Is cosmetic surgery bad for the species?
Cosmetic surgery makes people appear more attractive but obviously that attractiveness is not genetically transferred to offspring.
I think that whatever you do in life, as long as it doesn't directly affect anyone else around you. You can do what you like. Cosmetic surgery is a choice that doesn't impact anyone directly in a negative way, therefore I don't care to judge someone based on it.
They're probably not breeding much more than without the surgery. Having more partners and sex, maybe, but without accompanying offspring for the most part.
The fact that it cannot be passed on would indicate that it would have no effect, except possibly allowing DNA combinations that would not otherwise happen, which is neither here nor there, genetically.
I am thinking of a situation where, say, Fabio has children with a woman was not at all attractive but had a lot of work done and then becomes attractive. Their children will likely not be as attractive. I suppose that assumes attractiveness is good for the species. And I suppose that is an matter on which reasonable minds could differ.
@plebeian_lobster That's assuming that the "patient" wouldn't have offspring without the surgery? Back in the day where most couples had 5-10 children, yeah maybe. But today where birth rates are at or below replacement level? Umm, not so much.
Most of them look so unnatural, it's kind of "scary, weird",, not a fan, unless you really need it!