(upbeat music)
- Tummy tuck was worse than my SRS.
Because they cut your stomach and they lift the muscles.
And that's your core.
And so just sneezing, farting, coughing,
dropping something, is a bitch.
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- [Interviewer] I wish I didn't get plastic surgery.
Three, two, one, go.
- I had a rhinoplasty and a breast augmentation.
It has helped me overcome
a lot of self image issues that I've had.
And I do not regret
either of those at all.
However, sometimes I do wish that I was more natural
just because I feel like society puts a big emphasis
on being naturally beautiful.
- I was insecure about my breasts
before I didn't like the size.
And I was like maybe if they were that little bigger,
and I went ahead, I did it
and I can never go back.
Like, it makes me so happy.
Like I look at myself in the mirror
and I'm like damn girl!
Where do you come from?
I like, okay, give me your number.
- I my whole entire life felt uncomfortable
with my boobs because they were in a irregular shape
and that was never gonna change unless I got a surgery.
I could never regret it
because I feel so much more confident
even though they're not even like fully dropped
and shaped yet.
- Hi, I love my plastic surgery.
I've had over 225 procedures.
I had a lot of bad experiences,
but I don't regret any of it.
It's made me who I am.
I have a recording career now because of it.
- As a trans person who goes through this society
people are always nitpicking at my body.
They're always like,
you don't have big enough boobs, you don't have an ass
You're fake looks up.
You don't look feminine.
You look masculine.
I kind of wish that I never got breast augmentation.
Not because like, it makes me feel any type of way
but more so I wish I didn't feel like I had to have boobs
to feel pretty.
I didn't like my mother pushed that a lot.
Like you need to look feminine to be beautiful.
And I'm like-
- Well, you're perfect the way you are
and the way you're, you're always perfect.
- [Woman] 100% I'm telling you
- [Interviewer] I was pretty before my surgery.
- Absolutely 100%.
I was beautiful.
I've always been, I still am.
And I will be my whole life.
This was just a little, a little salt
a little salt and pepper on top.
That's it a little flavor.
- Well, my nose changed my whole life
my whole perception of my face.
So I think I'm beautiful now.
But before when I look at pictures,
I'm like, goddamn I'm so glad I got that nose job.
- I kind of agree with what you're saying
but at the same time
I've always felt like I'm beautiful from the inside out.
No matter what anyone else tells me
like, just because I didn't fit your beauty standard
back then doesn't mean that I'm not beautiful now.
- [Interviewer] people should be open
about their plastic surgery.
- It's nobody's business, it isn't!
I sometimes I'll tell people,
I guess I look like a walking plastic surgery doll
but I could care less.
And it's up to the individual,
whether you wanna tell your story or not.
- Well, I think when it comes to celebrities
and like influencers, like you should be open
about like about your plastic surgery because I think
that people especially wonder they're in a higher,
they have higher platforms that they should be open about it
because a lot of people have had plastic surgery.
It's like, and you're going around-
- They had plastic surgery like we go to the dentist.
- It's like, okay, you don't wanna tell me a story.
That's okay.
But don't tell me something's real and natural
When it's plastic
- [Interviewer] Plastic surgery doesn't hurt that bad.
- My recovery, honestly, wasn't that bad.
Everybody told me you're gonna be so much pain
this and that.
You're not gonna be able to lift your arms.
You're not gonna move.
I was fine.
Like two days later I was in the shower
and I took my shirt off.
I didn't feel it.
- I'll tell you the worst one was the tummy tuck
tummy tuck was worse of my SRS, everything.
It was because they cut your stomach
and they lift the muscles.
And that's your core.
And so just sneezing farting, coughing
dropping something, it's a bitch
- [Interviewer] My surgery plays a part
in unrealistic beauty standards.
- Like people are usually not born
with perfect boobies or perfect anything.
So it definitely does.
- It's not just plastic surgery.
It's the fillers, it's the Botox.
It's all that stuff snowballs I mean,
so I sometimes get complimented by people on the internet
being like you're such a natural beauty.
And I'm like,
(Ember laughing)
- Natural where baby?
- [Interviewer] Plastic surgery is a privilege.
- So as a trans person myself,
I feel like plastic surgery is definitely a privilege
because even just being on hormones
for a trans person is a privilege
and not all of them are able to access
large amounts of money just to get a procedure
because they're just not granted that.
- It's not a privilege.
Anybody could have it.
privilege to me, it sounds
like only certain groups, certain,
a socioeconomic group can get it, but anybody can get it.
- And I respect that
but I think having that option to choose
I'm gonna go and get my done.
That is privilege.
And I come from a third world country,
like I've seen struggle,
I've seen bad.
So to me I'm blessed.
And I think it is a privilege.
- [Interviewer] Some people overdo it with plastic surgery.
Three, two, one, go.
- I think if you go to the point
in which it affects your health,
uh-uh, nah, that is too much.
So that would be overdoing it
but who are we to say that person is overdoing it.
Just for the sake of it,
just because you personally don't like how they look
that's none of your business, that's their body.
if they're happy, it's okay.
- I stopped when I felt like I need needed to stop.
I think if I continued to get plastic surgery
I would've started just tearing myself apart.
And I feel like I might have gone progressively
more critical of myself.
