Graduating to a bigger bra size

via MSNBC.com Is Plastic Surgery a Good Gift for Grads?

The linked article is about the rising number of high school kids who receive plastic surgery. The article states that in 2006, 244,124 cosmetic surgery procedures were performed on kids aged 13-19 in the United States. The lead case in the article is of a high school girl who, after graduating, went from a A-cup bra to a D-cup.

The article makes interesting arguments on both sides. If the surgery does make the person more confident and satisfied in their appearance, isn't that helpful? On the other hand, does one plastic surgery act as a "gateway" procedure, making it much more likely to get other, less significant alterations made? Is there a negative suggestion that academic achievements need to be reinforced with physical changes?

I was talking to my brother, and I feel that the rise in plastic surgery fights against the precepts taught by Mr. Rogers (of the eponymous neighborhood). His mantra was "I like you just the way you are." To me, that always encouraged me to accept what I looked like, since Mister Rogers (and my parents, among others) valued everything about me, "as is".

But is that relevant any more? Our entire physical appearance can be changed; do we need to be content with anything? Skin too dark? Lighten. Skin too light? Tanning booth. Nose wrong shape? Rhinoplasty. Cheeks not prominent? Implants. Lips not full enough? Collagen. Eyebrows just plain? Brow lift. Chin not cute? Chin tuck. Too much fat? Liposuction. Breasts not imposing enough? Implants. Feet too big? Bindings. Too many wrinkles? Botox.

Surgery is the answer.

Then I thought about my hand. I had a spot that was developing, so I wondered if it was becoming a wart. It turns out it was just a small, irritated section, but it made me think: is cosmetic surgery like getting a wart removed from a hand completely different? It's still a serious appearance alteration, but somehow it being on a HAND makes it less sensational. In the same category as people who remove birthmarks from behind their knees or the outside of their elbows.

And what if the surgery runs counter to the perceived culture? Breast reductions, for example. There doesn't seem to be as much collective social reaction to a breast reduction, even though it can sometimes be more invasive and "surgical" than an augmentation. Do plastic surgery watchdogs take these women to task for sizing down large breasts, when they should just be happy with who they are?

Can we compare the physical anguish of over-boobed back pain to the mental anguish of under-boobed bikini days at the beach? Probably not. But can we compare the mental sensitivity of women always treated like bouncing sex objects at the gym to the mental sensitivity of women who feel that no one notices them because their body is too flat? Both women seek may plastic surgery to make them more comfortable.

Does it make a difference in the worthiness of the surgery that one woman wants IN to the current "sexy" archetype, while the other wants OUT?