Cosmetic procedures - morally wrong?

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yellowbicycle said:
What about a surgery to reduce excess skin on the abdomen?
Would that be morally wrong?
Why or why not?
(I don’t mean to steal this thread, this question though seems to go along with the others)
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As another poster said, that surgery can be a bit risky, but that excess apron of skin (called a pannus), can cause a host of problems. It is difficult to keep that area dry and clean, even with proper hygeine, and I have seen many patients with actual skin breakdown, ulcers, yeast infections, and rashes under the apron of skin. In severe cases it can limit mobility and affect the quality of life, plus it can weigh a lot. I have seen patients where it has touched their knees–imagine trying to function around that. I cannot see where it would be morally wrong to remove it. The procedure is called an abdominal panniculectomy, and is not the same as the popular “tummy tuck”, which is called an abdominoplasty. Since our hospital system does bariatric surgery, we see a fair number of these people come back a few years after that surgery to have panniculectomies.
 
CB_Catholic said:
As another poster said, that surgery can be a bit risky, but that excess apron of skin (called a pannus), can cause a host of problems. It is difficult to keep that area dry and clean, even with proper hygeine, and I have seen many patients with actual skin breakdown, ulcers, yeast infections, and rashes under the apron of skin. In severe cases it can limit mobility and affect the quality of life, plus it can weigh a lot. I have seen patients where it has touched their knees–imagine trying to function around that. I cannot see where it would be morally wrong to remove it. The procedure is called an abdominal panniculectomy, and is not the same as the popular “tummy tuck”, which is called an abdominoplasty. Since our hospital system does bariatric surgery, we see a fair number of these people come back a few years after that surgery to have panniculectomies.
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What if the amount of extra skin isn’t much? What if it’s simply for the purpose of looking better?
 
Antrim said:
There are all kinds of information on the Catholic Websites on this subject where it is clearly spelt out and explained.

Just look it up.

Antrim
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It appears that you can’t produce any official Church teaching that condemns cosmetic surgery. Perhaps that’s because it doesn’t exist.

Some people have very strong feelings against cosmetic surgery, as can be seen in these threads. However, it is not appropriate to make claims that the Church condemns cosmetic surgery, when She does not.
 
yellowbicycle said:
What if the amount of extra skin isn’t much? What if it’s simply for the purpose of looking better?
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I think that is best left up to the conscience of the person. I do not think the Church has ever made a statement against cosmetic surgery. I would not expect any sort of official teaching on this.
 
The Roman Catholic Church has never issued an officialpolicy speceffically regarding non -theraputic neonatal male Circumcision as it has been practiced primarily in the English speaking nations in the Twentieth Century and now the Twenty - First Century.
The Church however has a strong moral statement on Amputation, Mutalations and sterilizations. Circumcision falls under both amputation and mutalation, so it is clearly covered by this policy. Catholics generally are required to respect bodily integrity.
Lack of respect for bodily integrity is viewed as violation of the Fifth Comandment. Thou Shalt Not Kill.
The new (1994) Catechism of the Catholic Church at Paragraph 2297 states in part.
Except when performed for strictly theraputic medical reasons, directly intended amputations, mutalations and sterilizations performed on innocent persons are against the moral law.
As you can see what I said was not my opinion…
Would you not say that Breast Implants is mutalation of the body for non theraputic reasons.
Blessed are those who have not seen and have beleived.
I do not as a rule post statements on this thread where I do not know or at least I have not read the Churches teaching on the subject.

Anerim
 
Today’s society does appear to have an absolutely unhealthy obsession with outer appearance, to the expense of all else.

‘Cosmetic’ surgery is costly, and often people are not satisfied with just a single procedure but go on to have more and more. The name of Michael Jackson is a case in point.
 
budgie2 said:
I think one of the problems with breast enlargements is it gets away from the natural purpose of the breast and silicon implants can also kill you. I do not believe a woman with implants can breast feed although small breasted women according to the NHS can breastfeed successfully. However, whatever shape or size of breast some women struggle to breastfeed.

We are a breast conscious culture but we are not a womb or even vagina conscious culture.
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I think it depends on the type of breast augmentation procedure and the woman’s anatomy. Some women with breast implants breast feed without any problems.
 
