Recently in plastic surgery Category

While I couldn't pass up a chance to reference Madonna, I also couldn't help but do a double take when I saw this discussion about hymenoplasty on our message boards. What's hymenoplasty, you ask? Well ... simply put it's a surgical procedure that restores the hymen to give a woman the illusion of virginity. No, I'm not kidding. Really. Before you all jump on the "That's CRAZY!" boat, I should also point out that this procedure is often done for women in cultures where the stigma of not being a virgin when married can lead to very dire consequences. It seems that some docs in France are now calling for an end to this practice, as they say it "denigrates women and gives in to Muslim fundamentalism." So beyond a medical procedure, this quickly becomes a tangled mess of policy, society and religion. The take from the Current Debates message board:

"Makes me think of the saying, two wrongs don't make a right. In this case... the family/societal need for virginal women and the shame induced surgery."

"Once you have done the deed once you aren't a virgin anymore. there is no going back."

"...if women have the right to have other forms of plastic surgery, they should have the right to this one. I find it a little scary that the medical community can dictate what medical procedures women can access on the basis of their social opinions."

"It doesn't make you a virgin again, it gives the illusion of virginity. That women feel they have to do that at least borders on tragic, but given that there are still cultures that practice honor killings, I wouldn't dare deny it to someone."

Does this come down to the question of what's worse -- having the surgery or feeling like you have to in the first place? Or is this issue now more about the dictation of medical policy? Let me know what you think and never let it be said that we don't truly cover it all.

So, guys are supposed to love breast implants, right? I mean…right? Well it turns out that in the real world, most men aren’t so thrilled when their significant others announce intentions to get boob jobs. There’s a pretty rollicking conversation going down at the Breast Implants board in response to the question, “How did your DH/SO react when you first announced you wanted this surgery?”

cl-elise918 writes, “My DH has made it very clear that I will NOT have this surgery. He also threatened that if I ever got a tattoo, he would divorce me.” Whoa, nelly. What if it was a tattoo of him? But I digress. jodi_doodlbug adds, “I've not visited BoobieLand myself but I know how DH would react ... the same way he reacts when I tell him I want to get my hair cut. He instantly bristles at the idea and grills me with why questions (who am I trying to impress), then he tells me there's no need to impress anyone else and he likes me the way I am.”

Interesting – this comes up a lot. Husbands and boyfriends seem to be reacting with suspicion and worry, as if when their ladies look and feel better they will be left in the dust. And maybe these men have hidden insecurities of their own – maybe they suspect that they are not helping the women in their lives feel beautiful and sexy enough. You think?

I'm thinking Kid Rock is not one of these guys.

So anyway, what would your husband or boyfriend say if you were going to get breast implants? (Other than “Woo-hoo”?)

What would you say if he was going to get plastic surgery of some kind?