Recently during an interview, Miss Venezuela Marelisa Gibson, admitted to getting a nose job and said her country was quite obsessed with cosmetic surgery. Her exact quote given during an interview with celebrity news website Celestrellas was "Yes, I had a nose job. I wasn't sure about it first, but after the operation I was really happy with the result. Sometimes it's good to give natural beauty a little help."

While her revelations have not come as a surprise to many, it has reignited the debate of whether beauty pageant contestants should be allowed to go through cosmetic plastic surgery to enhance their appearances. Many feel that contestants should be judged on their natural beauty and that those who have gone through any kind of cosmetic surgery procedure must not be allowed to participate in such events. However, many others feel there is nothing wrong with taking the help of plastic surgery and as Miss Venezuela Marelisa Gibson said "give natural beauty a little help".

Those against use of beauty pageant contestants using cosmetic surgery ask how would one would define a "little" help. Certain contestants could afford to go through multiple plastic surgery procedures and completely change the way they look. Others may not be so lucky and may not be able to afford any kind of cosmetic enhancements. Given that this is such a grey area, use of cosmetic surgery in such beauty pageants has given rise to heated debates. Of course plastic surgeons say this is nothing new and several women who compete in beauty pageants have been using cosmetic plastic surgery for years now. Breast augmentation and using cosmetic surgery to enhance facial features are alleged to be common amongst many contestants. Critics of plastic surgery in beauty pageants also point out that the average age of women in such competitions are coming down quite rapidly and we are setting a bad example for the younger women. In fact many kids who participate in child beauty pageants are also learning about cosmetic surgery and may not be able to judge properly the merits and demerits of going under the knife at such a young age.

While there will always be supporters and critics for all issues, the debate of plastic surgery and beauty pageants will likely persist for some time to come. With more and more people having surgical enhancements, it only follows that the number of contestants who will undergo cosmetic surgery will increase.