I have to respond to the mentions of breastfeeding. It’s generally not a big deal at all to breastfeed with modern implants. They are inserted under the working tissue and inflated. The biggest problem comes with reduction, actually, because when tissue is removed, ducts can be cut and nerves can be lost. Also, if a woman is really large and her nipples are removed and replaced to a more normal-looking place afterwards, all those nerves and ducts to the nipple were cut, and a woman’s chance of being able to breastfeed are almost nil.

During pregnancy, the body is amazingly capable of recreating the ductwork. A mom may not be able to nurse the first baby after a reduction, but the second or third pregnancy may give the body time to do its work to be able to breastfeed after that. Nerves are a different matter, and a woman would be very very wise to bring this up with her physician before surgery.
 
What are your thoughts on botox for reducing frown lines which give a person an unwarranted appearance of crabbiness, not for crows feet or other age related issues?

:o
 
You know, all issues of morality aside, all these procedures have serious side effects. Botox is as scary as going under the knife.

This isn’t a black and white area, either. We each have to weigh the pros and cons and know what is in our hearts and do our best to make a good decision. What is vanity and mutilation for one person may not be for another.
 
there is no prohibition in Catholic moral teaching against any of these things, they are a matter of prudential judgement by the patient or parent in consultation with the professionals. To claim that correcting a condition that is unsightly or causing the child anguish is somehow a vanity is cruel and demeaning. My opinion was asked for, so I give it.
 
Teeth problems can often become worse as you get older and are easier to correct when you are younger, so I would say that braces would not be an issue. I am assumming that the people in question would consult a dentist and reputable orthodontist before making the decision.

I know nothing about the conditions that might cause male breasts to grow larger. I assume it is hormonal? I would hope that the people in question would ensure that any underlying causes are investiagted and corrected before surgery.

I have more opinions about female breast plastic surgery because it can interfer with lactation. For that reason, I am not in favor of augmentation or reduction for teenagers or young women. Also the hormonal changes during pregancy change the shape and size of women’s breasts anyway and after childbirth and nursing they can change again.

Finally, I do think that as a culture we have become less and less accepting of differences in appearance. There has become just one norm for beauty/attractiveness. The idea that different men might be attracted to different looking women (the old leg man/“boob” man jokes come to mind) or vice versa is not reality anymore. Even between different cultural or racial backgrounds it seems that there is only one “look” that is acceptable. Too me that is very sad.
 
Oh My Gooness! This cosmetic surgery section is giving me a good laugh on a Sunday AM. Okay folks: first off, breast augmentation is NOT mutilation. The dictionary defines mutilation as the act of destroying or cutting off a necessary part. Quite the opposite, breast augmentation (let’s just cut to the chase and call it a boob job) is meant to enhance.

Also, I got saline implants about 15 years ago, AND I breast-fed my son for 11 months with them. They worked as breasts just fine. And I didn’t do it to incite lust in other men. I am six feet tall and the hooters were a size 36 AA after breastfeeding the first two kids. I know you men may not know what I’m talking about, but you women know. Saggy nipples with stretch marks. Need I say more? Now they are a ‘normal’ size to match the rest of my body. When I mention to people that they are ‘fake,’ nobody thinks a thing of it cause I don’t walk around in tight shirts looking for attention.

Also, when women have a mastectomy and have augmentation surgery, it’s okay, right?

I must admit it does make it more difficult for breast cancer detection. I have so little breast tissue, I have to get an MRI rather than a mammo every year.

Yes, I think we can all agree that there are ‘normal’ levels of beautification in many modes and un-normal levels. Even Joan Rivers jokes about it. But when you sit there in judgement calling it mutilation, people won’t listen to you…just sayin.’
 
Oh My Gooness! This cosmetic surgery section is giving me a good laugh on a Sunday AM. Okay folks: first off, breast augmentation is NOT mutilation. The dictionary defines mutilation as the act of destroying or cutting off a necessary part. Quite the opposite, breast augmentation (let’s just cut to the chase and call it a boob job) is meant to enhance.

Also, I got saline implants about 15 years ago, AND I breast-fed my son for 11 months with them. They worked as breasts just fine. And I didn’t do it to incite lust in other men. I am six feet tall and the hooters were a size 36 AA after breastfeeding the first two kids. I know you men may not know what I’m talking about, but you women know. Saggy nipples with stretch marks. Need I say more? Now they are a ‘normal’ size to match the rest of my body. When I mention to people that they are ‘fake,’ nobody thinks a thing of it cause I don’t walk around in tight shirts looking for attention.

