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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Jessica DeFino

Ask Ugly: my mother is pressuring me to get plastic surgery. How do I deal with imperfection?

Illustration of a woman holding a scalpel to her face
‘The first step to accepting an “imperfection” is reframing it.’ Illustration: Lola Beltran/The Guardian

Dear Ugly,

I’ve had hereditary eye bags under my eyes since I was a kid, and I’ve dealt with people telling me that I look tired since I can remember. I’ve tried every eye cream and concealer under the sun, and nothing has hidden them or “cured” them. My mother recently got a blepharoplasty [eyelid surgery], to get hers removed once and for all – and now she’s pressuring me to do the same despite the fact that I’m in my 20s. She looks great, but the idea of changing my face (even if it’s to fix a perceived flaw) makes me sad. Any advice you have for coming to terms with an “imperfection”?

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