Political life, particularly on the national level, is both demanding and exhausting. It should not come as a surprise that the stress of holding political office often takes its toll on politicians. This is most obvious on presidents. In most cases (other than Ronald Reagan), pictures of presidents before they take office are typically much more youthful and vibrant than pictures taken as they leave office 4 or 8 years later. However, all politicians in the national spotlight experience this to some degree. But there seems to be a difference between the way the public, especially the media, reacts to these changes in male politicians compared with female politicians. Hillary Clinton, who is arguably the most prominent female politician in our country, is a perfect example. She has spent 2 decades in the public spotlight (8 years as First Lady, 8 years as a senator, and 4 years as Secretary of State), and she is continuously scrutinized by the media about her appearance. Recently, the self-proclaimed feminist Michele Willens commented in an article she wrote for The Atlantic that, “When the Secretary of State stepped down after four grueling years, I wished she would get thee to a spa and move in for four months.” Sadly, these types of comments seem to be applied to women in politics much more than their male counterparts. While Barak Obama’s hair is significantly grayer now than it was in 2008 and he looks substantially older, you rarely hear members of the press commenting that he would benefit from facial plastic surgery. Bill Clinton never received those comments either, despite the fact that he looks much older than he did when he first took office (and much older than Hillary, for that matter). If Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, Barak Obama, or any other prominent politician chose to undergo plastic surgery to help them look and feel better, it is their right to do so and it should be viewed as acceptable. However, this decision should also be viewed as personal and not focused on to the point where it dominates commentary on their political record. Hopefully, we will reach a point soon where male and female politicians alike can choose whether to undergo plastic surgery without facing scrutiny from the media. If this decision helps them feel more confident and improves their ability to serve their country, that is a bonus. But no one, male or female, should ever have their appearance receive more attention than their record. If you live in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area and are interested in plastic surgery, please contact Dr. David Bottger today to schedule your initial consultation.
