The Effects of Cosmetics Surgery on Society Demand for Beauty

This paper explored the effects of cosmetics surgery on the society's demand for beauty. By understanding the definition and history of reconstructive surgery, readers will realize the importance of how cosmetics surgery affects people's lives and becomes necessary procedures for several individuals. The articles tackle the beauty standards of our modern society and how cosmetics surgery helps attain those ideal looks. Vice versa, the research also suggested that plastic surgery also increases society's demands of beauty. Articles included statistics of the number of plastic surgery procedures increasing and the most performed surgical and minimally invasive cosmetic procedures in the United States. This paper also examined the risks and aftermath of cosmetics surgery to suggest that an increase in cosmetics surgery is dangerous and shows a psychological crisis in our society.

Keywords: Reconstructive surgery, aesthetic surgery, surgical cosmetic procedures, minimally invasive cosmetic procedures

In the 21st century, cosmetics surgery have turned into such a common procedure in our modern society. You could say that it has become so accessible and affordable to pretty much everyone regardless of age or race. Several factors motivate people to undergo a plastics surgery procedure despite the risk and pain that might occur. One obvious reason is to live up to society’s concept of idealized beauty. No matter what the era, society as a whole has always had the mindset of what is considered pretty and what is not. That standard differs depending on the time periods and country; nonetheless, the fact that our society has a certain beauty standard remains. This obsession with appearance eventually cause pressured for people to appear in a certain way and have a certain body type. But what if you were born an eye, a nose, a lip, or a body type that is not desirable by others. Centuries ago you might not have a choice but to live with it. However, with the development of plastic surgery, people can easily change their physical appearance. This might seem benefitting to everyone since they can now be considered pretty by others. On the other hand, it is important to realize that the beauty standard increase and people just expect more and demand more. The more society demand is the more people get cosmetics surgery. The number of cosmetics surgery procedure perform increase every year with the age of the patients becoming younger and younger. The rise in cosmetic surgery further shows a psychological crisis in our society. There is no doubt that cosmetics surgery increase society demands of beauty.

There are several types of cosmetics surgery, but unlike normal reconstructive surgery, “cosmetic surgery is undertaken for aesthetic rather than health reasons” (“Cosmetic surgery: An introduction,” 2010). “Cosmetic surgery refers to a surgical procedure undertaken to reshape and change the appearance of a body part,” and it included changing the structure, position, textures, and features of an individual (“Cosmetic surgery: An introduction,” 2010). Cosmetics surgery can be performed in most parts of the body. Surgeons can change the size and shape of numerous parts, but some of the most common surgery are eyes, nose, lips, breast, face, and abdomen. Not to mention, cosmetics surgery is a difficult process which included numerative operative techniques. For instance, Lipoplasty remove fat from the body by suction techniques through small cuts. Augmentation is increase the size of specific body part though implantation and is usually perform on the breast. Body contouring removed loose skin and and tightened the remaining skin for a more toned appearance. Reshaping procedures are used to contour or shape a feature by implanting, removing, or reshaping a bone or cartilage. “[Dermabrasion] involves the scraping away of layers of skin; and [in hair replacement,] skin with good hair growth is grafted onto bald areas where hair growth is desired (“Cosmetic surgery: An introduction,” 2010). Changing your appearance doesn’t necessarily have to involve surgery. There are also non-surgical cosmetic treatments which don’t involve surgery but change the appearance by altering the body tissues. Three of the most common non-surgical cosmetic treatments are Botulinum toxin injections (Botox), Dermal Fillers, and Chemical peels. Botox is injected into your facial muscles in order to reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Similarly, Dermal Fillers are also injected to reduce wrinkles but for a shorter period of time with the use of collagen that are derived from human and cow skin. This help reduces wrinkles for approximately two to four months. Chemical peels are chemical solutions that contain phenol, trichloroacetic and alpha hydroxy acids that remove outer layers of the dermis. Cosmetic surgery is a large branch of medicine that involve a wide range of techniques and procedure which aim at improving appearance.

Although to many people, cosmetics surgery might seem relatively new, in fact, it has been around for a period of time. As early as 800 B.C., physicians in ancient India were utilizing skin grafts to help heal reconstructive worker during that era. There was not much progress made during the next few thousand years. Minor advancements were made during the Greco-Roman, where records of surgical methods for reconstructing ears, lips, and noses were recorded. It wasn’t until the Renaissance where significant advances were made resulting in a safer and more efficient surgical method. Nonetheless, cosmetics surgery wasn’t that popular and wasn’t even consider to be a branch of its own. When World War I, however, this bought reconstructive surgery to a whole new level. The casualties of war made plastic surgery a necessity for the soldiers. In order to treat the soldiers who’ve suffered from mainly head and facial injuries, many skill surgeons dedicated their practice into reconstructive plastic surgery in order to help their country. It was also during that time that people started to realize the importance of one appearance, and how aesthetic surgery can help achieve that. Consequently, this bought a better understanding of the used of anesthesia and infection prevention making plastic surgery much safer and allowing surgeons to perform much more complex surgery. Many other progresses were made over the year to ensure a safer surgical procedure and reconstructive surgery performed solely for aesthetic reasons become much more accepted by the public. Even if at some point cosmetic surgeons, in general, were viewed as “quacks” by other general surgeons. Currently, cosmetics is widely spread and become much more common in society.

