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   Eight months ago I did something I would have never done as a Born Again Christian. I spent ten grand on a hair transplant!!  Yes an enormous sum for the trivial and shallow purpose of vanity. I think the reasons why I would have never done this as a christian are obvious; but I will state them just in case. Number one the money!!!  It could have been spent on eternal things!!!!  Number two vanity!  It concerns "How I look" rather than 'Who I am!" I started going bald whan I was 18 years old.  (Not a fun thing to go through.) It really wasn't a noticable baldness, yet what concerned me was how my head would turn out looking say when I was middle age. Somehow looking like uncle Fester didn't appeal to me. (Interesting note Jim Eliott wrote about his apprehensions of baldness in his journal!) So believing prayer could change things I prayed! "Oh Lord" "Please don't let me go bald!"  I claimed the passage in Judges, (Samson)  "....his hair started to grow again!" I laid my hand on my head!  "Grow!!  Grow!" Yet as the Lord would have it this cup didn't pass by!  Around age 30 I realized that this was not the Lord's will for me. I was resigned to bearing this thorn in the flesh that I might not glory in my flesh but suffer as others do, the bald jokes etc... However, since I think differently now  I went ahead and had it done!!!  I am very, very happy with the results!!  So much so that I would have been willing to pay double had I known!! The surgery motivated me to do other things as well!!  I began loseing weight!!  I have lost 30 pounds and I feel great!!  I am much stronger than I have been in years and I am considering an "iron man" event. (I run 4 miles a day as it is plus hike on the weekends.)  The new body has changed the way I dress!   No longer do I wear lose drab clothing but dress shirts/slacks/shoes and ties!  I am getting tons of feedback from co-workers and from people at church!  So, I ask you! Was I wrong to think that a Christian shouldn't have cosmetic surgery????  Looking back, to say that self esteam is an issue in the Assembly/Christian Church would be an understatement!  Wouldn't Saints benefit from a little boost here and there?  Perhaps a marriage would be rejuvinated or a depression avoided by a little tuck or staple?   Or should Christians just accept the fact that genes have predestinated them to look like their parents?  Your polite responses appreciated!!!!!

David,
You have simply learned what every mature Christian, (inside or outside the assemblies) already knows - in Christ there is liberty!
This is the reason I left. I was unwilling to surrender mine to any man.
Verne

 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free...

Hi Dave,

We go to the dentist to repair teeth, replace teeth, straighten teeth....

We color hair, nails, wear make-up....

From a woman's point of view, but I realize men look at themselves differently, we girls thought my dad was the best-looking man on earth and he had lost half his hair by the age of 23.  ;D He tried every gimmicky shampoo on the market, to no avail.  ;D 

If he had had the option that you had, at a young age, I believe he would have done the same thing you did. 

Moonflower

Well I guess I missed that sermon, but then again didn't the Lord say something about "If a body part  offends you then go ahead and cut it off" ??  Couldn't a spare tire qualify?  Moon, Sounds like your dad is gone?

   

Yeah, my dad passed away 1 1/2 years ago, after his second bypass surgery, at 76. 

I'm tellin you guys, that I don't think that women look at hairless heads the same way that men do. ;) Women were ga ga for my dad, even with his hairless head, and I still think an elderly man with a full head of hair looks strange - he should be bald, like my dad  ;)   

But I don't see anything wrong with getting some replanted if it makes you happy and you still have money left to pay the bills and eat.  ;D 

The spare tire? Try swimming. I think liposuction is too dangerous. Seems like there are too many deforming negative results. Why screw up your body when you are still young? You have the rest of your life and all kinds of other things to go wrong than to add something like liposuction.

IMO, it's an unnecessary surgery. There are statistics about how undergoing the anesthesia needed for surgery, shortens your life. I read it sometime back, so I don't remember all the details. I think that any surgery takes a toll on your body.

That's just my opinion, and I could be over-reacting because I already have a few permanent problems that are more commonly found in an older person, so I'm not doing anything to knock off any years I've got, 'cause I want to be around to enjoy my grandkids!!

So stop looking in the mirror and just have some fun. ;D ;D Grandkids like fat grandparents anyway.  ;D ;D

Your dad was hansome and bald at the same time? Great! I think Yul Brenner was a pretty good looking cue ball but I really don't know anyone else in Hollywood who was/is bald unless they were either a "bad guy" (Dr. Evil) or "loser" (Jason Alexander) A friend of mine just did the permabrassion? (facial treatment where they "sand" off the acne scars)  I didn't think she needed it but it made her feel good about herself. I am going to do the lasek thing this summer. Since losing 30# I no longer have a stomach. I would like a six pack though! Lipo still sounds a lot more fun then sit-ups.

 :)March 31st:

Before there was Patrick Stewart to drool over, there was
Telly Salvas - KOJAK, he was a sex symbol bald guy of the 70's.

Two Words:

Bruce Willis

 :)
Karey

David, your post has motivated me; thx!

What about Alfred Hitchcock?

