View Full Version : Rueters-The Good, Bad and Ugly - Plastic Surgery Stories


Itsmeee
04-30-2004, 10:11 AM
Reuters (http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=USLALPOTINABMCRBAEZSFEY?type=ourWorldNews&storyID=5000707)
By Michele Gershberg

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Internet can't make you beautiful, but it does cater to a host of vanities, from the search for the perfect eye shadow to the ultimate make-over, plastic surgery.

If you have ever wondered whether television hit "Friends" star Jennifer Aniston's signature hairstyle would complement your own cheekbones, the Makeover-o-Matic, http://www.substance.com/es/mom, can paste celebrity "do's" onto your scanned photograph.

A similar site, http://www.makeoversolutions.com, lets visitors play with blush tones and lipstick on a number of models' faces, as well as their own photos, to determine whether "winter" or "summer" colors suit them best.

Looking for more a radical way to fix a troublesome flaw or revive a fading youth?

An estimated 80 percent of cosmetic surgery practices have their own Web sites to advertise procedures, and a growing community of patients are sharing their experiences, and photographs, online in vivid detail.

For Wendy Kane, the Web was an indispensable source of information as she considered her first foray into cosmetic surgery -- a "lower body lift" to sculpt hips and thighs after a major weight loss.

Kane, a U.S. Air Force events planner in central Georgia, dropped nearly 150 pounds through a gastric bypass surgery after struggling with her weight for nearly 20 years. She went to the Internet to look for a cosmetic change that best suited her, and to find a reputable surgeon from the selection there.

"I did research on the Web on the different things out there for people who had a lot of weight loss," she said. "I would not have felt as comfortable had I not been able to learn more about it ahead of time."

Kane's surgeon, Dr. Richard Greco of Savannah, Georgia, said that most new patients come to his office through referrals. But Internet research is often a touchstone for discussing the kind of expectations a patient has, including using the wealth of "before-and-after" images available online.

"They have read about the procedures and they are more ready to schedule surgery -- they have made up their minds," Greco said. "It has really reduced the amount of people who call up just to get information."

Personally I think plastic surgery can be very helpfull in many cercimstances such as my aunt and couzin have both had some done after there respective car accidents. Its really helped them get back to there life, and many other people who are just really hideoiusly fugly can use it to help them feel better about themselves. But have people today taken it to far? Where is the line or are these people that are pushing there own beuty to the limits allowing for cheaper and better services for the rest of us through there experimentation? What is your view?

Our own beloved BLE maskot, Mad Linux Guy allowed us to do a makeover for this article (He liked it more then he lets on). Here are the results.

Tha[\]atos
04-30-2004, 12:07 PM
have we gone too far?


yes...
example:
Michael Jackson

night3218
04-30-2004, 12:09 PM
Originally posted by Tha[\]atos
have we gone too far?


yes...
example:
Michael Jackson

lol. *gasp*:eek:

Itsmeee
04-30-2004, 06:04 PM
Has anyone seen any of those makeover story shows? I caught one on MTV and it was about these twins who wanted to look like brad pitt.

They were upper class and I believe there parents paid for this. They were trying to become movie stars at the time. Its interesting seeing this occur. I suppose all through time though people have wanted to look one way or the other such as Chines foot binding or indians native to Washington trying to make there heads slanted.

PyroInsane
04-30-2004, 06:11 PM
Yes, we have gone to far, Point in case: Micheal Jackson

Secondly, women are having parts of their toes removed so they can get into higher high heels.... PARTS OF THEIR TOES REMOVED?!? WTF?!? >_<

And did anyone see the Dr. Phil episode on this? There was one girl... well, I wont even go ther, but she had had like $.25million worth of plastic surgery, and STILL looked freaky... you can only go as far as your skull's structure allows =/

But yes, it does help people, tremendously, take the show Extreme Makeover for example... they're changing peoples lives by helping them with plastic surgery and lipo and stuff... its a good thing when used properly, but cna get seriously out of hand.