Losing ourselves in the mirror: A moral dilemma on plastic surgery and authenticity

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Recently, I asked myself how should I ask this question without being offensive? How should I construct my thoughts about altering one's physical features, in other words,  plastic surgery. I've been seeing more and more famous personalities getting it done: people who can afford it, and those who simply want to enhance their beauty. I'm not against it, in fact, some of my favorite artists had their lips, eyes, nose, and most of their body done. However, one thing I can't unsee now is that they look the same. They all share similar features when viewed through the lens of social media. I couldn't shake the thought of, "Where did all the variety go?".

I shrugged my thoughts back to where they belonged at first, back to the abyss. I was scared of voicing this thought because I know it will hurt a lot of people, and I don't want that. But I just can't keep it all in my journal anymore, so I asked Pat, my ever-patient man, "Mahal, what do you think about plastic surgery? How about rhinoplasty?". After my questions, I told him that I have a moral dilemma regarding this topic, but I don't really know how to express my thoughts in a non-biased way. I told him this, "Wala koy maingon pero it doesn't sit with me anymore". 

Hours passed, and I couldn't help but wonder, "What happens to our uniqueness if more and more of us start reshaping ourselves to fit a single standard? In pursuit of beauty, are we slowly losing our authenticity as individuals and as a culture?". 

Before deeming me the villain for always being against the new norm, let me explain a few things. Between 2012-2014, at the height of K-pop stars and K-drama influence, having a round face and white skin was the beauty standard. A sharp and toned jawline was often seen as "too masculine".  As the years gone by, beauty standards also shifted. We now see more people embracing sun-kissed, glowing skin, the kind you get from Siargao, California, Hawaii, or just being proudly Filipino.

Beauty standards evolve, yes. But if we keep conforming to new trends to be accepted and to feel beautiful, what happens to the faces we were born with? Are we improving ourselves, or slowly disappearing into the trend?

THE RIGHT TO SELF-IMPROVEMENT

In a society where beauty can open doors from job opportunities to social acceptance and even a prospect for marriage, it's understandable that the majority of the Filipino youth choose to undergo cosmetic surgery. Beauty procedures like rhinoplasty really do magic for some. As an example, we have Golda Reserva on TikTok, who admitted that she got a nose job to enhance her beauty, which eventually increased her self-confidence. AZ Martinez, a recent PBB housemate, who shared her positive and negative experience after her rhinoplasty with her housemates. In this light, plastic surgery can be a form of self-love, a step toward confidence in a world that often equates physical appearance with worth. 


BUT WHAT IF WE ALL LOOK THE SAME?

Yet here lies the heart of my dilemma. As more people undergo similar procedures, like a rhinoplasty, often narrower, sharper, and more Western or Korean in shape, are we creating a future where we all begin to look alike? What happens to uniqueness? What happened to authenticity?  What happens to the real YOU?

It's heartbreaking to see a lot of young women falling into the trap of "trends and beauty standards". Social media still remains the biggest villain as to why the majority of people nowadays are insecure. The ideals we see from our screen plant seeds of doubt that grow to self-hate. 

In conclusion, I support altering one's appearance to feel confident and to attract opportunities. I was just bothered about this unstructured thought -- one that's bothering me quietly but deeply that  it got my brain working overtime haha. 

At the end of the day, you do you. As long as your decisions don’t harm others, and your beauty journey is truly yours, then you're on the right path.

But maybe, just maybe, we should ask:

Are we enhancing ourselves… or erasing ourselves?

Do I really want to be like her, or am I just feeling pressured to be like her?



E. 

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