Modern plastic surgery is more focused on aesthetic reason making cosmetics surgery incredibly popular. As the public perception of plastic surgery improves and with the economic boom, cosmetics surgery increases in popularity. Furthermore, with the invention of Botox, fillers, and silicone, just made feats that only once dreamed possible. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), more than 9 million procedures of Botox and fillers were performed in 2015 (Berry, 2018). Silicone was a newly created substance which was initially used was treating skin imperfections. In 1962, Dr. Thomas Cronin a breast implant made from silicone. Over the years, silicones implants are being used on several parts of the body. Despite the health problems caused by these substances and the controversy over silicone breast implants, this didn’t stop people from seeking cosmetics surgery. Modern people choose to seek beauty while neglecting the risk involved.

With the development of aesthetic surgery, not necessary it’s possible to meet today’s demand for beauty. Since modern plastic surgery is accessible to everyone with just the tip of their fingers, people can change their appearance whenever they wish to. Getting rid of wrinkles, creating double eyelid, creating a higher nose bridge, having a fuller lip, getting rid of tummy fats, cutting down jawlines, and just about anything is possible with cosmetics surgery. But why would people go to such great length to do such a thing. The only reason people would want to change their appearance is that they are identified as not “beautiful.” Unfortunately, our society consists of people who would judge other people based on their appearance. Furthermore, because of the society unrealistic demand for beauty, people struggled to meet the standard set by others. When people make you feel like you shouldn’t be satisfied with your looks, you would naturally want to get rid of those traits. Then they have no choice but to resort to going through cosmetics surgery procedure. Society has always been obsessed with how people appear to others and with the words “beauty.” The word beauty is a double edged sword that end up hurting people who don’t fit that standard. “This obsession fuels societal pressures to appear a certain way and to have a certain body type” (Howard, 2018). This obsession has been around for ages, in fact, decades ago. From prehistory until the 1900s, women with round, “pear-shaped women's bodies, with large breasts….symbolize attractiveness or fertility” (Howard, 2018). The ideal beauty during that time is curvy and voluptuous. Beginning in the 1920s, a more slim figure is more desired by women due to the influence of how slender women appeared in magazines. This eventually starts causing eating disorders among young women. In the late 1940s, with the rise in fame of actresses like Marilyn Monroe, fuller body types are starting to become a little bit more popular. However, “[by] the late 1960s, the ratio had returned to approximately the same level it was in the 1920s, the study found” (Howard, 2018). From the 1960s to 1970s, people prefer a thinner body rather than a curvy one. People started to exercise and go on diet in hope of being thinner. “Though images of thin women continued to be mainstream well into the 1980s, there became more of an emphasis on strong, athletic and toned body types” (Howard, 2018). Around that period of time, according to the World Health Organization, the prevalence of obesity increased significantly causing concern globally. According to Common Sense Media report which was published in 2015, “between 1999 and 2006, hospitalizations for eating disorders in the US spiked 119% among children under age 12” and nearly a third of children younger than 6 years old in the United States prefer an ideal body size that is thinner than their current self (Howard, 2018). This shows how from a really young age kids develop the idea that of developing their own identity and, at the same time, trying to figure out what is socially acceptable. Unfortunately, what is preferred by society end up causing health problems because it may be “pretty” but definitely not “normal” and “healthy”. It is more than just merely health problems because this shows the psychological impacts ideal beauty have on others. In pretty much every much every era since prehistory, a beauty standard exists, but as time pass it is more evident that those obsessions with beauty cause more harm than goods.

