Forget the stories about Paris Hilton swearing she’ll never get breast augmentation and Kate Beckingsale swearing she’s never had it. Those stories are tame compared to what’s the new Flavor of the Week.
In a children’s book, aimed at four to seven year olds, a mother tries to reassure her daughter about why she’s getting a tummy tuck, breast augmentation (implied by the pictures showing the mother’s breasts change from the beginning to the end), and nose job. These are all part of the “mommy makeover.”
Written by a Florida board-certified cosmetic surgeon named Michael Salzhuaer, My Beautiful Mommy is advertised as a way to explain to young kids why their mom 1) is coming home bruised and bandaged, 2) will look different, and 3) why the mommy makeover was necessary in the first place. Dr. Salzhuaer states that it was written in response to witnessing kids coming into the office with their mothers when they were looking into having cosmetic surgery. The book has the typical text written for young kids, as well as pictures of what has been described as a mother shaped like a Barbie doll, and a doctor (“Dr. Michael”) who looks a little like Superman. By the end of the book, the daughter is pleased with the fact that her mom looks “even more” beautiful.
Helpful or Hurtful?
Some mothers have found the book to be helpful. One mother, Gabriela Acosta, saw the manuscript when she went to talk to Salzhauer. She didn’t know how to explain to her son what was going to happen to her. Acosta states that it helped her son move from scared to excited.
President of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Richard D’Amico, gives the book mixed reviews. On the one hand, the believes that the book lets prospective patients know that there is a way to tell their kids what’s going on – if they choose to tell their kids anything. On the other hand, he believes the breasts of the mother look “overdone.” Most mothers, he claims, are only looking for restoration. He apparently had no comment on Super Doctor Michael’s picture.
Those who find the book problematic include both the popular blog sites www.feministing.com and www.huffingtonpost.com. Along with these sites, and their readers, others are wondering, why, on God’s green earth, is there a book being marketed to children about cosmetic surgery? While some find the book a little funny, others seem to be appalled. The central argument is wondering why children as young as four-years-old should know about these procedures. The counterargument being, isn’t it better to explain to children why their mothers are resting for a few days, seem a little groggy, and might look different than ignore it? Well, sure, we’ll buy that.
Yet, perhaps cosmetic surgery’s media fascination has jumped the shark. We’re already inundated with who-is-getting-what-done all the time. We’re told teens are getting cosmetic surgery at a (seemingly) astronomical rate. There are stories about 13-year-olds who want breast augmentation for their birthdays, mothers who tell their kids they may have to consider these things to get ahead in the future, and now a book explaining this to kids who have just begun their education.
Appalling? Perhaps. Genius? Eh. Sign of the times? Definitely.
But, once upon a time, a book called Where Do I Come From? appeared so that parents could read to their kids a nice, non-scientific, un-pornographic description of sex. There might have been biology and facts of life there, and it’s certainly more natural than cosmetic surgery. But in the end, isn’t it a mother’s prerogative to wonder about cosmetic surgery? After all, it’s the kid’s fault their mom needs a mommy makeover in the first place.
If you are interested in mommy makeovers or other cosmetic surgery procedures, please contact an experienced cosmetic surgeon in your area.
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