Dr. Shubra, an eye-plastic and facial cosmetic surgeon and CEO of Clinica Fai, discussed with Tanishka her experiences with body shaming. She emphasized the role of cosmetic surgeons in fostering body positivity and reshaping perceptions.
Tanishka: To start, what are your experiences with body shaming?
Doctor: So, I was a victim of body shaming myself. As a child, I thought I was not good-looking or didn’t get attention from the opposite sex as I wanted it to be. So, subconsciously, I started body-shaming myself. As we speak today, I still have an element of body shaming, but that’s positive body shaming, not negative.
Tanishka: Can you share your thoughts on the responsibility of cosmetic surgeons in promoting body positivity?
Doctor: Most of the doctors are doing that. We don’t unnecessarily operate on patients. We always tell them about self-image and a healthy lifestyle. We should think beyond surgeries or treatments. There will always be two parts to any profession. Some professionals may not be doing it, but most are.
Tanishka: In your experience, what are some common motivations that lead people to seek cosmetic procedures?
Doctor: So let’s say someone was body-shamed because of their nose. So the person would say, “I want to change this nose because I’ve been body shamed.” That’s very negative. However, if someone comes and says, “I have this nose, and if I do this, I will look better, and it’s a requirement for my job,” that’s called positive motivation. Self-love and conversion to cosmetic treatment are motivating. But if someone is body-shaming you and you want to change a feature because of other people, that’s not right.
Tanishka: But as you said, your body shamed yourself, so if someone comes and tells you that they want to change their nose because they don’t like it, isn’t that also body shaming yourself and asking for a cosmetic procedure?
Doctor: Self-body shaming is seldom. The body shame itself happens because somebody has told you that. Someone has instilled in your head somewhere in your lifetime that this feature doesn’t look good. There is nothing called self-body shaming. It’s a subconscious mind game. The subconscious mind gets trained based on what ingredients are added to it.
Tanishka: Have there been any instances where you declined a cosmetic procedure because of how extreme it is?
Doctor: Yes. When a patient doesn’t have a realistic expectation or if the person is too body dysmorphic, we don’t touch those patients. Firstly, Because no matter what you do for the patient, they will never be satisfied. And secondly, we need to help them. We may be increasing their insecurities.
Tanishka: What would you like to tell the people who get body-shamed?
Doctor: It’s not easy because it comes from a lot of childhood stories of childhood. One needs counseling and to be in the right hands to bring that confidence. As cosmetic surgeons, we can help them enhance certain parts of their body, which will make them feel good, not going extreme for sure. For example, if changing hair color will make me feel better, it’s not a crime. If some skin care can improve my skin texture, why not?