Not much is as private and personal as one's looks. However, to accept the looks one was born with and accept that THIS IS ME, seems to be very difficult for some people. The feeling that "this is not good enough to be ME" may be very strong with some of them, and they enter surgical programs that may end up in turning them from normal looking individuals into something beyond, or far from, normal. I would say that they traded what they had of good looks for a dream of obtaining the ultimate beauty. What's interesting is that they seem to work from a belief in standards for beauty that in reality have been developing over years, and what's considered beautiful today was seen as ugly at some earlier time period: Beauty is not a constant.
Would we find these healthy looking, young women beautiful? Naahh, today they would be seen as "dumplings" or even "fatties". It would not be obvious what gave them the idea that they were pretty enough to compete about the trophy in a beauty contest.
I take for granted that this remedy was quite expensive when it was for sale, but I doubt it was of any use except warding off more or less unwanted advances from milady's husband. The women (and men?) using it have had great dreams of becoming their best self in looks, but why are looks so very important? I know that beauty opens doors, both to private pleasures and to what might be called "a career": Many, both men and women, have achieved new social possibilities through good looks and some have made a career out of it.
Yes, self-delusions thrive when it comes to looks. One may have a tactic of turning one's head into a more appealing angle to the camera when one has one's photo taken. I admit that I have a couple of photos that I simply refuse to acknowledge, although the person in the pictures undeniably is wearing my clothes, sitting in my chair or patting my pet. It's ridiculous, but that's the way it is with some/most (?) of us.
Yup, at long last, a really useful invention: Replaceable heads!!!
Wow, that sure would save time! However, if I was offered such an opportunity, I would choose to have new and different personalities: Today Snow White and tomorrow maybe "The Evil Queen".
