Is it morally wrong to have cosmetic surgery when there are people who desperately need life saving ops?

Question

Please read the following before answering. I have wanted to have my wonky bumby nose straightned out for about 15 or more years. I am now financially in a position to get it done. But i am not 100 percent sure. I feel that I am doing something wrong by letting my face be cut up all for the sake of vanity and giving in to the pressures of society to be beautiful. But on the other hand i think, 'wouldn't it be great not to be thinking i looked a bit like a witch!'... But then i also think about those people who need life saving surgery and can't afford it and is it is selfish of me to spend that money getting, what is ultimately uneccessary surgery done, merely to look better. I am confident and happy but would love a straight smaller nose, but i feel torn about what to do. Is it a shallow thing to do? I just don't know. I am not passing judgement on anyone elses' decision to have surgery, this is my own personal dilemma with myself, but what do you think? Thanks

Answer 1

Interesting question, and the fact you're asking it shows, in my opinion, high marks for your overall sense of morality/ethics....

I'm not particularly crazy about plastic surgery sheerly for the "sake" of looks---a perky bosom, facelift, liposuction, etc. (I'm a nurse; before I go under the knife, there better be a darned good reason--there IS no such thing as "minor surgery"!) Think a LOT of this chasing to the doctors is pure and simple vanity, combined with a lot of really hopeful "if ONLY I do this, my life will be wonderful and perfect". It's plastic surgery, not a miracle cure!

But on the other hand, if someone has a nose that meets you at the door (no, hon, I'm NOT being snarky in your case, and hope you're not offended---sincere apologies if I've hurt you)....or if you've lost a huge amount of weight (like 100+ pounds/50 kilos) and need a tummy tuck to take in a really big abdominal apron that will NOT shrink under exercise.....I see little to no reason, morally or ethically, NOT to have the surgery.

Yes....a nose job is not "necessary" to restore functionality. And I assume your appearance is not actually frightening or causing problems in society (whereas someone with a cleft palate/harelip or massive facial injury/defect might benefit from surgery to look more "conventionally mainstream").

BUT.....Doesn't sound like you're doing it on an impulse, or out of frantic hopes to Make Your Life Magically Perfect, or similar----you'd like to feel better about a portion of yourself that's bothering you. Admittedly, it's more costly than getting a makeover at a hair/beauty salon or some new clothes....but would you deny yourself some "reasonable" treats there, on the basis that the money could/should be spent on charitable purposes?

There will always be people who need medical care, and who can't afford it. This may sound utterly cold and vicious and uncaring....but it is, unfortunately, a fact of life. We CANNOT (alas!), in our present state of things, provide for all human needs. Do SOMETHING, in the spirit of compassion, but I don't think you're obligated to live at a bare-bones level to do EVERYTHING you possibly can....

However, I will point out: a number of plastic/reconstructive surgeons in the US __do__ donate time and skill to performing their work for less-advantaged people; I see ads in the Washington Post for the "Smile Train", which does a lot of lip/palate construction. Your paying for "elective" surgery may be indirectly helping finance a healer's being able to take a week off and go overseas to help someone else.....Just a thought.

If you go ahead with surgery, here's hoping you have a lovely result with no complications or challenges! Good luck, with whatever you decide.

Answer 2

Ultimately, it's not about this ONE issue. If you want to re-examine how you spend your money, and how you could be using it better, that's great. But it's not a case of making this one sacrifice and then being able to feel good, or not making this sacrifice and feeling guilty. Say the surgery costs £3000. Are you saying that if you don't get the surgery you will take that £3000 and give it to a good cause? If you're not, then it makes no difference to anyone what you spend it on.

If this is something you want, then by all means go for it, but maybe you could do as Jack suggests, and make sure the sum of money goes to support a business that does some good for the world. And after that, you can look at other ways in which you can use your disposable income to make a difference in other people's lives. It doesnt just have to be about this operation, you've got a whole lifetime to help other people.

Answer 3

This is a question only you can answer for yourself, as I see it, meaning that your question really is should you have the nose job done.

