Netflix's Skin Decision Is a Modern "Makeover" Show About More Than Plastic Surgery

Published on 8/7/2020 at 4:05 PM

I vividly remember coming home from high school, making a snack, and sitting on the couch to watch Botched. I've always enjoyed those crazy plastic surgery shows and watching the transformation process from start to finish, even though the messaging behind them wasn't always the best. (Not that I realized it then.)

Now, as a beauty editor, it's become more clear to me just how problematic these shows were. They pushed the narrative that plastic surgery could easily "fix" something that's "ugly" or less-than-perfect and that without it, there was something wrong with your appearance. When I first saw the trailer for Netflix's new show Skin Decision, I assumed that it would be more of the same: a show that follows peoples' plastic surgery journey that's limited to your typical lip fillers, boob jobs, and liposuction treatments, and only further pushes the narrative that there are things that need to be corrected. But I couldn't be more wrong.

After watching the first episode of the new series, it became very clear to me that Skin Decision is the more modern "makeover" show that we need on TV. The stereotypical procedures that come to mind when you hear the words "plastic surgery" barely scratch the surface of the vast and sensitive medical concerns that can be addressed, and this show brings that to life.

The reason that someone seeks plastic surgery is personal, complex, and emotional, and this show treats it as such. In each episode, skin and beauty expert Jamie Sherrill (known as Nurse Jamie) and plastic surgeon Sheila Nazarian, MD, see two patients with stories that have led them to seek plastic surgery. One was a domestic abuse and gunshot survivor who wanted to forget the past. Another struggled after having quadruplets and wanted to take back her body. One hoped to complete their transition to finally feel more like themselves. After hearing each patient's story, they are provided with a unique procedure plan that's either performed by Nurse Jamie, through the use of fillers and lasers, or Dr. Nazarian, for surgery.

Throughout the show, both Dr. Nazarian and Nurse Jamie touch on both inner and outer beauty — making the transformations about more than just physical looks, but also the quality of life. Episode two introduces us to Nicholas, an entrepreneur who was involved in a near-fatal car crash that left him with facial scarring that affects how both he and others view him. Through various cosmetic treatments with Nurse Jamie, those scars are lightened, which turns out to be a transformative experience for Nicholas on a much deeper level. After his big reveal, he said, "I thought that getting the scars removed from my face, it would allow people to be open to see who I am . . . Now, I realize it's not about that. It's just about how I feel about myself, me living in my truth, bringing out my light."

"Skin Decision doesn't use words like "perfect" to describe plastic surgery outcomes. This is refreshing in a world where we're constantly being deceived by things like photo editing, retouching, and filters."

I also appreciate that Skin Decision doesn't use words like "perfect" to describe plastic surgery outcomes. Nurse Jamie and Dr. Nazarian carefully manage the expectations of each patient and provide them with realistic, obtainable goals. This is refreshing in a world where we're constantly being deceived by things like photo editing, retouching, and filters. The series kicks off with Sanaz, a young woman with a very relatable story about battling with acne that has left her with self-confidence damaging acne scarring. As she talks about her skin-care journey thus far, you can feel her pain and desperation to feel beautiful in her skin. But before even divulging her treatment plan, Dr. Nazarian has the tough but necessary conversation with Sanaz about the ultimate end-goal and says, "I just wanted to be honest with you, we can get you better. It's never going to be perfect. And we need to hear from you, is that enough? Are you going to be happy?"

Inspiring, emotional, and life-changing transformations aside, I can't not touch on how inspiring it is to see a female plastic surgeon on a big-time streaming platform. In an industry that is largely dominated by male doctors, despite a majority of the patients being women (92 percent as of 2018, to be exact), Dr. Nazarian's presence is energizing and I can only hope to see more of it — in real life and on TV.

While cosmetic treatments and plastic surgery are and always will be a personal choice that only the individuals can make, it's nice to see a TV show break down the stereotypical storyline we've seen time and again — and make people feel more empowered in the process.