There’s an unspoken narrative that surrounds cosmetic procedures, one that sneaks in through conversations and justifications: “I’m getting it for medical reasons” or “It’s not about vanity.” These explanations often feel necessary because, deep down, people feel a tug of shame for wanting something simply to enhance their appearance. As if beauty, on its own, is not enough of a reason. But it is.
We don’t have to dress cosmetic decisions in the language of health to justify them. Just as makeup doesn’t pretend to cure anything, cosmetic procedures can exist without the weight of medical necessity. They can simply be what they are: choices we make for ourselves, for how we want to look, and how we want to feel.
No one puts on lipstick because it’s going to improve their health. We don’t apply eyeliner or highlighter under the guise of medical benefits. We do it because it enhances, it transforms, it gives us a canvas to play on, and it lets us see ourselves in a different light. And that’s enough.
Yet, when it comes to more permanent or invasive changes, like cosmetic surgery or fillers, there’s a societal pressure to soften the blow, to say it’s “for functional reasons” or that it’s “doctor-recommended.” But why do we feel the need to disguise our desire to simply look and feel our best? Why do we hide behind excuses, as if beauty isn’t a valid pursuit?
Beauty, like art, doesn’t need to be explained away. There’s no shame in wanting to look good, in wanting to feel confident, or in choosing to make changes to our appearance. The key here is ownership of that choice without apology or excuse. It’s okay to want to look a certain way just because it feels good. It’s okay to say, “I did this because I wanted to, and it makes me feel like me.”