Fashion and Beauty 12th December 2018 by Cara Croke

The Big Debate: Is Facial Augmentation Going Too Far?

Team STELLAR goes head-to-head on the big questions of the day.

In the Yes corner, it’s STELLAR contributor Megan Roantree.

Blame it on Love Island, the Kar-Jenners, Instagram or a combination of them all, but facial augmentation is becoming increasingly popular. What was once a procedure carried out by women noticing wrinkles and lines, is now young girls aspiring to look like someone they’ve never met.

While I understand that women are conditioned to believe they need to change, it’s important to remember that drastic measures aren’t the only option. Getting cosmetic surgery to achieve the popular ‘Instagram face’ (You know it, bubbly cheeks, high arched brows, lips ready to burst) especially concerns me because while you can bin a leopard print jacket when you get sick of the trend, it’s not so easy to do so with plastic surgery. Sure some fillers dissolve and many of the procedures are only semi-permanent, but do you really want to look back at photos in years to come and struggle to recognise yourself because you got rid of all your natural beauty?

With social media and reality TV having a huge impact, impressionable young women are messing with their faces without any real need. Girls in their early 20s are getting surgery to achieve a desired effect, on a body part they may not have even had issues with unless they heard there was a procedure to fix it, which I personally think is not good for your mental health or self-esteem. The idea of changing something you were born with because a new type of face is suddenly en vogue doesn’t sit well with me. Many things I hated about myself as a teen are things I now love; I would have hated if I fiddled with any of it before I learned a bit of self-acceptance. All of these factors, plus the high cost and risk, to me, suggest that the fad has gone too far.

Saying no is STELLAR’s deputy editor Victoria Stokes.

All of us have things in our arsenal that make us feel more confident and comfortable in our own skin. Maybe it’s a dress that never fails to make you feel fabulous, a pair of heels that help you walk taller or a statement red lipstick that puts that extra pep in your step. There’s no denying, that most of us, if we’re being honest, feel better equipped to take on the world when we feel good, not just on the inside, but on the outside too.

And yet, women are continually shamed for their choices when it comes to the likes of fillers and surgery. Take Love Island’s Megan Barton Hanson. When pictures of her cosmetic surgery transformation went viral during her time on the show she was widely criticised and vilified for choosing to change her appearance. But why do we have such a problem with it?

Recently she came out to defend the work she’s had done and her argument makes sense. “I did it for me. I’m not ashamed of it. I’ve done what I’ve done because it made me feel comfortable. It’s like people getting their hair done to make them feel nice. I’ll go get my lips done because it makes me feel better,” she told The Mirror. Basically? It’s her choice and someone else’s face is none of your damn business.

Of course, changing your appearance in any permanent or semi-permanent way should always come with a disclaimer. It shouldn’t ever come from a place of insecurity and the goal should always be to highlight and improve upon your natural beauty, not alter it completely. Ultimately, we get to choose what we present to the world, and if living your best life means have a little filler in your lips or a bit of Botox to hide creeping lines, then so be it.

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