With any plastic surgery there’s an element of risk, and corrective surgery may well be required if the procedure has had any issues. In travelling to far-flung corners of the globe, medical tourists are dangerously cutting corners and leaving themselves far more likely to need follow up surgery. In fact, according to the Daily Mail, one in five people who’ve had surgery abroad have had to have further treatment once they’re back in Britain in order to correct problems. Back with a British doctor who may well have no record of the foreign surgery, medical tourists make it a whole lot harder for surgeons to look after them.
All that money you saved by having your chosen procedure abroad? Don’t spend it on a new wardrobe to suit your new body just yet, you may well need it to pay for corrective surgery.
Poor quality aftercare
According to Aestheticon, aftercare is vitally important, and its provision should be a high priority when choosing a surgeon. In considering the merits of undergoing surgery abroad, envision the physical distance between the patient and the clinic: regular post-surgery checks are crucial for successful and pain-free recovery.
Think about it, this is a permanent change to your body, so do you really want it done by someone with whom you’ll have a fleeting relationship?
UK cosmetic surgery company MYA told us: ‘the trend of cosmetic surgery abroad started a few years ago and now we see the aftermath. We would highly encourage people to consider UK clinics as we are regulated by professional bodies in the cosmetic surgery sector, abide by strict quality standards and provide a high quality of aftercare.’
We’re pretty confident that (despite what other magazines / your instagram feed / internet trolls might say) you’re already gorgeous inside and out and therefore have no need to knock on a doctor’s door, but if for whatever reason you feel otherwise, just make sure it’s a trusted UK clinic.
