SILLY CON (?)
With the recent issues with PIP implants, one must consider exactly what happens in these cosmetic companies, behind closed doors, how customers are treated and spoken to. It appears to be the perfect time to release some empirical research, by way of pretending I wanted a breast enlargement, and attending consultations. Always fun!
We are never fully in control of our appearances. [CRAIK.J. ‘The Face of Fashion’ F p.65]
As we age our bodies gradually ‘decline’. To have control over as many aspects of one’s life is seen to be desirable, one way to control an aspect would be to alter one’s appearance is through plastic surgery.
When looking at body image, to fully understand, empirical research was carried out in the form of participating in plastic surgery consultations. On enquiring about breast enlargements, it was found that this was the most popular surgery within the United Kingdom, and worldwide. Upon showing interest in plastic surgery, one company’s response was to send an e-mail headed with the following:
You are on the road to Make Yourself Amazing
Through their very name, what message are the body-manipulation company ‘Make Youself Amazing’ sending? That to insert silicone into the breast ( tissue regulated by, and affecting, a woman’s hormones, allowing her to lactate and produce milk to allow a new life to receive all the nutrients it needs to develop ) will make her ‘amazing’. That to file away part of one’s nose, reducing the size of the nasal passages that allow us to breath in air, restricting this air flow, which on average is twenty-one percent oxygen, four hundredths of a percent carbon dioxide, and breathe out four to five percent less oxygen, and more respectively of these elements, to allow us to live, would make one amazing. Is a living organism not amazing in every process and within form, whether human or animal form, or even a single celled organism, able to finction and live as a single cell? Is the anatomical functioning of our bodies not tremendously more ‘amazing’ than their superficial appearance? Are the two positively related? The aim of this post is not to judge changing ones’ appearance through surgery, but to consider that process – a process that appears to be playing on the insecurities of a person already harbouring insecurities about their appearance, that say that this person is capable of being ‘Amazing’, after following the steps in the direction of this company. This statement was also made in the following way:
Let us help you Make Yourself Amazing [MYA treatment guide,. p.8]
This statement also allows the patient the control, stating that you are making yourself amazing, they will simply help, assist in you controlling your own image.
Having approached three different companies, it was found that they each had tactics, tactics very different from one another. The first (Make Yourself Amazing) was that of the manipulation shown above, followed by friendship, the consultant was immediately on a first name basis with myslef, showing enthusiastic interest in aspects of my life not related to the reasons for our meeting. Also having gone through the procedure herself, the host invited the me to physically examine her breasts. This tactic lead to me (and I guess any others going through a similar consultation) feeling more comfortable within the presence of the consultant, and to be influenced by her opinion like that of a friend, which would lead to trust, and trust in the consultant would lead to trust in the company and so would this be more likely to lead to a sale?
The first thing the second company (SurgiCare) did was to put me in a room with a surgeon. Before speaking face to face with a company representative, I was examined topless by the surgeon who was to carry out the procedure. This more distant professionalism left me feeling slightly uncomfortable and vulnerable. However, doing this would ultimately perhaps lead to peace of mind for a patient as they have immediate direct contact with the hands that are to eventually carry out the surgery itself. Following this, I then spoke to a company representative, this representative was happy to promote their own company by speaking negatively about other companies. This may have been part of their tactics, or it may have been from the personal experience of the lady representing Surgicare.
Within the Treatment Guide sent to the patient from this company, there were boasting statements such as:
Vaginal Tightening will improve the sensation ... and ultimately your sexual confidence. [SURGICARE Treatment Guide p.20]
With promises of improved sexual confidence and, in turn, a more satisfying sex life, this company will lead a patient to believe that by paying for this cosmetic surgical procedure they are almost buying the gift of good sex for themselves and any future sexual partners. Many may link this to better relationships with future sexual partners also. Would it not serve their interests better to simply find a considerate partner, who accepts them as they are, rather than one who they would appear to promote and allow to perceive them as little more than a physical object to be used as sexual gratification?
At SurgiCare it is about the whole you. [SURGICARE ibid p.4]
Much like the statements made by MYA, SurgiCare claims to care for the whole you, would that include the parts they aim to remove and dispose of from one’s own body?
These companies happily used tactics to work on the patients’ insecurities to help ensure a sale. To the patient this surgery will change how they feel about themselves, possibly even make them ‘amazing’, but to the companies, it would appear they are a statistic, a sale. This theory may be backed up with the following:
Beauty is a $160 billion-a-year global industry. [NELSON.Z. ‘Love Me’ p.6]
This is not to say I am against surgery, I myself alter my appearance through the means of makeup, hair dye and such. I am only human and have insecurities of my own, I simply wished to look at the approach in which these companies entice those with insecurities like myself. I also do not claim the SurgiCare, nor MYA have anything to do with the PIP implants, if it is that case, I'm blissfully ignorant of this. As far as cosmetic surgery goes, I believe them both to be reputable companies.
