Basic Trope: Having had cosmetic surgery marks a character as unpleasant.
- Straight: Natalia is the Alpha Bitch at school. Her vanity and self-obsession is shown by the fact that she's had a nose job and lip fillers; she also gets liposuction regularly.
- Exaggerated: Natalia is the Big Bad plotting to Take Over the City. She's completely unrecognizable from her younger self and can barely move her face due to all the plastic surgery she's had.
- Downplayed: Natalia's the only one who's had a nose job among the main characters. Although she's vain and kind of a snob, she's still good at heart.
- Justified:
- Natalia was bullied for her looks in the past and shunned for being 'ugly'. After her surgery, the bullying stopped, but enduring insecurity made her start being mean to others.
- Natalia has Appearance Angst which made her get plastic surgery, however, her past appearance becomes the Freudian Excuse of her newfound vanity.
- Natalia is extremely self-centred and lavishes money on herself while being The Scrooge to her family and friends.
- Natalia is an older woman who spends her money to stay young and relevant, and she does not play nice towards younger women.
- Inverted: Natalia is the only character who has never had work done, because of her arrogance and Delusions of Beauty.
- Subverted: The head cheerleader is introduced talking about the nose job she just had, but then she proves herself to be a nice person throughout the story.
- Double Subverted: She was a Bitch in Sheep's Clothing and actually vain and stuck-up.
- Parodied: Alice asks why plastic surgery is considered evil. Bob guesses that it is because it is considered deceptive. They then come to the conclusion that make up and even clothes are evil. They promptly strip naked and start street preaching against clothes.
- Zig-Zagged: Natalia initially fits the trope by having cosmetic surgery and displaying unpleasant behavior, but later it is revealed that her actions are driven by deeper insecurities and personal struggles. As the story progresses, Natalia learns to overcome her vanity and becomes a more compassionate and likeable character.
- Averted: Nobody gets plastic surgery. Or, if they do, it is not an indicator of their personality or morality.
- Enforced:
- Natalia is a good person whose plastic surgery obsession is a mere Running Gag. However, Moral Guardians complain that such a depiction is making kids think plastic surgery is no big deal. Rather than moralize about the true dangers of PS, the writers decide to just retool Natalia into a scumbag.
- It's an anti-plastic surgery campaign.
- Lampshaded: "They made her pretty but they couldn’t make her likeable."
- Invoked: As part of a Zero-Approval Gambit, Natalia gets cosmetic surgery (or pretends to) and then starts acting stuck-up about it.
- Exploited: Natalia strategically uses her cosmetic surgery as a means of gaining attention or manipulating others. For example, she flaunts her enhanced appearance to attract followers or uses it to deceive others for her own personal gain.
- Defied: After Natalia gets cosmetic surgery, she is concerned about being labelled as egoistic, and takes extra care to treat others kindly to avoid this.
- Natalia explains to everyone that her "cosmetic" nose surgery was actually fixing a serious sleep apnea issue.
- Discussed: Characters engage in a conversation or debate about the trope and its implications. They may discuss the societal perception of cosmetic surgery and how it affects people's judgments of others.
- Conversed: Characters have a conversation unrelated to the main plot, where they discuss the trope of cosmetic surgery marking a character as unpleasant. This discussion might occur in a casual or humorous manner, not directly related to the events of the story.
- Played for Laughs: Plastic surgeons all have thinly disguised names of demons and dark gods. The medical disclosure includes potential side effects such as 'becoming vain, bitchy, or Machiavellian'. There are also signs in the clinics stating that they accept souls as payment.
- Deconstructed: This belief is shown to have caused all plastic surgery to be banned as 'corrupting decadence'. As a result disfigured people are kept with hideous injuries that not only make them outcasts but are also a health risk.
- Reconstructed: The government establishes the law which allow plastic surgery mainly for fixing facial disfigurement, and behavioral therapy is required before surgery to keep the patients away from impulsive choices.
- Implied: It is hinted or suggested that Natalia might have had cosmetic surgery due to her changed appearance, but it is not explicitly shown or addressed in the story.
- Deconstructed: Played for Drama:
- The story delves into the psychological toll of cosmetic surgery on Natalia, highlighting the emotional distress, addiction, and societal pressure that contribute to her unpleasant behavior. It portrays the damaging effects of the trope and the harm it can cause to individuals.
- Reconstructed: The narrative explores the complexities of Natalia's decision to undergo cosmetic surgery, delving into her personal growth, self-acceptance, and eventual redemption. It challenges the initial negative assumptions associated with the trope and presents a nuanced portrayal of the character's journey.
- Played for Laughs: Natalia's obsession with cosmetic surgery and her unpleasant behavior are portrayed in a comedic light, using exaggerated situations and humorous antics to highlight the absurdity of the trope.
- Played for Horror: The consequences of Natalia's excessive cosmetic surgeries take a dark turn, resulting in a grotesque and unsettling appearance. The story emphasizes the Body Horror and psychological horror elements associated with the trope.
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