Cosmetic surgery, why is it acceptable to cure but not to enhance?

Last Wednesday,  we had a discussion about our society's attitude towards cosmetic surgery.

Cosmetic surgery started during the world wars when people were disfigured by burns and war wounds and there was a great need to help people get back to normal lives and integrate into everyday society.

Since then,  the enhancement side of cosmetic surgery became a branch and business on their very own.  Celebrities and people in the entertainment business who regard their public persona as their most valuable asset feel the need and benefit of enhancing their appearance to help and maintain their professional lives.

The public at large however, still feel that cosmetic surgery is "unnatural".  That it is needed to repair disfigurement but somewhat vain to enhance.

Unfortunately,  I was not able to get people at the Ideas Cafe to agree that we feel uneasy about cosmetic surgery.  The group felt that whatever people want to do is their business and we should not pass judgement on their preferences.  The most we can say is that they are not spending their money wisely if some other aspect of their lives are deprived in some way because of spending money in cosmetic surgery or if they are taking undue health risk because of cosmetic surgery.

Dan did express a feeling that he found himself not trusting the judgement of a man with a "bad hair job".  Perhaps cosmetic surgery is one marker of a person's values and their decision making.

What was also interesting was that no one found it unusual about the example of a woman faced with breast reconstruction after a mastectomy from breast cancer, that she chooses a "better shape and size" than before. We may as well make it better while we are at it, but to enhance something before it is "broken" is a different matter.

I was therefore not able to explore the nuance of presenting a better appearance through cosmetic surgery when we obviously are attracted to people who are better looking.

On a similar plane, we accept make up as part of our social lives.  We may even feel that ladies who do not wear make up for an important occasion may not be taking the occasion seriously.

How do we feel about someone who is wearing "too much" make up?  How much is too much?

Perhaps the right amount of make up is when people notice the good looks but not aware that make up is involved.

Maybe that would apply with cosmetic surgery as well,  that it should seem natural and not man made.

In other words,  the deception needs to be well executed and not noticed.

Viewed this way,  it is like white lies and other "social graces",  we know it happens, we know it lubricates and smooths the social transactions,  and we leave it there. We assume the best and do not probe beyond.

We do not ask if someone's beautiful photograph is air brushed to remove blemishes, we let ourselves be carried along in the deception that there really are natural born immaculate beauties in Hollywood with enduring youth and unbelievable figures.

I understand that cosmetic surgery is very popular in Brazil and people discuss it openly as part of health care.  The poorer classes sees it as small luxuries for themselves and also as a way to possibly break out of their class through beauty as often shown on soap operas on TV.  

A different level of deception acceptance?

Aren't humans wonderfully interesting?