If you had several hundred thousand dollars, what would you spend it on? For some, they’d spend it on themselves. Literally.

Not too long ago, I tackled the subject of the price of beauty, and I liked the topic so much that I thought I’d talk about it again, and this time, supplement it with some equal opportunity coverage. Continuing where I left off then, I wanted to check into how far people would go to actually look better. In fact, what’s interesting is how some people have truly invested quite heavily in their appearance, so much so that the amount spent actually reaches six figures.

I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of the real life Ken and Barbie couple before, but here’s a bit about them. According to some news coverage:

Cindy Jackson and Miles Kendall have spent about $300,000 transforming themselves into copies of the best-selling dolls, undergoing 89 operations - ranging from jaw implants and chemical peels to liposuction.

Before anything else, I’d like to say that while pursuing this story, I corresponded with Cindy Jackson to ask her permission to capture her amazing photographs here. Unfortunately, my request was declined so a reference to her site should suffice. May I also add that she’s a very nice lady who is doing quite well working in the business of cosmetics and beauty… but of course!

On this note, there was once a show I watched with immense uneasiness, but which I was attracted to nonetheless, mostly out of sheer curiosity. It was called “The Swan” and it was about how regular, even homely women were transformed, through expensive medical procedures, into outwardly stunning knockouts. Following is a tiny sample of what the show offered.

What Money Can Do For Your Physique

BEFORE

AFTER
The Swan: Marnie       The Swan: Marnie
The Swan: Merline       The Swan: Merline
The Swan: Sarina       The Swan: Sarina

Find more amazing photos here.

If you participated in the show, you got the benefits of the procedures for free. But to replicate such work in real life, you’d need to fork out some serious dough. Here’s a little cheat sheet of the surgical costs that face aspiring bombshells:

Plastic Surgery Procedures and Fees

2005 STATISTICS (National Average)

PROCEDURE SURGEON/PHYSICIAN FEE
Botox® injection $382
Breast implant removal $2,086
Breast augmentation saline $3,583
Breast augmentation silicone $4,005
Breast lift $4,258
Breast reduction $5,550
Breast reduction in men $3,305
Buttock lift $4,878
Cellulite massage treatment $223
Cheek implant $2,720
Chemical peel $848
Chin augmentation $2,095
Collagen injection $333
Dermabrasion $1,376
Ear surgery $2,951
Eyelid surgery $2,813
Facelift $6,298
Fat injection $1,053
Fibril injection $440
Forehead lift $3,148
Gynecomastia treatment $3,305
Laser hair removal $347
Laser skin resurfacing $2,484
Laser treatment of leg veins $407
Lip augmentation (surgical) $1,819
Liposuction (suction-assisted) $2,697
Liposuction (ultrasound-assisted) $2,979
Lower body lift $7,810
Microdermabrasion $149
Rhinoplasty $4,188
Sclerotherapy $326
Soft Tissue Fillers - Autologous Fat $1,395
Soft Tissue Fillers - Calcium hydroxylapatite (Radiesse/Radiance) $911
Soft Tissue Fillers - Collagen $398-488
Soft Tissue Fillers - Hyaluronic acid (Hylaform, Restylane) $527
Thigh lift $4,653
Tummy tuck $5,232
Upper arm lift $3,610

Source: Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Guide

The changes are clearly amazing, though I doubt I’d ever want to go through such alterations myself, for obvious reasons: I’m chicken, it’s painful, it’s expensive and changes in one’s looks don’t really impact me all that much. But these people are probably doing this for other reasons, such as to launch new careers in a media dominant industry or to participate in the beauty business. So in this case, the money they spent is considered a business expense.

However for regular people such as you or me, I prefer other means to help improve our looks without burning a hole in our pockets.

Affordable Ways To Look Great

    1. Look and feel healthy, stay clean and neat.
    A shower a day keeps the cooties away.

    2. Get clothes from discount stores.
    Ross has clothing from great brands that have been discounted heavily. Guess where I get my birthday presents from.

    3. Invest in higher quality goods but buy less frequently.

    4. Develop strong and good relationships.
    Surround yourself with good people. When you do, you’re mood and demeanor will be positive, which will show in your appearance.

    5. Move your focus from yourself and your looks to something else.
    Develop a skill, volunteer, involve yourself with extended family or friends. When you do good work, not only will you feel positively about yourself, therefore reflecting well on your countenance, but you will also actually look good to everyone around you who becomes aware of your accomplishments.

If you have the money, I say do with it what you will. But if you can’t afford a major makeover, then realize that sometimes it’s just the quality of our lives and our relationships that end up dictating how we feel about ourselves and by simply looking outward, by changing the things we can and by doing some simple strategic modifications in your life, you may notice that you’re feeling much better already.