£25K on surgery? No judgement.

No Shame.   I am starting to see a rise in campaigns and posts about no judgement.  MYA one of the leading cosmetic surgery companies recently had a TV advert banned.  The advert showed women talking openly about the breast augmentation they had undergone and the positive impact it had on them.  The advert received 17 complaints and as a result, the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) branding it “irresponsible and harmful” and banning the advert.  I am in complete agreement that any product or service whether it be a material thing or procedure cannot be promoted to suggest that it can enhance your life or make you happier.  However, off the back of the banned MYA campaign, there is now the no judgement campaign encouraging people to not cast judgement on those to choose to change their body or their faces.  

Cosmetic procedures, whether surgical or non-surgical, are always elective by nature; therefore they are undertaken by choice. So, like with anything in life that instigates an individuals personal choice why does this then provoke people to cast judgement on it?  This mostly came to light for me during Love Island last years, and the nations shock/disgust/mockery over Megan Barton-Hanson alleged £25K on surgery.  Her before photos went viral, followed by a flock of memes mocking the change. But why was this such a hot topic across the nation? Yes, £25K is a lot to spend on anything however she worked for it and funded the treatments herself.  

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​Before Love Island Megan made her money as a model, so essentially her body and her appearance were her means of earning an income.  With this in mind,  was she technically investing in her career when she elected to go under the knife?  I think what riled the nation so much was that, personally, in my opinion, Megan looked great.  She is not the typical image that springs to mind when you envision what someone who has had £25K of cosmetic procedures done looks like.  Megan is undeniably gorgeous, and the work she has had is undoubtedly great.  Yes, she has an ample chest, well-proportioned nose, shapely behind, full lips and well-defined cheekbones but everything looks in proportion.  So why was the nation so full of judgment? 

Is it really because they felt they had been deceived? That prior to news breaking and photos going viral Megan was perceived as a natural beauty, and now this revelations made her a ‘cheat’? 

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​Body shaming is so dangerous - whether it be with regards to plastic surgery or natural imperfections.  I don’t know many people who can say they a 100% happy and confident with their body so why judge others?  Knowing the demographics of my followers on Instagram (apparently if you are female, aged between 25 and 34 and live in London or Newcastle you dig me), and knowing also that if you follow me you are probably interested in injectables, medical aesthetics or teeth - I know that my target audience does not truly represent a broad spectrum of society.   However, when I asked my followers if they’d had any form of non-surgical aesthetic procedure, 61% said they had, and of those who hadn’t 87% said that they would consider it. When I went on ask if those who had opted to have elective treatment a shocking 70% said they felt like they had been judged for their choices.  

Whilst I do have Megan’s corner agreeing that it is her body and her choices on the decisions she makes to augment it, I do disagree with her comments made trivialising procedures and likening them to ‘getting your hair done’.  For whatever personal reasons an individual choosing to undergoing surgical or non-surgical cosmetic procedures has, the decision should be well considered weighing up the pros and cons with informed consent. Personally, I would like to see an end to the shame culture on elective procedures. 

​Your body.  Your choices. No judgement, please.