“I don’t care what you do–just make me look like Jennifer Aniston!” Requests like this have plagued hair stylists for years, and now that plastic surgery has become easy, safe, and affordable, similar requests are cropping up for plastic surgeons. Unfortunately, not only are these requests generally impractical, they’re usually not right for the client either.
There are practical (as well as philosophical!) implications behind this request. Foremost, beauty is compiled from a large amount of different characteristics. Replicating a specific human face only works if you get hundreds of small details correct, down to skin color, skin texture, and hair placement.
Because you are going for a very specific illusion–and one that will break if even a single aspect is off–this can take dozens if not hundreds of surgeries. This is because people heal in unique ways, and because a large amount of work can’t all be done at once. There must also be a certain amount of recovery time factored in between.
Because you see celebrities in their “completed” form, you may not realize that small changes such as their brow line being a little lower or their chin shape being a little rounder would make their face suddenly seem unattractive to you. In addition to this, there are some things that surgery simply can’t fix yet, such as height and overall bone structure.
But even if we could make you look identical to your favorite celebrity, it’s not necessarily something to aspire to. Plastic surgery is about unlocking the most perfect, most beautiful, and most unique “you.” You are already a vibrant, valuable individual. Plastic surgery seeks to create the best possible you with small changes that emphasize your beauty. When you are gazing into the eyes of your newest romantic paramour, you want their thoughts to be on you, not the person you look like.
Finally, you should question why you want to look like a specific celebrity. Is it because their beauty is the most captivating you have ever seen? Or is it because of the way that they are treated, and reacted to? Beauty, and admiration, can both be acquired without losing what makes you uniquely you.