Back in the day beauty standards may exist, but cosmetics surgery doesn’t. Even if reconstructive surgery exists, it wasn’t used for aesthetic reasons. Therefore, if someone didn’t quite fit the beauty standard, they have no choice but to live with it. However, that also means the society is more accepting since not like that individuals have a choice because there was no advanced technology that can magically change their appearance as they desire. On the contrary, in our modern society, instead of accepting people for who they are, we expect people to change to fit the standards we set. In other words, because of the technology provided now and the development of plastic surgery, society just expects people to just undergo the doctor knife if they simply didn’t fit the ideal. The fact that plastic surgery has become so common that fitting society’s standard of beauty is a must. Being beautiful is simply taken for granted.This phenomenon can be seen all around the world. To be beautiful in our current society is more than just having a certain type of body or face, we have to a point where to be “pretty” is to be perfect because almost anything you could possibly imagine can be achieved with cosmetics surgery. “Korean women are getting surgeries for permanent smiles. In Venezuela, breast augmentation is so widespread, it's a popular coming-of-age gift for quinceañera, or 15th-birthday celebrations” (Pao, 2013). Our society has come to the point where cosmetic surgery is a way of life.

Cosmetics surgery make it possible for today’s demand for beauty. No matter what is desired in that society, plastic surgery can attain that. It is important to realize that if anything can be gain through plastics surgery that also the society will just demand more. Because our society has a habit of making unrealistic demand. Therefore, as a result, there has been an increase in the number of cosmetic procedure every year. “New data released by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) shows continued growth in cosmetic procedures…[according] to the annual plastic surgery procedural statistics, there were 17.5 million surgical and minimally invasive cosmetic procedures performed in the United States in 2017, a 2 percent increase over 2016” (Ross, 2018). Plastic surgery is not only popular in the United States, but millions and millions of surgical procedure are performed over the world each year. The country with the highest number of recorded surgeries in 2015 is the United States with 4,042,610 cosmetic procedures performed. According to American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), the top five most performed cosmetic surgical procedures in the United States in 2017 are Breast augmentation, Liposuction, Nose reshaping, Eyelid surgery, and Tummy tuck. Meanwhile, the top five most performed minimally invasive procedures are Botulinum Toxin Type A, Soft Tissue Fillers, Chemical Peel, Laser hair removal, and Microdermabrasion. (Ross, 2018). Brazil came second with 2,324,245 procedures, and South Korea come in third with 1,156,234. “Other countries where aesthetic surgery is popular include India, with 935,487 such procedures in 2015, followed by Mexico (907,913), Germany (617,408), Colombia (548,635), France (488,718), and Italy (418,760)” (Pariona, 2018). The pressure for people to achieve the idealized beauty increase the number of cosmetics surgery procedures ever years which manage to show how the demand for beauty have been increasing.

Cosmetics surgery might seem like a magical thing that helps people achieved their ideal look. A point often overlooked is that cosmetics surgery is like any other surgery and have to be taken seriously. “Psychologists and surgeons fear that many patients do not fully grasp the gravity or potential risks of these operations” (Goudreau, 2011). In fact, cosmetics surgery include all sort of risks from health, psychological, and social risk. Depending on the type of surgery, the health risks vary. Nonetheless, possible risks include infection, scarring, nerve damage, numbness, Necrosis, anesthesia issue, Blood Clots, and Hematoma. “Any time you tamper with the body’s balance, you risk creating new problem areas” (Goudreau, 2011). Furthermore, by changing the appearance of one part of the body, you are risking throwing off the appearance of the other parts. For instance, “ [a] tummy tuck may cause the thighs to look out of proportion, while plumped lips may make a normal sized nose suddenly appear obtrusive” (Goudreau, 2011). Not to mention, many minimally invasive surgery risk messing up the nervous systems by injecting a substance into the body. Of course, popular surgery like eyelid surgery is incredibly dangerous because the eyes are really sensitive. In addition cosmetics surgery is really stressful, “lack of sleep and recuperation that often includes pain, fatigue, and swelling causes most to experience some degree of depression” (Goudreau, 2011). Cosmetics surgery is not only about during the surgery, but also about the result after the surgery. One of the most important risk to consider is a poor cosmetic outcome. Unlike medically necessary surgery, the success of plastic surgery is subjective and might result in an unsatisfactory result. Another important fear many patients goes through is the reaction from people around them because “[perhaps] the most insidious threat of a cosmetic change is the response by others” (Goudreau, 2011). For this reason, cosmetics surgery procedure shouldn’t be treated lightly.

Although society always has a beauty standard, the idea of idealized beauty increase due to the development of cosmetics surgery. “Around the world, women continue to go to extreme measures in pursuit of beauty” (Pao, 2013). Because of the fact that people can easily change their appearance, society just expects more out of other people until we reach the point where cosmetics is more like a most than an optional thing. As a result, over the years there has been an increase in the number of cosmetics surgery performed. However, people tend to overlook the risk and the aftermath of cosmetics surgery. Even though cosmetics surgery might seem like an incredibly wonderful thing, but it is actually a double edge sword. As more people undergo cosmetics surgery, other people are also pressured to do it too in order to attain the ideal look. This just continued to increase the society demand for beauty and if this were to continued we will one day reach the point where we wouldn’t remember our original looks.