That cosmetic surgury does more harm than good

In order to consider whether a kind of surgery brings more harm or good, it is needed to take a look on the benefits and downside of it on the whole society, rather than specific stakeholders.

1. Cosmetic surgery affects the health of the public

The risks of cosmetic surgery includes necrosis (skin death), infection, hematoma, asymmetry, delayed healing, numbness/tingling, dimpling/puckering of the skin, blood clots, anesthesia complications, seroma (fluid collection), and nerve damage. When the people have health problems after performing cosmetic surgery, they need to seek medical help. This will increase the number of patients, and make other patients receive less medical care. Having healthy citizens is an important step towards a better productivity, and thus a better economy. Cosmetic surgery is a barrier to this.

2. Cosmetic surgery makes the public care about their appearance too much

Before cosmetic surgery is introduced, people have no way to improve their appearance permanently. They can only put on make up on their face, which does not really change much about how other people think about your appearance. Many people put on make up for work or on important occasion, as a respect to others, rather than greatly improve their looks. However, cosmetic surgery can permanently change a person's appearance, so people would focus on their appearance more, rather than their personality or ability. The advertisements of cosmetic surgery also promote the idea that beauty is important, and you must look good to be confident. This has a poor influence on the society.  People in a healthy society should focus on improving themselves and important values love, family and friendship. 

For the second point you raise, I don't see it is a problem to care our appearance. It's human nature to love beauty. Not just cosmetic surgery, people spend a lot of money on cosmetic, fashion, brand-name bags, clothes, etc. There is no correlation saying that the more we care about our beauty, the less we care about love, family and relationship. In fact, I do believe we can pursue both inner beauty and outer beauty at the same time.

Instead, cosmetic surgery does more good than harm. Let's assume cosmetic surgery can help make one's appearance better. I will make arguments below based on this assumption.

Firstly, cosmetic surgery can boost one's self esteem. Many people are deeply frustrated about their appearance, which hinders their social life greatly. They have no friend, no respect, no attention. Now, with the advancement of technology, here comes the opportunity for those people to change their fortune. It should be a good news for them. With a better appearance, they will be more confident, have more friends, lead a better social life. This in turn can bring them awesome psychological health and a sense of fulfillment. 

Secondly, cosmetic surgery can make a person become more lucky in the workplace. In the real world, when both candidates have the same abilities, same talents, same qualifications, except appearance. If you are the employer, which candidate would you choose? Sadly speaking, the one with a better look would definitely have a better edge in terms of acing a job. Worse still, many employers are very shallow. They will probably be more inclined to a candidate with a better looking, even if that candidate does not possess the essential qualities for that job. Therefore, for the sake of a better future prospect, it is a nice choice for people to undergo cosmetic surgery where necessary. 

People who cannot afford cosmetic surgery, or do not want to do so for certain reasons, would have less self esteem, making the poor lose confidence and social life because they cannot greatly change their appearance like what they rich do. The poor may have less chance in entering jobs which require good looks, which as actors, which enlarge the wage gap between the rich and poor, and leave the poor with less career choice.

Caring our appearance is a problem if we put ourselves in potential health risks for better appearance. Spending money on cosmetic surgery is not only spending money, but also spending your health. It is totally different from spending for fashion.

I am not saying that cosmetic surgery will take away all the doctors, but it will make people exposed to more health risks. After they receive cosmetic surgery, they may have some health problems, so they need to go to the doctors, which is a burden to the public health system. 

The fact is, people, especially teens are affected by the ads of cosmetic surgery and thinks that appearance is everything. They may think that as long as they have a good appearance, their life is great. They do not need to work hard or treat people politely and friendly. I do agree that being good-looking is important in some jobs like actors or model, but in most cases in daily life, having a good appearance does not implies success in work, relationship and living a happy life. Appearance is a factor, but not everything. Con mentioned that having a better appearance means a better social life and job opportunity. That is exactly what people who have done cosmetic surgery thinks. So they are less likely to treat others well and strike for excellence. It is important that the young people would work hard and treat others well, rather than thinking that they would have everything they want after a cosmetic surgery.