Plastic Surgery is the Way to Become a Better Individual - Research Paper Example

Now, an individual can actually alter or enhance almost any part of his body whenever he wants or needs to. So, having plastic surgery is worth the pain, the risks and the cost if it helps person to become a better individual. People in ancient times were not foreign to plastic surgery. Throughout history, different cultures have one way or another manifested making changes in their physical appearances. Although the procedures were somehow crude, the principle was the same. For example in Egypt, the dead were made to appear as they were when alive so as to be recognized in the afterlife. (DiBacco) In ancient Rome, literature makes reference to Roman surgeons removing scars on the back because it meant a man turned his back during battle or was whipped like a slave or performing breast reduction on a fat man because his big breasts looked ugly.

(“Beautiful Body”) put article titles in quotes The first recorded case of plastic surgery on living individuals was in India where people had their noses and ears repaired because they lost these in battle or as a punishment. (“Beautiful Body”) When surgery was still very new in Europe, Acharya Sudhrut of India had already described surgery procedures and treatment for dislocations and fractures in the book, Sushrut Samhita. (Badri) Eventually, plastic surgery found its way to the western part of the world albeit with slow progress.

It was not until World War I that plastic surgery would be on the rise again, with the doctors performing reconstructive surgery on the soldiers. (Kita) Continuous developments in the field of plastic surgery have shaped it into what it is today – an avenue to help individuals feel better about their bodies, whether the purpose for doing so is aesthetic or reconstructive. Plastic surgery can be classified into cosmetic surgery and reconstructive surgery. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, “reconstructive surgery is performed on abnormal structures of the body caused by congenital defects, developmental abnormalities, trauma, infection, tumors or disease.

” Breast reconstruction or reduction for women who experience back pains because of their breast size; microsurgery or flap procedures to replace body parts affected by injury or diseases like cancer; surgeries for webbed toes or fingers, tumors, etc. (Grayson), appendage replacement, facial surgery (Wiet) and skin grafts are some examples of reconstructive surgery. On the other hand, cosmetic surgery is more often associated with beautification though it has the same beginnings as reconstructive surgery.

Eventually, altering an individual’s body part became a need in an attempt to purge society of deformities. (Essig) There are a number of cosmetic procedures “to achieve the look that the patient wants.” (Plastic) Some require going under the knife while some are non-surgical. The most popular ones include laser hair removal, laser surgery, BOTOX and breast implants. (Plastic) Plastic surgery has become so common in the world today that the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery were able to list the top 25 countries for plastic surgery.

The United States, China, Brazil, India, Mexico, Japan, South Korea, Germany, Turkey and Spain ranked among the highest. (Top 25) Individuals who undergo plastic surgery usually give two reasons: to move up the corporate ladder or get a job or to feel better