this post was submitted on 04 Aug 2024
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[–] LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world 26 points 3 months ago (2 children)

What are you saying, that plastic surgery is gender affirming care, because it is in most cases. Exemptions would be things like a rhinoplasty for breathing impairments, but if done for looks it would fall under gender affirming care.

[–] feedum_sneedson@lemmy.world 14 points 3 months ago (5 children)

Where's the line between vanity and "self-affirmation"? Not a leading question.

[–] LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world 6 points 3 months ago

Gender is defined by a cultural perception, so all attractiveness would be encompassed within the cultural perception. So a lady who gets her breasts augmented wouldn't essentially matter whether it is to self affirm or vanity or to attract others, it would all just fall into what culture taught that person was appealing.

I'm sure there are many that would pick my wording apart or disagree, but maybe that answers some of your question? Self affirmation and vanity I would say are not mutually exclusive though, there is overlap.

[–] voracitude@lemmy.world 4 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Vanity is making sure others like what they see of you; self-affirmation is making sure you like what you see of you.

[–] feedum_sneedson@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I'm not sure that's accurate.

[–] voracitude@lemmy.world 5 points 3 months ago

Then correct it.

[–] snooggums@midwest.social 1 points 3 months ago

Breast augmentation is vanity.

Breast reconstruction after a mastectomy is self-affirmation.

[–] theneverfox@pawb.social 0 points 3 months ago

What's the line between society and the individual? That's the core question here

If you can answer that I can probably give you a hint, but it's a concept that can't be taught, only learned. And it's an important one, worth thinking over... It's subjective, but key to understanding your own existence

[–] snooggums@midwest.social 1 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Plastic surgery started as reconstructive surgery after accidents/invasive surgeries like mastectomies. Breast reconstruction and augmentation would both really fall under gender affirming care, although the former would be for losing something about themselves that was part of their gender and the latter for trying to fit social expectations.

Cranial reconstruction and other gender neutral plastic surgeries exist too.

[–] LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world 0 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Social expectations is gender though. What is a gender neutral plastic surgery? If you are doing a smaller nose for a woman or a larger nose for a man it isnt neutral.

[–] snooggums@midwest.social 1 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Reconstructive surgery is a subset of plastic surgery separate from cosmetic surgery.

This definition is contrasted with cosmetic surgery performed to improve aesthetics or the appearance of a body part.

Reconstructive surgery includes fixing a cleft lip. Repairing a half destroyed face after an accident. Removing extensive scarring that is causing pain because it isn't as flexible as non-scarred skin. There are TONS of gender neutral reconstructive surgeries.

[–] LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world -1 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Reconstructive surgery is performed to construct a person's look to fit what is socially wanted, which coincidentally is a part of gender. If it is not needed to breath, it is about attractiveness, which is a social construct separated in categories of gender. Which is why gender "norms" are often considered toxic and don't need to exist. If it is relieving pain or assisting with ones ability to breath/ eat, I would say it isn't gender affirming.

You say there are tons of gender neutral constructive surgeries/alterations,what would they be? One might be considered to be Botox, because it is used by both genders, but where/why it is used is different based on cultural perception of gender, aka gender affirming.

Long story short, gender is a social construct, if you are doing something to fit in with a society, it will likely fall there.

[–] snooggums@midwest.social 0 points 3 months ago (1 children)

You say there are tons of gender neutral constructive surgeries/alterations,what would they be?

Maybe try reading the words I wrote or the links I provided.

[–] LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world -1 points 3 months ago

I did. Your link is just one, and starts with "Reconstructive surgery is surgery performed to restore normal appearance" meaning it is a cultural perception of normal. As for medical necessity that was in my first comment where I discussed breathing in an example of a rhinoplasty (the only example mentioned by either of us). So you supported what I was saying but are acting like you are refuting it. It's fine that we will disagree.