What is bodyscaping? Think landscaping, except the land is your body. It includes everything from minor cosmetic surgery to bariatric weight loss surgery. Some people feel very strongly against reshaping the human body. For them, it is a sacred object as is. Making major alterations to it that are not absolutely necessary is akin to playing god.

Others are convinced that their body belongs to them for them to do with as they please. If they want to change their appearance, it is nobody’s business but theirs. If you happen to be in the latter camp, when is it time to make one of those major changes? Elective surgeries are still surgeries. They can have serious consequences for your health. There are serious risks involved, especially during a pandemic. The risk of infection is much higher.

Beyond questions of timing are questions of motivation. Why do you want to change your appearance? Many women do it to please their significant other. They consider it as routine as a health screening or medical treatment. That is a dicey proposition. It is a little like getting your partner’s name tattooed on your body then breaking up a week later. Ouch! Other bodyscaping options are even more permanent.

There is nothing wrong with pleasing someone you love. But there are better reasons to do it. Consider the following:

Oral health also makes for better intimacy. So it makes sense to brush your teeth before bed and intimate encounters. Let’s face it: There is nothing attractive about stained teeth, bad breath, and lingering crumbs of whatever you had for dinner.

That said, none of that is the main reason why you should take better care of your teeth. Besides oral health, the cost of bad teeth is confidence. You can’t smile or display an open facial expression with confidence. If you are suffering that consequence because you fear the Invisalign cost, you might be suffering for no reason. This is not the Stone Age. Dental care has advanced quite a bit. So has insurance, supply, and demand. Getting better alignment is way more affordable than you might think.

To be sure, it will definitely help your sex life. There will almost certainly be a lot more kissing in your future. But the better reasons to care about your teeth are your increase in health and confidence.

Getting breast augmentation to please your partner is probably the worst reason in the world to do it. If there is a worse reason, I am not aware of it. One of the best reasons to get breast implants was popularized by George Zimmer of the Men’s Wearhouse: You’re going to like the way you look.

If your partner also likes the way you look, that is a nice bonus. It can improve your sex life, but not in the way you might think. The improvement comes in the way you feel about yourself, not in the way your partner feels about you. Your partner became your partner and remains in love with you just as you are. But if you are unhappy with your appearance, your romantic endeavors will be somewhat inhibited. It is perfectly okay for you to shape your body the way you will enjoy it most.

You don’t have to explain to anyone why you want to get bariatric surgery. Your health choices are between you and your doctor, not your lover. So if your lover becomes uninterested in you because of your size, you should find another lover. Trying to change your shape for someone else almost never works.

You don’t need their approval. You do need to be healthy. So the best reason to go for weight loss surgery is because you have tried everything else. Your ability to lose weight is not really up to you. If you have the ability, you can do a lot with diet and exercise. But that is simply not the case for everyone. Use whatever available solution that is right for your health, not the one that is right for someone else’s approval.

Your partner is definitely going to love it if you improve your smile, augment your breasts, and lose weight. But none of that matters. What matters is that you feel more confident, that you like the way you look, and that you went with the option that was best for your health.