Episode 580: Plastic Surgery, Comparison, and the Hidden Cost of Chasing Perfection

**Shani Sweesa** (0:01)
Hi, guys, it's Tony Robbins. You're listening to Habits and Hustle.

**Jen Cohen** (0:04)
Crush it.
Welcome to Habits and Hustle, where I sit down with the biggest thinkers, entrepreneurs, athletes, and experts to uncover the habits, strategies, and mindset shifts that actually move the needle in your health, happiness, and success. And today, on this solo episode, we are talking about plastic surgery. It has become more normalized, more accessible, and more visible than ever. We watch people document facelifts, nose jobs, injectables, and cosmetic procedures in real time, which can make major medical decisions feel as casual as booking a facial. But behind the polished before and after photos, there can be real complications, long recoveries, and the uncomfortable reality that fixing one insecurity may only give you another one to focus on. So in this episode, I share how social media filters Zoom and the fact that we are constantly seeing our own faces in photos and on video, is changing the way we view ourselves, and why cosmetic procedures may not fix the insecurity underneath them, what people should understand about the risks and recovery, and why a surgeon's popularity online does not necessarily make them the best person for the job. Before diving in, if you're listening right now, and you've gotten somewhere or something out of this show, do me a big favor. Please hit subscribe if you haven't already, and leave a review of your own. I really appreciate those. I read every single one of them, and it really makes a difference on getting the show to more people. So with that being said, let's dive in.
Welcome, welcome, welcome back to another episode of Habits and Hustle solo edition, where I am joined by my friend and foil, friend and colleague, Shani Sweesa. Shani Sweesa, yes, yes, yes. But before we go into this episode, I will love to remind people, if you have not yet subscribed to this podcast, please do so. It makes a massive difference in the algorithm and all these things that are on the back end that I had no idea about. So for the last seven years, I've been remiss in telling people. So if you have not yet, please, please hit the button and also share it with your friends because that makes a massive difference. So thank you very much.

**Shani Sweesa** (2:30)
And if you're listening to this, there is all the video episodes up on YouTube, which you can subscribe to Jen's channel on there as well.

**Jen Cohen** (2:36)
Thank you, Shani. You're welcome.
On these solos, typically what we do is we do, if you have not, if you're just joining us or haven't listened to any episodes, what we do in these solos is we kind of just explore hot takes. Like it's a very much like a conversation. And today I want to talk about that. And also I should say conversations that are kind of in these I guys that are kind of trending, that are kind of like happening in real time a lot. And the one thing that I really want to talk to you about, Shani, because we talked about it, we kind of touched upon it in another solo, but we didn't really get into it. And I'm sure a lot of you guys who are on social media and just kind of like in the world, in the world.

**Shani Sweesa** (3:16)
Just living out there.

**Jen Cohen** (3:17)
Right, living out there. A really big thing that I'm noticing a huge uptick in is plastic surgery.
I mean, I remember like when I was a kid, if anyone got anything done, it was a humongous secret. Nobody talked about it. It was definitely not like video, it was definitely not like talked about and videotaped and shown in real time when someone's getting their face lifted. Right.

**Shani Sweesa** (3:41)
Come with me. I got a facelift. Yeah.

**Jen Cohen** (3:43)
Or like, I'm talking to nine doctors.

**Shani Sweesa** (3:44)
Look at this.

**Jen Cohen** (3:45)
Like, I've never seen such a craziness in something. Like this is one of these things that I think is trending and upticking. And I know why. I think it's because everyone is comparing themselves to other people. It's because we're in the world of video and Zoom. I know myself, because now I'm on social, obviously. I do this podcast.
I see myself constantly. So you see every imperfection, everything. And I understand that it's so consuming, and it's really easy to go down that rabbit hole.
But I also believe, and I shouldn't say but, and I also believe, like, whatever happened to being happy with what God gave you and kind of just being natural, right? And I understand it, because I'm now in this age, right? I'm middle age, and I'm like, oh, shit, look at my face, and my face is falling, and I never liked my nose, and I didn't do this. But I'm just fearful, to be honest. But you said something that way.