Nips and tucks - how far would you go?

[azsf]

with LASIK (and/or other forms of corrective eye surgery): is that really a "nip/tuck" thing? kinda seems less like a vanity procedure and more of a "restoring the body to proper function" thing. i don't think of it the same way as a boob job that's for sure!

The only surgery I want is that surgery where you get low-power electromagnets in your fingertips that let you sense electromagnetic fields by touch.

Not sure how useful this would be, but it sounds awesome! is this a real thing?

[Eurydice]

I'd love to get my eyes fixed. They're different shapes and it's really noticeable and looks awful. I'll never do it, though, because I'd be too afraid to have work done on my face. What if you come out of it looking like Nick Nolte? It's not like you can spend the rest of your life with a bag over your head.

[Tocho]

In the future I might want LASIK but I'm not sure. I hate wearing glasses, and I hate contacts even more. (I don't have really bad eyesight, but I'm not allowed to drive without glasses/contacts.)

[Lizifer]

with LASIK (and/or other forms of corrective eye surgery): is that really a "nip/tuck" thing? kinda seems less like a vanity procedure and more of a "restoring the body to proper function" thing. i don't think of it the same way as a boob job that's for sure!

It's considered elective and cosmetic, so... while it's restorative, so is plastic surgery in some cases (I had an ex who had pretty much his whole head reshaped and built after a particularly bad automotive accident and other friends who have had to have nip/ snip/ tuck work done after other catastrophic events, and it's all the same technology and implementation; only the impetus is different). I'm kinda A is A is A, though, which isn't always the best way to be, so YMMV. *crooked grin*

[andygates]

I wish I could do the magnet thing, but I handle tapes daily (I am backup monkey) and that would kill it.

As for the rest, well, I have a lot better things to spend my money on. But I'm not averse to bod-mods for fun and profit, or pharmaceutical playtime, or speculative tech. If this were the Culture, I'd already have been a couple of species, genders and shapes, just for jolly.

[realbrickwall]

Not sure how useful this would be, but it sounds awesome! is this a real thing?

Yes. At least two people have done it. At least one person has done it without having to get them removed due to infection (tip: at-home surgery is silly).

You're not going to be able to find a professional who will do it, though. It's not a surgery that's been approved by any medical association, despite being harmless if, you know, not done by yourself in your own kitchen with a kitchen knife. And, as you said, nobody's really figured out a use for it yet (though I bet it has wide security and military applications), so that approval is a long ways away.

Most biohackers right now are crazy fringe people, because that's the only way to get biohacking done. Individual biohacking procedures will become more widespread over years, to the point where the general populace becomes interested in them. At that point, people will start looking into making them safe and accessible. In the meantime, please don't cut up your fingers, or anyone else's. You probably don't know much about surgery. Unless you're a surgeon. If you're a surgeon, spread the word to your surgeon friends.

[Philociraptor]

I've had LASIK. Best. Decision. Ever. Waking up and being able to see the leaves outside my window = priceless.

[Gobnait]

Body modding is a gray area for me. Some of it I find myself questioning why someone would do it, some of it I can see the point. Some body mods I would like are so extreme that it would be easier to stay alive long enough to try a cybernetic replacement body, and I midas well go werewolf at that point.

Breast sizing... I'm in that area where they are too small to really do anything aesthetic, too large for me to do anything without supporting them. Lasik, only if I can actually get used to wearing glasses; the world just looks too weird when there is a bit of plastic perched on my nose. I really should get my beard burnt off, I'm getting to old to go around in a trenchcoat and confuse people. Tatoo, I can't fall in love with a design long enough. Piercings fall under "after I work up the nerve to sell plasma" and what's the point.

[mist]

I've read a lot of accounts saying that breasts will "come back" if a woman has children/breastfeeds after having a reduction (and that a reduction can seriously affect her ability to breastfeed). This is the main thing that is holding me back from putting more serious research into this. Husband and I tentatively think we might plan on having children someday (we're so decisive) and I wouldn't want to have gone through that whole process just to have them... re-inflate. Any idea if this is affected by the amount of fat vs. actual breast tissue? Because I have the same issue you did, that I would lose weight and my cup size would go up.

The ability to breastfeed after a reduction can depend on how much you had removed, so whether you had a nipple re-alignment as well, but my surgeon said the rates of people able to breastfeed after are much higher than they used to be, and lots of people are still reading/reacting to these older accounts. (they're getting better at the micro-surgery on the nipples and underlying nerves/ducts/etc) Obviously you shouldn't count on being able to, so if it is really important to you then yeah, wait til later. I haven't yet had children, but I'm not passionate about wanting to breastfeed if I do, so if I can't I'll cope. I hope. But I don't know about the 'coming back' issue. Most surgeons will do an initial consultation without any problem - it might cost money, but it shouldn't include any pressure to have the operation.

[Saoirse]

if i could do skin resurfacing on my stomach to remove stretch marks, i would. i don't really have loose, saggy skin, just the scarring, so there's no debate about trying to accomplish my aesthetic goals with lifestyle factors. a mini tuck might help, but not enough to actually warrant the operation. laser would be awesome, though there's some doubt to its efficacy.