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"All I ever wanted was to be accepted for who I was. Not for how I looked or for how sexually enticing my body was. I was tired of meeting people and the first thing they noticed were my oversized breast. Not my face, not my personality, just a pair of insignificant objects that were hereditarily passed on to me. I stand for more than that. And besides, they were beginning to become very uncomfortable also. The pain I had to endure mentally, physically and emotionally was overwhelming at times. It was time for a change and ultimately I just wanted a different look." By: Metanoya Webb 

Cosmetic Surgery is a growing phenomenon amongst middle class African American women. Procedures that were once strictly for Caucasian patients are now attractive to Black women and are being performed more than one may actually think.  

Between 1997 and 2002, the number of cosmetic procedures completed on people of color alone was 1.3 million according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.  

In a similar study recently conducted by American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS), it was revealed that facial cosmetic surgery, eyelid surgery and nose jobs are the two most popular procedures, quadrupled from 1999, amongst African Americans. This significant increase is primarily centered on the growing middle class creating a more expandable income for surgery and recent medical advances greatly reducing the risks of keloids among darker skinned patients.  
Often times African Americans tend to criticize other members of their race for going under the knife and altering body parts that they are terribly uncomfortable with. They assume that they are selling out their culture or even erasing their ethnocentric background and trying to look more white, however, women of color are having cosmetic surgery for some of the same reasons Caucasian woman do: "to look younger, fresher and feel better overall."  

Dr. Shan Baker, President of the AAFPRS, stated in a recent press release that America's single standard of beauty is no longer the blonde hair blue eyed cover girl. These images according to Baker have been replaced by images of beauty within each individual minority group that make up this country. "Patients want to look their best in their own ethnic groups," said Baker. 

But is this ideology ok? Is it acceptable for women of color to assume that because the standard of beauty within their own ethnic group is centered on Hollywood celebrities that appear to have achieved physical perfection in every way possible, that altering unique features of their bodily physique, will immediately make them "more beautiful?"

According to the Women's Center at the University of Virginia, men's obsession with female body sizes, hair types and cosmetics is having a derailing effect on the self-esteem of young women, which in turn is subjecting young women to eating disorders and reconstructive surgeries.

Karen Rogers, freshman biology major at Howard University, had a breast reduction on December 18^th 2003 and feels that men put a lot of pressure on women to have perfect bodies; especially on college campuses. "People would notice my boobs and be like damn, but I kind of got use to it because I've had big breasts all my life; I got my first bra when I was 8 or 9." Rogers went on to giggle, "I have a boyfriend who was very supportive of my surgery and likes my new breast."  

The three top cosmetic surgeries performed on women of color to date, are liposuction, tummy tucks (abdominoplasty) and breast reductions (mammoplasty); breast implants and buttock augmentation are also very popular procedures. 

Tummy Tuck:

Abdominoplasty aka "tummy tuck" is a two hour procedure that tightens loose muscles, gets rid of extra skin and excess fat, to ultimately give you a firmer, flatter stomach. Cost: about $4,500.  

Breast Reduction:

Mamoplasty aka "breast reduction" is a three to four hour surgery that removes excess breast tissue and skin, while lifting the breasts and repositioning the nipple. This procedure can be covered by medical insurance if the patient can prove oversized breast are affecting their health. Cost: about $5,000 

Liposuction:

A vacuum like instrument is used to suction excess fat from certain areas of the body. Most common places amongst Blacks are abdomen, thighs and hips. This surgery is aimed at enhancing the overall physique and takes approximately 5hours. Cost: $2,500 

Buttock Augmentation:

Traditional methods involve a silicon implant inserted in the buttock to increase volume. The latest procedure involves taking fat from the lower spine region and reinserting it into an area of the buttocks to create a more rounded, full and lifted look. Cost: Varies  

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) reported that the demand for cosmetic surgery has increased due to improved safety surgical safety. Advances in technique, equipment and even anesthesia have made having cosmetic surgery more desirable. Procedures like liposuction have become more refined; results are much better than before and the possibility for complication has lessened.  

But do you honestly believe that women of color are more interested in plastic surgery due to recent medical and technological advances? Or do you feel that pressure from society to be beautiful, through the production of TV shows like "Extreme Make Over" or "I want a Famous Face," that promise to do whatever it takes to make you look like your favorite Hollywood star is shattering the standards of beauty amongst young African American women?  

 

 

 

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