What Is Attracting People To Cosmetic Surgery

Women, and equally men and teenage girls are being lured into the high risk industry of cosmetic surgery and modifications to their bodies which are fuelled by this desire to appear ‘perfect’, however indisputably this should start ringing alarm bells to people. This desire to appear perfect can easily then spiral out of control, especially in the case of teenage girls who naturally have an inquisitive mind and lead to their aspirations instead of being to achieve good grades, and do well in life become “when I grow up I want a boob job just like Katie Price” or “when I’m older I want to liposuction for my thighs and stomach”.



The editor of Bliss Magazine

Bliss Magazine conducted a survey on 2000 girls with an average age of 14, and alarmingly 40% admitted to wanting cosmetic surgery, with only 8% saying they were happy with their bodies.

The effect of this poor body image and self esteem can have a selection of different consequences depending on the person, however especially in young teenage girls the result can often be eating disorders such as Anorexia, in order to become more thin, to have this perfect body shape like their idol celebrities. Anorexia takes over a persons brain, and makes them want to go to extreme lengths to avoid putting on any weight. Statistics outline that 95% of all people with anorexia are aged between 12 and 25.

Shown below is an extreme case of anorexia.

Personally I think that this search for perfection will be never ending, as soon as one issue is tackled through surgery, for example a wrinkle on someones forehead, they may then find another imperfection that they will result to going under the knife for. This will then be on going and individuals will regularly be having procedures done. I believe that this is unhealthy, both physically and mentally because the effects will eventually take their toll on the person.

Different Types Of Procedures Available

There is a selection of different cosmetic procedures available for almost every part of the body, all the way down from facelifts, to buttock implants. This means that there is the opportunity to change almost everything, however none of these procedures come without any risks. Generally speaking the risks are not very high however there is always that 'what if', they go across the spectrum from bruising all the way down to in the worst case scenario, death. Why would anyone want to pay such a high price both literally and mentally for a better appearance?

Procedures Available:
Rhinoplasty
This procedure is concerned with the nose, and can involve either making it smaller, to become more proportionate to a persons face or to make it larger, this depends on the individual needs of the patient.
The recovery time is normally 2-3 weeks, however it make take several months before the nose settles into its new shape.
Risks that come alongside this procedure are nose bleeds either shortly after the procedure or a week to 10 days afterwards.
Rhinoplasty may also leave a hole inbetween the nostrils which will need further surgery to repair.

Before                  and               After     

For more information on Rhinoplasty click here


Otoplasty
This form of cosmetic surgery is concerned with an individuals ears. Otoplasty is mainly concerned with bringing the ears closer to the head (ear pinning), reducing the size of very big ears, or even reshaping the ears all together.
Recovery time is usually 3 to 7 days and this means that a patient will not require an over night stay in the clinic where they get their procedure carried out.
Risks associated with otoplasty are ears may not be perfectly symmetrical, and there is also some risk of infection.


Before                  and               After



For more information on otoplasty click here

Rhytidectomy
A Rhytidectomy is also known as a face lift and is associated with giving skin a more youthful and younger appearance. Excess skin is removed and redraped onto the patients face and neck. Sometimes the skin is tightened, but not always.
According to the 2008 statistics from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, were the 6th most popular procedure.
The healing period can last between a week and several, depending on the level of surgery carried out.
Potential risks of having a facelift can include - Bleeding, Infection and Skin Discolouration.






Before               and               After

For more information on rhytidectomy click here

These procedures are now accessible to the average, everyday woman or man. However working class people may buy into such procedures even though they may not be able to sustain their lifestyles, but they will do this anyway as they will see it as their ticket into the upper/middle classes. This concept is causing a somewhat blurring of the boundaries between the working classes and those which are above them.

There is also the argument that the before and after images are misleading to consumers looking into plastic surgery, as it is amazing what technology allows us to do these days. You dont need to be an expert photographer to be able to use photoshop to airbrush images to make them seem more appealing. Cosmetic surgeons may also use better lighting, and angles in the after images to help make the results appear better than what they actually are. This will give potential customers a false impression of what they could look like.

In my opinion I think that people prepared to change the way they look in order to fit into a certain class category goes against their morals, as they are not being true to themselves. Instead they are seeing cosmetic surgery as a solution to their social mobility.