Before you go under that knife!

A few years back, a friend came back from London with a strange-looking capsule that promises larger and firmer boobs; the side effect (according to the leaflet in the packet) was longer hair and stronger nails.

My girl couldn’t believe her luck! And today?
After taking the drugs, no visible changes-whatsoever.

I am still having a good laugh over her “beauty adventure.” Only a novice believes label claims of most manufacturers. At least, she knows better now.

At the time of her desperation (following the birth of the last of her four kids)… I am 100 percent sure that if she had the means, she would have even gone for a cosmetic surgery.
Such is the struggle of most women with body image-especially after multiple childbirth.

However, we must all know that when it comes to the perfect body, it’s neither here nor there…meaning that none has it all. Thus, we must learn to make do with what we have, enhancing it the best way we can via exercises and nutrition.

No matter the wonders that cosmetic surgery promises us, it has serious downsides. In fact, more ‘serious’ than the experts will ever admit.

We are only shown the glamorous “after” pictures but very few (except those that have been there, done that and got botched-real good!) are actually privy to the behind-the- scene complications.

Luckily, thanks to the cable television, some of us have become remotely aware of some of the procedures that ended up “botched.”

Even though, a part of me is most convinced that what we are shown is a tiny percentage of the complications of such procedure.

Sometimes, even when the procedure or the personnel handling such is top-notch…the human body still retains the right to tolerate what it can and react unpredictably to what it can also. The human body has been known not to tolerate most invasive procedures.

The craze for the perfect look is spreading like wild fire amongst modern women. It is so bad that most ladies can’t even dare post pictures of themselves as captured by their devices-unless those have been given every imaginable digital “touch up.” And the result of such efforts is the “celebrity look” that floods most social media handles.

What nobody seems to be telling us is the massive and often dangerous downsides of these extreme beauty measures. We all heard of how a former Nigerian first lady lost her life, while under a surgeon’s knife.

Sometime back, a young Nigerian lady based in the United Kingdom also lost her life in the hands of quacks, while in search of the perfect “behind”.

A lot of plastic surgeons will not breathe a word about the inherent risks to you. Once you have the money…you are shooed to the surgeon’s table, have some written legalities (protecting the other party-especially) shoved in your face for your signature and…whatever comes out of it is your luck. And this is even, when you are lucky NOT to be dealing with a quack, because there are more quacks out there than the real professionals and yes-you guessed right…they are also much more affordable!

Before you go under that knife, please think through the pros and cons of such extreme measures. Ask questions; do extensive consultations but, most importantly, find out how and if the same result can be achieved in a natural way-via simple changes to one’s life style and diet.

Research has consistently proved that the human body can be conditioned into any shape via exercise and diet, but the number one ‘beautifier’ that every one of us needs to have is a good dose of self-esteem!

Without self-esteem, even if you go for all the available surgeries in the world, you will still be looking for the next procedure to enhance your looks.

Fact is…whatever you think you look like- your level of self-worth will enhance it.

I have actually come to realise that a beautiful woman is not the one with the best body, size, complexion, height, hair or even wealth…but a woman who has accepted her imperfection and has learned to carry herself well.

The woman that is easily noticed isn’t always the most expensively dressed, but that woman who has impressively put together her ensemble. And, most importantly, that woman who dresses her body frame right.

For, as long as one continues to make the efforts towards a healthy lifestyle, hygiene and decent fashion choices…you are almost there. I doubt very much that surgery holds the key to all beauty problems.

The thing about going under the knife is that once you brave the first attempt…you will begin to see what else needs to be fixed in other parts of your body, until it becomes an obsession and rather than ‘enhance’…it begins to damage what’s left of one’s looks.