As we age our bodies gradually ‘decline’. To have control over as many aspects of one’s life is seen to be desirable, one way to control an aspect would be to alter one’s appearance is through plastic surgery.
When looking at body image, to fully understand, empirical research was carried out in the form of participating in plastic surgery consultations. On enquiring about breast enlargements, it was found that this was the most popular surgery within the United Kingdom, and worldwide. Upon showing interest in plastic surgery, one company’s response was to send an e-mail headed with the following:
You are on the road to Make Yourself Amazing
Through their very name, what message are the body-manipulation company ‘Make Youself Amazing’ sending? That to insert silicone into the breast ( tissue regulated by, and affecting, a woman’s hormones, allowing her to lactate and produce milk to allow a new life to receive all the nutrients it needs to develop ) will make her ‘amazing’. That to file away part of one’s nose, reducing the size of the nasal passages that allow us to breath in air, restricting this air flow, which on average is twenty-one percent oxygen, four hundredths of a percent carbon dioxide, and breathe out four to five percent less oxygen, and more respectively of these elements, to allow us to live, would make one amazing. Is a living organism not amazing in every process and within form, whether human or animal form, or even a single celled organism, able to finction and live as a single cell? Is the anatomical functioning of our bodies not tremendously more ‘amazing’ than their superficial appearance? Are the two positively related? The aim of this post is not to judge changing ones’ appearance through surgery, but to consider that process – a process that appears to be playing on the insecurities of a person already harbouring insecurities about their appearance, that say that this person is capable of being ‘Amazing’, after following the steps in the direction of this company. This statement was also made in the following way:
Let us help you Make Yourself Amazing [MYA treatment guide,. p.8]
This statement also allows the patient the control, stating that you are making yourself amazing, they will simply help, assist in you controlling your own image.
Having approached three different companies, it was found that they each had tactics, tactics very different from one another. The first (Make Yourself Amazing) was that of the manipulation shown above, followed by friendship, the consultant was immediately on a first name basis with myslef, showing enthusiastic interest in aspects of my life not related to the reasons for our meeting. Also having gone through the procedure herself, the host invited the me to physically examine her breasts. This tactic lead to me (and I guess any others going through a similar consultation) feeling more comfortable within the presence of the consultant, and to be influenced by her opinion like that of a friend, which would lead to trust, and trust in the consultant would lead to trust in the company and so would this be more likely to lead to a sale?
The first thing the second company (SurgiCare) did was to put me in a room with a surgeon. Before speaking face to face with a company representative, I was examined topless by the surgeon who was to carry out the procedure. This more distant professionalism left me feeling slightly uncomfortable and vulnerable. However, doing this would ultimately perhaps lead to peace of mind for a patient as they have immediate direct contact with the hands that are to eventually carry out the surgery itself. Following this, I then spoke to a company representative, this representative was happy to promote their own company by speaking negatively about other companies. This may have been part of their tactics, or it may have been from the personal experience of the lady representing Surgicare.
Within the Treatment Guide sent to the patient from this company, there were boasting statements such as:
Vaginal Tightening will improve the sensation ... and ultimately your sexual confidence. [SURGICARE Treatment Guide p.20]
With promises of improved sexual confidence and, in turn, a more satisfying sex life, this company will lead a patient to believe that by paying for this cosmetic surgical procedure they are almost buying the gift of good sex for themselves and any future sexual partners. Many may link this to better relationships with future sexual partners also. Would it not serve their interests better to simply find a considerate partner, who accepts them as they are, rather than one who they would appear to promote and allow to perceive them as little more than a physical object to be used as sexual gratification?
At SurgiCare it is about the whole you. [SURGICARE ibid p.4]
Much like the statements made by MYA, SurgiCare claims to care for the whole you, would that include the parts they aim to remove and dispose of from one’s own body?
These companies happily used tactics to work on the patients’ insecurities to help ensure a sale. To the patient this surgery will change how they feel about themselves, possibly even make them ‘amazing’, but to the companies, it would appear they are a statistic, a sale. This theory may be backed up with the following:
Beauty is a $160 billion-a-year global industry. [NELSON.Z. ‘Love Me’ p.6]
This is not to say I am against surgery, I myself alter my appearance through the means of makeup, hair dye and such. I am only human and have insecurities of my own, I simply wished to look at the approach in which these companies entice those with insecurities like myself. I also do not claim the SurgiCare, nor MYA have anything to do with the PIP implants, if it is that case, I'm blissfully ignorant of this. As far as cosmetic surgery goes, I believe them both to be reputable companies.