Let’s get the gasps, and shrugs, eye rolls and sounds of exasperation that come with the sheer thought of a boob job out of the way right from the start. In today’s world, Boob jobs otherwise called ‘perking up the goods’ are a commonplace occurrence among women of all ages, sizes and social status. The line that divides the women who get boob jobs and those that are aghast that such a thing even exists are, often laden with jealousy and a fuzzy sense of morality. Whether to get a boob job or not; or whether it is right or wrong has nothing to do with a persons morals, rather a persons sense of self. Bottom line equates to one thing – it is a completely personal and private decision.
Obviously, cost is a factor. For many years, the only people eligible for plastic surgery had fat wallets. In the United States a breast augmentation costs between $3,500 and $7,000 depending on the type of surgery and option package a woman chooses. In Canada where prices are higher the same surgery can set you back $7,500. This makes it apparent that getting a boob job is a financial consideration, perhaps even more so than an emotional one. Many plastic surgeons offer payment plans and there are ample credit opportunities available for those determined who want to finance the surgery. For some, spending this much money on something they perceive as “superficial” – especially when there are so many other things to buy is dumbfounding. For others, the dissatisfaction with their breasts causes so much emotional strain and insecurity that it is definitely worth the investment.
Aging, having children, nursing babies, gaining and losing weight, as well as a lifetime can take their toll on femininity, most specifically the breasts. Ten years ago, you may have had small breasts that were at least perky and equal – today, those same small breasts look more like shrunken and stretched cow utters than anything else. Sure, a good bra can go long ways in making them look better – but this doesn’t necessarily alter how a woman feels. Boobs are such a huge part of being a woman. Think back to the 6th grade – where there were some girls already wearing B cups and others who hadn’t blossomed at all. By the time this same group gets to 8th grade, there are snickers and comparisons and plenty of girls left stuffing their bras. As you get older, the social inclination to check out a woman’s breast before their eyes can make women who don’t like their bust line feel hopelessly uncomfortable. They may have the perfect body, lacking only the Pamela Anderson boobs that would make them feel like an instant celebrity. Is it somehow wrong for these women to chase their dreams of perking up the goods, out of fear of being scorned by other women? Absolutely not.
Another set of women in this world feel disgusted by women who get boob jobs. You know who you are – sitting at the coffee shop with your friends when she walks in. The other mother you know who within one week seemed to grow 4 bra sizes. Suddenly she is wearing revealing clothes and sporting a cleavage that makes you cringe. The problem is what you are cringing with is envy. This envy doesn’t mean that you want a boob job; just that suddenly you feel this woman has something over you, on you! She may be walking with a brand new confidence and comments like “those are DEFINITELY fake” as you turn your head, just seem to speak volumes about how you feel about your own breasts. Sure, they are fake and most people who get boob jobs aren’t in denial. In fact, they are just proud. If getting a boob job can empower one woman just as much as taking Pilates, yoga or buying nice clothes…then the decision to do so should be a private matter.
The female body is a beautiful one. With all the curves – there is nothing sexier or more beautiful than a woman that looks great and is confident with herself. While this confidence shouldn’t and can’t come from boobs alone, it can be heightened by improving the look of the breasts. It seems like a double standard for millions of women to work out regularly, watch what they eat and diet to look great and then scorn other women for trying to look great in her own way. More than likely if the surgery was a success, she does look great, and she will be turning lots of men’s heads…even your own husbands. If he pretends to not notice he is simply trying to spare you some idle pain. The thing is it is extremely immature and spiteful to suddenly feel angered, distaste or aloof because a woman has had a breast augmentation. If her nose was too big and she took care of that, would you feel the same? If she had a scar removed from her face – would you still be a hater? No, you would not!
Perking up the goods carries with it an aura of being a stripper or tramp. Big-breasted women are considered “easy” and those that spend the money on a part of their anatomy with sexual implications come under deep scrutiny by others. Yet, breast augmentations are becoming a rite of passage for millions of women who have had children and are left unhappy with the state of their bodies. Are they suddenly bad mothers? They are accused of sending the wrong message to young girls, when the reality is we have no idea what they tell their children about the surgery. And, in a world where we can often easily fix things that bother us with a little bit of cash, there is no reason to be left longing for a better or different life in any respect if we can make a deliberate difference. In fact, ancient wisdoms tell us that our own dissatisfaction in any area of our lives are simply cues about where we should direct our energies. Longing for something, wishing for a boob job or settling doesn’t make one a more noble or moral person – it just makes them unhappy.
The next big question of course is whether a boob job can really make someone happy? A recent study showed that women with augmented breasts have a higher risk of committing suicide in the decade following their breast implants. This gives pause to consider what other psychological problems may be lingering in some women, who are overly concerned with appearances. Many of these women also had predetermined issues with body image such as eating disorders. However, there is no inkling to the fact that the common woman who perks up her goods, a mother – in her late 30’s to early 40’s who gets a little extra help from a plastic surgeon are in any way part of a high risk group. Perhaps they just feel that this little something something is a well deserved repayment for all the things they have put their body through. Or, perhaps they feel that it might be nice to have better-looking breasts for once in their life. At any rate – the choice is theirs. If we had to be honest – most women (at least those in their right mind) would consider and have a boob job if it were given to them. They might not leave looking like Dolly Parton, but they would leave the surgery with at least an equal set of nipples and boobs that don’t stretch or point downward to their waistline.
