Iggy Azalea recently spoke to Seventeen Magazine about everything from self-esteem to plastic surgery. Azalea admitted to having a nose job, saying, “I’m not denying it. Denying it is lame. I don’t think you should be ashamed if you’ve made a change to yourself.”
Azalea has now spoken openly about having undergone both breast augmentation and rhinoplasty.
Azalea spoke to Seventeen because she wanted to be a positive influence on young women and girls. Yahoo Beauty notes that Azalea is happy with her surgeries.
Azalea’s openness about having surgery is refreshing amid a celebrity culture where plastic surgery speculation is high, but stars willing to admit having gone under the knife are rare. Stars who open up about their decision to undergo plastic surgery help promote a healthy dialogue surrounding self-esteem, self-perception, the media’s portrayals of women, and the expectations placed upon women to meet certain beauty ideals.
Azalea promotes the idea that plastic surgery is a personal decision that each woman must make—when the time is right. Azalea told Seventeen, “I think it’s important to wait and make sure it’s the right choice.” This is wise advice given that reversing breast augmentation surgery can be costly and painful, especially if younger women go too large and then change their minds when they are older.
Women who choose to undergo breast augmentation at a younger age should also take into account the cost of long-term maintenance of breast implants. According to CBS News, the FDA finds breast implants safe, but reminds women that implants—both saline and silicone—are not designed to last forever. Women who have implants should receive regular checkups to prevent complications. Women are also advised to receive regular scans to make sure that the implants aren’t at risk of rupturing. Unfortunately, many women don’t go to the doctor for their follow up scans, increasing their risk of complications. Younger women have to consider that they’ll need a lifetime of such checkups, or will at least need to have checkups as long as they decide to keep the implants.
Women who undergo breast augmentation early in life should consider that they may have to undergo surgery at some time in their lifetime to replace the implants. While some implants can last a lifetime, breast implant manufacturers don’t make any guarantees.
Azalea reminds women that regardless of the decision to undergo plastic surgery or not, self-acceptance is a “tough journey.” Azalea herself notes that there are things about her appearance that she didn’t like that she eventually went on to accept, without plastic surgery.
At the end of the day, individuals can reach self-acceptance through many roads. Plastic surgery is just one of them.
If you are considering plastic surgery, it is important to find a qualified doctor. Dr. Leonard Grossman, M.D. is a plastic surgeon in NYC who has been performing a wide range of procedures with great success on the “A list” of celebrities and people in general. Plastic surgery is an aesthetic medical field. Many patients prefer to have a doctor who has been performing surgeries for years on their side as they take this big step.