- I never understood why people call other people botched.
I think that's really up.
And I don't think that other people need your projections
onto what they view as beautiful
because the media preys on female insecurity
and they beat that into your head
to want to look beautiful, perfect all the time.
- I've gone too far.
I had liquid silicone injected my body from head to toe
and now I'm paying the price now.
I had it taken outta my body maybe 50 times
but they can't ever get rid of it completely,
'cause it's plastic.
Can you over do it?
Yeah.
Is it my business?
No.
- Welcome.
- I agree with all of you guys.
- [Interviewer] I would let my children get plastic surgery.
Three, two, one, go.
- If my child was underage,
I wouldn't sign off on it
because I would like them to mature more.
And elective surgery
I think is a big emotional rollercoaster,
the whole healing process
and getting the operation.
And by the time they're 18 that up to them.
And I would support them
because obviously I'd be a hypocrite otherwise.
- I am from Venezuela
and Venezuela is very big on plastic surgery.
In my country also it's very common
to gift like quinceaneras.
Do you want your nose done a rhinoplasty?
If you don't like your nose, you're 16, 17.
You can be under 18
and you get that as a birthday present.
- I would support them with whatever they wanted.
But at the same time I have to ask them
why they would wanna get that in the first place.
Like did I not give you enough validation
as a young person to feel more comfortable in your skin?
Like I guess I would want to know where it comes from
before I give them the okay.
- I agree 100%.
- [Interviewer] Social media pressured me
to get plastic surgery.
Three, two, one, go.
- This is something I knew I wanted
no matter what nothing could have like forced me to do it
because it's something I wanted so bad
as I got older I kind of learned that
like I literally don't give a when anybody like tells me
about myself because I know who I am.
- Hell yeah, as you should!
- When I started 40 some years ago,
there was no internet
and I just did it.
It was my own obsession.
I've been in the media a lot
and I've done shows about plastic surgery before.
And I've noticed that people who didn't have it
30 years ago, whatever,
and now all the kids have it now!
- I feel like it's also hard to tell
what is my own idea of beauty?
What is influence from society
and what is my own perception?
Because I struggle with this all the time.
I'm like, I think to myself,
well I got plastic surgery because I wanted plastic surgery.
But then I think further,
I'm like what do I want to look this way because of media.
But I do at the end of the day
feel like we all have like a subjective opinion on beauty.
I just feel like everyone makes it out to seem like,
you got plastic surgery because all the Instagram models
made you feel like you needed it.
But I really truly believe that there are people
who just genuinely like that appearance, like-
- It resonates with them.
- [Interviewer] Results of my surgeries
were exactly what I expected.
Three, two, one, go.
- Although I'm super happy with both of my procedures,
they're not perfect.
Being in the adult industry.
I've had people pointed out to me in my videos
and like clown on my.
- You still looking so?
- And so that has definitely made me a little insecure.
However, if I didn't get that lift
then my would be really saggy.
- The only surgery that I did
that I got that I didn't expect the results
was reassignment surgery.
I actually was really desperate.
So I flew to Thailand by myself.
I didn't realize it would take almost like a full year
to fully recover.
And I wasn't prepared to enter womanhood
because I don't have a mom that taught me that stuff.
So I would always-
- It's hard.
I couldn't even look at my (beep) for a year
- But it was really hard 'cause I was always so hard
on myself because my brothers
would say really disgusting to me
like saying why did you even get that surgery?
Why did you even cut off that part of yourself?
Like now you just have like a festering hole
and it just smells and it's disgusting.
- How old were you?
- I was 19.
- That's very young.
- Yeah. - I was 19 too.
I've had so many surgeries that some have been good.
Some have been bad.
But I never blamed the doctor.
And I've had some quacks work on me,
and they up, but you know what?
I just live with it and you can go ahead.
And when that heals a little bit
go ahead and go to someone else
if you're not happy
- I really like how you recognize that.
And you don't blame the doctor.
- I don't blame any of the doctor, no,
why should I?
'Cause they could do the same procedure on me
and with you.
And I could get an infection
and screw it up.
I got an implant or whatever
Might settle difference.
- [Interviewer] Plastic surgery made me happier.
Three, two, one, go.
- I feel like I was happy before
but I just put on like a real bra
to go out the other night
and like the joy that it brought me
like I literally almost could have cried
because like it was something I wanted for so long
that it genuinely made me happy.
Like it wasn't like I was sad before.
- How much did this go for now?
- Well, my surgery was 6,400.
So it wasn't that bad.
- What 6400? - Yeah.
- My happiness really just not based
on my plastic surgery.
Did it add confidence?
Oh 100%, yes!
I was happy before
and if they were taken away tomorrow,
honestly it would suck
but I will still be happy.
I will still be there.
It's okay, I'm alive.
That's all that matters.
- You'd be pissed, let's be real.
- No, I will get pissed for a while bro.
But eventually like
if that's how it has to be, it.
Whatever, I'm alive at the end of the day.
It was a choice.
It was a cosmetic surgery.
It's not something that like I needed,
it's something that I wanted
and I chose to have.
- [Interviewer] And that is all!
(participants cheer)
- Wow. - Can I hug you?
Let's hug.
- Thank you for showing up.
- I think you are super brave, super strong.
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