Opinion: A Woman’s Pubic Bone Shouldn’t Be The Latest Offering On The Menu Of Cosmetic Surgery

This week I had the genuine disbelief to report on the latest trend that find women considering plastic surgery, and it’s all down to a woman’s pubic bone. The mons pubis is the mound of flesh directly above a woman's pubic bone, and according to reports, there’s now a new trend in keeping it flat, taut and on show. Following a report in the New York Times last weekend, the practice of a ‘Pubic Lift’ – a cosmetic procedure to cut, tighten and lift the skin above the public bone – has now been added to the top of the cosmetic procedure list... all in the hopes of achieving this ‘perfect’ bikini body that changes on a daily basis by the latest media standards. The uproar started when columnist Jennifer Weiner slammed the latest cover of Sports Illustrated, where men and women were exposed to model Hannah Davis’ slimline frame. The upshot of the cover? An apparent jump in women queuing up in cosmetic surgery clinics wanting to cut themselves in on the latest trend and have the flatness over their vagina that they’ll be showing off come that sunny June weather. You can’t exercise to tone the mons pubis, and you can’t adopt a quick fix diet to kickstart your new trimmer body down south so instead, people are opting to have someone surgically ‘correct’ their figures and alter their otherwise healthy bodies, paying upwards of £1,500 for the trouble and then wearing spanx underwear over the area for six weeks. Does it sound worth it? As a woman in her twenties, I have to ask – when does the pressure and quest for the ‘dream body’ end? Last year we were all bombarded with the ‘thigh-gap’ craze, where the ‘perfect’ shape required space between the top of your thighs. No touching now. From one lady who has thighs that refuse to do anything but wiggle, I was not a fan of this new obsession. It was a dangerous, powerful message to be sending out to vulnerable women. And it plagued my Instagram account. Every second image was a celebrity, health magazine or fitness account looking to show women from various walks of life strut without a chafe in sight. Earlier this year, retail outlet Urban Outfitters was forced to remove an ‘irresponsible and very harmful’ thigh gap image from its website by the UK Advertising Standards Authority. The image, which showed a young woman wearing polka dot knickers, sparked outrage at a very large thigh-gap, with shoppers commenting on the extremity of the photos and the model's slimmed down thighs and knees. What seemed like a victory was really only a slap on the wrist, as the site continued to host an array of images that supported the original waif-like figures deemed extreme. I’m aware that with all fashion shoots, and the industry as a whole, women’s fluctuating sizes and body hang-ups will always be under scrutiny. That despite having a healthy weight range for our height and shape, many of us will look at another woman and envy her slimmer waist or her lean arms. Now, it seems like we have a new obsession on the list of things to look out for. From liposuction to breast augmentation, nose jobs to botox and suction cup therapy to a pubic lift… where does the cocktail menu of cosmetic treatments end? We learn sexual education in school, are taught biology and religion and sit through countless classes of C.S.P.E but when do we ever discuss women’s self-importance, esteem and body confidence? There’s a real problem facing women today. If you’re not happy with your appearance, you can pay to have it changed. Radio ads for cosmetic surgery sing along on the car radio right beside an ad for butter or the latest nightclub haunt. When do women’s body issues and mental health change from being a topic that is concerning to a problem that people really want to help solve? Why can’t we ditch the long lists of cosmetic procedures and instead offer classes to deal with body confidence, rewarding our female forms and embracing the age-old mantra that it’s ok to be different? Why can't we teach young girls that there’s a beauty in your unique you? I’m all for women feeling good about their appearance – but in a healthy, informed way. If we keep turning a blind eye to each new body craze, we're doing nothing more than furthering real illnesses affecting women like eating disorders, body dysmorphia and self-esteem crises. It's easy to say that we support curves and healthier women - now we need to make sure we're part of the conversation. We need to show that we hold up women like our sisters, mothers, best friends and colleagues for their perfect bodies.... regardless of the label on their clothes or whether they can rock a low-slung bikini brief. People who read our site might know that I’m currently on a mission for a slinkier me. I want to feel more body confident for bikini season and summer weddings, just as many of the women who want these procedures do too. However, in my pursuit of my personal targets, I’ll be doing it the healthy way. I’ll keep eating healthy, exercising regularly and picking out styles that suit my shape. Not undergoing surgeries to alter it. As for me and my personal mons pubis – well, I’ll happily retire a skimpy bikini for fuller bikini briefs. And for every other day of the year, a pair of spanx will just have to do.