I Want a New Face & Body

Twenty-year-olds Mike and Matt believed the only thing holding them back from Hollywood were their faces. They thought if they looked like Brad Pitt, they’d be able to make it big and women would desire them. On an episode of the 2005 reality television program I Want a Famous Face (MTV) they both got rhinoplasties, chin implants, and porcelain veneers. Mike got cheek implants.

In her quest for a better body image, twenty-three-year-old reality star Heidi Montag unveiled on MTV’s The Hills’ sixth season premiere the effect of plastic surgery addiction. Obsessed with perfect, Heidi had ten procedures done on one day, all in an effort to convert herself into a real, live Barbie doll. In the Huffington Post, Heidi said, “I was made fun of when I was younger, and so I had insecurities.”
It is understandable why you may desire plastic surgery. We all have a deep need to feel we’re beautiful or handsome, and to fit in and be considered popular. In that quest, many teens believe changing their appearance and facial features will do this. When asked what issues are making young girls consider plastic surgery, they overwhelmingly answered, as Heidi Montag eluded to, “being picked on at school about a physical appearance attribute.” One in four indicated they would change their appearance so they would no longer be bullied about their defect.

Without a question peers can be cruel! Other kids don’t think about how their comments hurt someone else. "Hey, baseball nose!" “Check out pancake chest!” The pressure to conform to what friends, peers and the media describe as “perfection” gives you the message that it is not okay to truly look like or express your real self.

Many teens report that their self-image and confidence improves when their perceived physical shortcomings are corrected. What every person needs to know is that despite cutting-edge cosmetic procedures, there is no guarantee of a perfect result or happiness. Unrealistic expectations about plastic surgery can set you up for major disappointment.

One year after Heidi Montag’s drastic plastic surgeries, the former reality star came forward to show the world her battle wounds and to express her deep regrets. "Parts of my body definitely look worse than they did presurgery…This is not what I signed up for,” twenty-four year-old Heidi told Life & Style. Inside the magazine she revealed the gruesome scars, lumps and bald spots her ten plastic surgery procedures left behind.

Many psychologists say it's a myth that how you feel about yourself is related to how you actually look. Often counseling, encouragement and some lessons in makeup and beauty is all you need. Many teens still carry “baby fat’ so exercise is the preferred choice over liposuction.

No doubt, appearance is important to building your identity and confidence. But I believe the amount of emotion and energy poured into desiring plastic surgery is a way a person is tempting to fill an inner void which can only be filled by God. I speak from experience. I had rhinoplasty surgery…three times! The second two procedures were to fix the first. Actress Jennifer Grey, best known for receiving a first place title in ABC's Dancing With the Stars and for her role as Baby in Dirty Dancing (1987), chose rhinoplasty. What many people don't know is she needed a second surgery to correct the first one. She commented in an interview that having rhinoplasty was the worst mistake she ever made. Some would agree her bridge was a bit long and had a hump, but it was “her.” It cost her her career. Other stars who received the same type of negative comments after having plastic surgery call it the "Jennifer Grey" syndrome.

The Bible says, “It's your life that must change, not your skin… What counts is your life” (Luke 3:8-9, MSG). The book title You’re Born an Original, Don’t Die a Copy by John Mason says it all. God Almighty only creates originals—not duplicates.
God has created you already with immense value and a unique purpose. Jesus said, “All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers” (Matthew 6:28, MSG).

Jesus didn’t want his listeners to stress out and focus on personal worries and problems. He wanted them to focus on God the Father. When you look into a field of colored wildflowers, they all look the same. Get up close, you will see real subtle differences in each flower. Some have more leaves. Some are taller. Some are more vibrant and the hue is faintly different in each petal.

The truth is, God took great care in designing you. No one can ever duplicate what God created and purposed. Learn to listen to God by making a commitment to study the Bible so you can see for yourself that real beauty and excellence comes from deep inside of you, from God himself.

This is an excerpt from my book, Torn Between Two Masters: Encouraging Teens to Live Authentically in a Celebrity-Obsessed World.