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TV ONE GOES BEHIND THE CURTAIN ON PLASTIC SURGERY: ‘Black Don’t Crack’ explores African American attitudes about beauty.
*On Sunday at 10 p.m., TV One will air a one-hour special dealing with the exploding field of black plastic surgery.
“Black Don't Crack: The Cosmetic Surgery Debate” offers an historical perspective on the subject, including the way in which European standards of beauty have become a yardstick used by some African Americans to measure their own physical features.
“I would say that over the next ten years, the fastest-growing segment of people in the U.S. that are pursuing cosmetic surgery are people of African descent,” says Dr. Monte Harris, co-founder of Cultura Medical Spa in Washington D.C. and one of several experts featured in the documentary.
“It’s a phenomenal time that we’re in now with regards to cosmetic and plastic surgery,” he continues. “I think our definition of plastic surgery has broadened to include skin care, complexion blending, laser treatments, and also the traditional sort of knife-cutting procedures.”
“Black Don’t Crack” also takes a look at the increasing interest in health and beauty, and the initial resistance from the majority of African Americans to undergo various procedures. Dr. Rose Lewis, the nation’s first female black plastic surgeon, says the rise in cosmetic surgery is a byproduct of an overall rise in wealth among the nation’s black population.
“People have more disposable income, and they’re going to spend it on luxury items,” says Dr. Lewis, who also appears in the special. “And what is the luxury item you want to spend it on? Do you want diamonds, or do you want to do something for your body?”
Dr. Lewis also says the reasons to have cosmetic surgery have expanded far beyond the stereotypical attempt to simply take years off of one’s face.
“I don’t think the cosmetic surgery industry necessarily has to do with making someone look younger,” says Dr. Lewis. “I think it has to do with making you look better and feel better about yourself. We’re all going to grow old.”
“Black Don’t Crack” also features celebrities sharing their experience with plastic surgery. For example, Stephanie Mills speaks candidly about the procedures she has had on her face.
Dr. Harris says that his specialty, rhinoplasty (or nose jobs), is still one of the most requested procedures among clients of African descent.
“Eyelid lifts are also very common,” he says. “So we’ve moved to some degree beyond that kind of Michael Jackson poster child of plastic surgery to people looking at a broader image of what plastic surgery could mean and what it could do to benefit them.”
Since Dr. Harris brought it up, what about the Michael Jackson backlash, or clients whose addiction to plastic surgery appear to be rooted in issues that make surgeons uncomfortable? Do doctors ever turn patients away?
“I have refused to do surgery for patients on occasion,” admits Dr. Lewis, now retired after 23 years in the field. “I have refused to do somebody who does it for a boyfriend, because when somebody comes in and her boyfriend or husband is the one who is dominating the consult, then I know that patient doesn’t need to have surgery, not by me anyway. That would be a case where I would just say, ‘I don’t think you ought to do this. Maybe you should go back home and think about it some more or get a second opinion.’”
“There are some patients, I will call them ‘plastic surgery addicts,’ they come back, and they come back,” Dr. Lewis continues. “And at some point you have to say, ‘It’s time to stop. Your body is trying to tell you something. You cannot be so perfect that you just keep having surgery. Eventually you have to stop, especially if you’re going to keep operating on the same body part. Eventually you’ll be nothing but scar tissue.’”
Which brings us back to the King of Pop. Dr. Harris agrees that it’s up to the plastic surgeon to let a patient know when its time to put the breaks on multiple procedures.
“When I look at Michael Jackson and the way he looks now, in no way do I think he appreciates or wants to look the way that he does,” says Dr. Harris. “And one of the concepts that we have to recognize and understand is that there’s a certain sense of understanding, expertise [that comes with surgeons], and I’m sure that Michael Jackson went to experts for his surgery. But if you don’t combine that expertise with an appreciation for [cultural] differences, you can still have devastating results.
“So, he probably had too aggressive surgery early on, trying to create too dramatic of a change. And rhinoplasty, in particular, is like a fine wine. The operation that you perform one day has to evolve over time. So those types of things play out differently depending upon your ethnicity. So with a broader base of surgeries now, hopefully we won’t make the mistakes that were made in Michael Jackson’s in the years to come.”
"Black Don't Crack: The Cosmetic Surgery Debate" replays on Friday, April 28 at 11 p.m., Saturday, April 29 at 7 p.m., and Sunday, April 30 at 8 p.m.
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