Also, when women have a mastectomy and have augmentation surgery, it’s okay, right?

I must admit it does make it more difficult for breast cancer detection. I have so little breast tissue, I have to get an MRI rather than a mammo every year.

Yes, I think we can all agree that there are ‘normal’ levels of beautification in many modes and un-normal levels. Even Joan Rivers jokes about it. But when you sit there in judgement calling it mutilation, people won’t listen to you…just sayin.’
 
aspawloski4th said:
Don’t worry it’s all good and fine. Remember Jansenism was declared a heresy;) We are allowed more than to just survive to the next day.
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Amen to that! is it a sin of vanity to get a good haircut, to color in order to cover grey, to wear a bit of make up? Of course not.
there is no prohibition in Catholic moral teaching against any of these things, they are a matter of prudential judgement by the patient or parent in consultation with the professionals.
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Exactly. We have to use our own judgement… getting a procedure which puts my health at risk, or uses money that I ought to be using to support my family or fulfill other responsibilities is a problem. What about getting a procedure to look nicer for those around you? It’s not necessary, but it is not sinful either (in itself). We have plenty of genuine sinful behavior to work on, no need to make new burdens for ourselves by seeing sin where it is not.
 
Elmtree said:
Amen to that! is it a sin of vanity to get a good haircut, to color in order to cover grey, to wear a bit of make up? Of course not.

Well yes they would to some people fall into the line of venial sin (small) or bad habits. How many nuns do you see wearing makeup and spending hours at the hairdressers? However, cosmetic surgery is a bit more drastic but might be justifiable in the case of severe disfigurement - cleft palates etc. I never wore make up because the old way of talking about make up was to put on a mask and mascara is the Spanish word for mask. I think in French se maquiller may be related to se masquiller - to put on a little mask although it could also be related to maquette. I’m not wearing a mask every day. My face is good enough to be shown in public. Make up is a hidden berka.
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My point was, wearing make up or getting a good haircut is* not* a sin. The actions themselves are not sins (and in some cases are quite the opposite).
It’s an act of charity to others to look nice… others have to look at you. Can their be excesses? Sure… as with anything otherwise good.

There are conditions upon which an act that is not sinful, and even good, can be sinful… such as spending money one needs for food on make up, or ignoring important duties due to vanity. But the sin is not the make up or hair cut itself… what I see in this thread are things that are not in themselves sinful being brought up as sinful.

Even “hours at the hairdresser” is not sinful. It can be a form of socialization or enjoyment for many.

Pleasures are not sins because they are pleasures. God gives us many wonderful pleasures. They are only sins when done outside of God’s law or Will - when they are misused.

As a wise man once said, “If you do the dos you won’t have time to do the don’ts” and I think getting overly concerned about “when is such and so a sin?” takes our focus off of God, and doing his will joyfully each day.

Some of this hair splitting just gets silly.
 
The point isn’t just that surgical cosmetic procedures make someone “look nice” … but rather that there are some real and serious health risks that pertain to surgical procedures, so you can’t compare haircuts and breast reductions/augmentations.

Vanity may be an issue, too; however the moral point isn’t the vanity (even if that prompted the resort to surgery) but rather the unnecessary risk to one’s health (and for no therapeutic benefit). Even the most high-maintenance hairstyle doesn’t carry the risks to one’s health that surgery does.
 
And we have the sort of odd situation in this country (USA) where breast augmentation is generally considered vanity and insurance won’t pay for it unless it is after a mastectomy Because in our culture what matters is not that a woman no longer can lactate, but that she is missing part of her figure and this can cause such distress that surgery in necessary. I’m not looking down on those women at all, but I shake my head at a culture that could exert this kind of pressure on women. It seems so minor compared to reconstruction after burns or other more “public” disfigurement, but there it is.
 
Remember our bodies are Tempels Of The Holy Spirit.

What do you think God will say to those people who had Breast Implants for Vanity reasons?

Are they not telling God he made a mistake?

God does not make mistakes.

Vanity is a sin.

Antrim
 
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