Permanently Beautiful

Billed as “fantastic plastic,” women showed off their breast implants, nose jobs and face lifts at Miss Plastic Hungary 2009 in Budapest earlier this month. “It’s time for Hungarian women to care more about their appearance,” judge Marton Szipal, a professional photographer, told the Associated Press. As you might expect, big boobs and strippers appeared to dominate the contestant field. But the contest wasn’t just about augmented breasts and cute little nose jobs, plastic surgery to her toes allowed one contestant to walk normally. Espousing the humanitarian view, plastic surgeon Dr. Tamas Rozsos said, “This is about restoring harmony … eliminating asymmetries and giving women the opportunity to have normal features.”

Like other readers, I laughed at the ridiculousness of human vanity; then I got to thinking. We may pooh-pooh the idea, but appearance does count. How we see ourselves and think others see us — inside and out — forms the core of our self-esteem. Even little things like a bad hair day can send our self-esteem plummeting. When we look good, our spirits and confidence soar. We can take on the world!

Everyone has what they consider little ”flaws” in their appearance. These “imperfections” can chip away at self-esteem and become a stumbling block in our quest for a successful and satisfying life. Sometimes plastic surgery is the answer, but it entails significant risks and the outcome doesn’t always meet expectations. In many instances, permanent makeup or paramedical tattooing can camouflage the self-defined “imperfections” that hold us back without the risk. Click here to find out more.