The stats are in; Black women choosing to get cosmetic surgery is on the rise

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

I won’t lie! When she told me, she was headed to Columbia to get cosmetic surgery, I was shocked. She was a beautiful woman, who was confident, and showed this confidence in the way that she talked and walked. I was happy that she had chosen to share with me such a major decision and supported her through her journey. It is why when she brought her latest project to me, I had to share this with the community.

This story is about a close colleague and friend Cherie Johnson out of the United Kingdom. I first met Cherie at the 2019 Jamaican Diaspora Conference, where she was honoured with the Governor-General’s Achievement Award. We hit it off from the jump, and since then have stayed close.

Plastic surgery. There are assumptions about plastic surgery, especially when it comes to black women. Yes, black don’t crack, but black does sag. It is hard to admit that you are not completely happy with yourself, especially when black women are supposed to be super strong and stocked with confidence. We are taught that no matter the size, or shape of our features, we are still beautiful. This confidence has become part of our evolution as black women. It is built from our need to survive in a society that either ignores us or objectifies us.

The stats are in. The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery reported that cosmetic surgery among black women increased 56% between 2005 and 2013. In 2016, the Plastic Surgery Statistic Report highlighted the fact that black people accounted for 8% of all plastic surgery procedures in the United States. In March 2019, The Gleaner did a story on the growing number of visits to the plastic surgeon’s office that has become routine. Apparently, it is a trend that is becoming more and more evident in Jamaica.

Whether you want to twist up your face to it or not, black women get plastic surgery for a variety of reasons. Cherie has bravely decided to discuss her journey, although it is such a sensitive topic especially for women in the business world. Very few people knew when she was going through her procedures, and she did this on purpose. She wanted to go through the entire experience so that she could speak on it intelligently, and help other women make informed and safe choices.

She decided to do this by starting a podcast on Anchor FM called Imperfect or Perfect – So you want Cosmetic Surgery. She intimately discusses her experiences and has opened a private group on Facebook that will allow other black women to share their experiences in a non-judgmental space. Below is a snippet of her podcast.

“So, I wanted to share with you my struggles with weight loss after giving birth 17 years go. At my biggest, I was a size 22 in clothes and started and restarted my weight loss journey 100’s of time.

Fast forward two years later. I was a size 10, but not looking very good, so I increased my weight to a 12 and I was happy. At least I thought so. No matter how much weight I had lost; no matter how much I went to the gym, there were things that wouldn’t change, regardless of what I had done.

So, I decided to seek assistance from cosmetic surgery. Now this was a very difficult decision. I didn’t want to influence my 17-year-old daughter in any way, or subconsciously make her feel insecure, so I was mindful on how I embarked on this journey, however I knew I had to do this.

So, in the end, I had a breast lift with small implants, muscle repair, a tummy tuck, BBl, 360 lipo and hips, yes all done in one go. I’m 8 months post Op and I’m happy to provide support and advice to anyone. I’m not medically trained; this is only me sharing my experience.”

There is an increased prevalence, accessibility and evolution of cosmetic surgery in Western society. Why a woman does it is complete subjective, but it is becoming relevant to explore the various internal and external factors that motivate people to undergo cosmetic surgery.

Her Podcast, Imperfect or Perfect – So you want Cosmetic Surgery can be found on Anchor FM, and you can request to join her Facebook page Imperfect or Perfect- All things Cosmetic Surgery.