Plastic surgery is a relatively controversial topic, especially among women today. Plastic surgery has become increasingly popular in recent years, and many celebrities normalize it by being open about their own elective cosmetic surgeries. Celebrities such as the Kardashians, Cardi B and Iggy Azalea have admitted to getting plastic surgery, even though it is pretty obvious they have had work done.

Some people get plastic surgery for health reasons, such as Ashley Tisdale. She was having issues breathing through her nose, so she got a nose job to correct a deviated septum. Other people, such as journalist Lauren Scruggs Kennedy, have various reconstructive surgeries because of freak accidents. Although plastic surgery can be for health reasons, that is not often the case.

Elective plastic surgery reinforces unrealistic beauty standards for women, ultimately causing harm to self-esteem. Elective cosmetic surgery teaches women that the way they look naturally is not enough and that they need a literal surgery to look beautiful and desirable. The body standards set by plastic surgeons are unattainable for most women. Women are comparing themselves to celebrities online and are feeling inferior, when most of the pictures they are looking at are probably photoshopped. Many celebrities had elective cosmetic surgery to look the way they do, so their body is literally fake.

Elective cosmetic surgery is harmful to self-esteem because many women think they have to be surgically altered to be beautiful. Women go to extremes, sometimes even dangerous ones, to reach largely unattainable body standards. Women should not have to have fake body parts to be seen as beautiful. Since when do celebrities and the media get to define what beauty is? No more.

Women, you are beautiful just the way you are. Nothing will ever change that. Do not let anyone convince you that you need to change yourself to look like anyone else to be beautiful. Do not think for one second that you are less than because you do not look like someone else. Elective cosmetic surgery reinforces unrealistic beauty standards for women, and it’s time to stop comparing ourselves to each other.