Just wait 'til you guys get to be my age!  Every hair that is missing from the back of my noggin can be accounted for in my nose and ears...  Haircuts take as long as ever-- they just involve different locations.

al ;)

P.S.-- Robin Williams probably has more hair on his back than I have on my head! :o

Isn't funny how appearance can take up most of our time, for hygienic purposes, and for just looking good. 
Even at a early age, appearance can take our attention.
I knew a Mom years ago, that wouldnt let their child play in the mud, because it was too dirty of a game. Yet I remembered playing in the mud making mud pies and feeding them to my dolls.
Or in sand by the beach making sand castles.

Remember the 70's with the hot pants, Those shorts with the longer tops. It was answer to mini shirts with some protection. Even to days styles with grudge look, the pants crotch below the knees and the bottom cheeks crests showing for all the world to see.
Sometimes I feel like doing a little cosmetic surgery on those pants.  Last year when I went back to the high school to take that computer course, some of the kids were wear what they called the Egyptians look, or Gothic look, of course to these teenage girls it was the style of the day. It look ugly to me. All that black.

Getting back to the topic.
I dye my hair.  To cover the grey. Or even to get a different look.
It is all about wanting to look good, so you feel good.
I agree with Moonflower, putting makeup or even using the anti aging lotions, or the age spot creams, celluite creams, using hair gel, hair spray, putting in hair decoration like fancy barrettes, it is all about wanting to putting out best forward.
Somethings are easy, other are difficult, others are way too expensive.
I think if it is for the right motive, and not becomes an obessiveness, I dont believe there is no harm. Any one remember when wigs were a popular craze.
It is like the weaves that the african-american/canadian people wear in their hair. Those things takes hours to weave within their natural hair.
How many of us women go to beauty saloons? My mother has gone weekly for the last 30+ years.
Beauty maybe only skin deep, but there is nothing wrong with a little enhancement now and then.

Lenore,  You are on to something. When I worked in a convalescent home the high point of the week for many of the little old gray haired ladies would be the day they got their hair done.  It did wonders for their self esteem. Didn't mean a thing to me but to them it meant a lot. I am not sure if people look at me now any different then they did before but in my own mind they do!  The hair transplant have given me back years of my life. I feel better!  I exercise more!  I want to take care of my body because I like it again!
More importantly I am setting a good example for my wife!!  (staying in shape) My wife is one of these blessed people born with more than he share of hair.  It is thicker than rope, (I find it all over the house.) strawberry blond and past her butt!  She gets comments wherever we go.

You may enjoy this:  When my maternal grandmother was young, she cut off & braided a portion of her hair, then had a jeweler attach all the necessary gold fittings to make it into a "chain for my grandfather's pocket watch.  That was in the 1890s I believe.  Apparently it was a romantic fashion of that era.  Cathy & I still have the watchchain.  It's quite beautiful; especially so because of the thought that created it...

al

I don't have strong feelings about cosmetic surgery.  It's not for me, but then I inherited a good head of hair from my dad.  On the other hand, I would be lieing if I didn't admit that after I exercise I look at my "pot belly" in the mirror and quietly wonder what could be done.

My sister-in-law got some artificial boobs (can I use that word on this board?)  To me, it is kind of creepy when we visit and she walks up with these over-large artificial things pointing at me.  But, if the end result is more natural, I can see where it can be a real esteem enhancer as you say.

    :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o

Yeah, you kind of captured my feeling.

At least Dave Mauldin's hair is real. You can spot false knockers in pictures and TV. (the edge of them shows through when they are pushed up). It's society influencing the way you look at yourself and thinking that everyone has to look  a certain way. Why should a woman change herself to appear to be what society says is sexually attractive? Why should every woman be evaluated as to what her sexual appeal is? There is more to sexuality than plopping a couple blobs of silicone on your chest. It's an unnecessary invasive procedure, just like lipo.

The reason it may make a woman feel better about herself is because she is letting society define what the value of a woman is. The value of a woman is not in what she looks like.

Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. The old stand-by should work for us all.

  Moon, I agree with everything you said.  I don't think we should let other people decide for us how/what we feel about ourselves. I realize this sounds like I am contradicting myself.  How a person feels about themselves can mean everything to their psychological wellbeing. I have always been way too much overly conscious about any flaws I have. Where-as some people have no problem with their self image.  Example some guys who have big fat pregnant stomachs seem to have no problem walking down the beach advertising their lifelong achievment.   I on the other hand have no stomach but feel the need to get a ripped abdomen before taking on any such adventure.  I can remember a brother in fellowship at the H.B. Assembly.  I can't remember his name but he stood about 5 ' 2'' and was totally bald.  He also was deaf to the point that he wore hearing aids.  Yet he didn't seem self-conscious at all!  In fact he had a very dynamic personality!  His personality made him attractive!!  I remember he marride a nice looking Asian girl!  So there you go!!!  Did I waste $10 grand?  I know that I didn't. I think that its just a situation where everyone is different and everyone has different needs.