Los Angeles has long been famous as a major center of the beauty, fashion, and especially entertainment industries. The cities in Los Angeles and Orange Counties are frequently listed as having the most attractive people as well. With recent advances in facial plastic surgery and nonsurgical treatments, more and more people can look as young as they feel without appearing “done” or “plastic.” And plastic surgery no longer follows a cookie-cutter formula: Americans have a wide range of beauty, and individualism is prized in this country. Just look at the different faces of beauty in some of the following celebrities: Jennifer Aniston, Angelina Jolie, Kim Kardashian, Katy Perry, Selena Gomez, etc. Plastic surgery is now a way to enhance your appearance and retain or regain that youthful look, rather than trying to be something, or someone, else.

According to a recent survey, the majority of people polled would have plastic surgery. Out of 1,000 people polled, 72% said they want to have cosmetic surgery, and 49% are planning to have work done at some point in the near future. Most women also said they did not feel it was shameful to have a cosmetic procedure. Only 31% of respondents said they would keep it a secret if they had surgery, and 55% said they thought the results of surgery are usually obvious to other people.

There are a few famous celebrities that are against plastic surgery and have vowed never to get it. Most famously, Kate Winslet, Rachel Weiz and Emma Thompson who formed a “British Ant-Cosmetic Surgery League”, vowing that plastic surgery goes against their “morals.” However, I do not see anything wrong with plastic surgery. There are no objections when a person wants to change their appearance by exercising to lose weight, or dying their hair color, or cutting their hair. These changes people make can last even longer than minimally invasive procedures such as Botox, Radiesse, or Juvederm. For example, if you want to use Botox to relieve your wrinkles, you will usually need a touch up at around 3 months. When you dye your hair, how long does it go before you need a touch up? For me, it’s usually around 3 months as well. Plastic surgery is a personal choice (and we are lucky that we have the freedom to make so many personal choices), and if you like the way you look with minimally invasive techniques, there is nothing wrong in taking surgical methods to make those looks permanent.

I gave my two cents, what is your take? Do you believe that plastic surgery is a personal choice and should be widely accepted?