Do you ask whether or not to buy a car to drive to work in when many people suffer daily from smog coming primarily from auto exhausts?

Do you wonder if the $20 or whatever you shell out for a haircut might not be better spent feeding that poor homeless person you passed on your way into the salon?

As for doctors and such, well, precious few seem to be overly altruistic -- not the ones I see. They all seem to have pretty good fee collection hurdles I have to clear before I see the doctor.

So, I really suppose it comes down to your self perception and what you gauge as the effects of your physical image on your life.

If you can afford it and if you feel it will be a benefit to you psychologically, I don't see why not so long as you clearly are not obsessing and not just giving in to some false ideal - one you would be chasing forever to no gain.

Answer 4

Think of how you would feel after the surgery. Will it really make such a big diference on your life? will your loved ones really treat you differently? you say you are confident so you shouldn't let a little nose set you back. Enjoy your health. whether your thinking about the people that can't afford life surgery or not, ultimately it's about you. Don't care about what the others say. if you have doubts it's because you're not sure.
It looks like you've got some brains inside your skull, so use them and give the money to charity instead , to help those who can't help themselves.
good luck.
I'm sure you are gorgeous anyway.

Answer 5

No, I don't think it's morally wrong to have cosmetic surgery. It sounds like you're genuinely unhappy with your appearance. I think that unless you learn to love yourself as you are, you won't be happy with a nose job, but that's just my opinion. If cosmetic surgery is what you really want, then there's nothing wrong with it. It's your money; you have a right to do with it what you want.

Let me ask you a question now: If you didn't get the cosmetic surgery, what would you do with the money you would have spent on it? Would you donate it to someone who needs a life-saving surgery? If the answer is no, that it would stay in your household account and go to other things, then no one will have gained anything by your decision not to have cosmetic surgery. Merely depriving yourself of something you want because you feel guilty about people who don't have it, but not giving anything to them, does not help them at all. It also doesn't help you.

Answer 6

I understand your dilemma, and believe there's a way out of it. In this case it really is possible to do well and do good at the same time.

Many Plastic Surgeons do a great deal of free work in third-world countries. Forgive me, I cannot remember the name of the organization, but there is one organization of Plastic Surgeons (not Doctors Without Borders) that deals with helping third-world children born with severe cleft-palates and other facial deformities. These doctors do life altering work, and what enables them to provide these services gratis is that they have paying cutomers like you back home.

If the doctors did not already have a thriving practice, they couldn't afford to give away these services.

If you're serious, do some research on a prospective doctor, and choose a surgeon who gives back to the world in some way. That way, you can have what you want and also know that you're helping out someone in need.

Hope this solution helps.

Answer 7

Yeah, good question.
You could argue the same for all of life's 'luxuries ' that you spend money on - should you give all that money to those in dire need of it instead?
But we live in a society that says you earn this money so you can spend it how you like. Maybe if you do go ahead with your surgery you could also make a donation or an anonymous gift to someone who is in need.

Answer 8

Personally, I think people are starting to look like cookie cutter, plastic people. I'm aging, but its natural, so as much as I dislike everything falling down, its natural, and I'm not gonna "fix" it. My nose is larger than I'd like, but its mine, and quite honestly, I don't want to be one of those people who have a perfect little nose, perfect everything, and no character. I am who I am, and I'm not changing myself in order to feel better by looking like everyone else. I think plastic surgery is great when used to help people with disfigurements, but just to try to look like everyone else, to fit into some kind of concept of beauty we've created, well, I just don't go along with that. It's your choice, your life, your money, but you asked for our opinions, and thats mine.

Answer 9

Mental attitude carries over into self-esteem.

If getting the nose done is going to make you feel better about yourself, giving you that boost of confidence to go out and succeed, then you get that nose done.

Not to detract from other people's problems, but if you don't think about yourself, who will?

Answer 10

I don't think that it's morally wrong, but once you go into that operation room there's no coming out. Plus if the operators screw up, you face will be a disaster and you most likely will NOT be able to fix it.