Does plastic surgery promote beauty or destroy it - Essay Example

 Does plastic surgery promote beauty or destroy it? Plastic surgery refers to a medical process aimed at correcting or repairing parts of a human body. Though widely believed to encompass aesthetic surgery, plastic surgery generally is more than cosmetic; it involves a number of reconstructive surgery measures, hand surgery, treatment of burns and other body deformities as well as microsurgery. Plastic surgery has been in use by persons who want to improve their appearance; however, whether it creates beauty or destroys it remains debatable. Some people believe that the option of changing a deformed feature to improve their self-perception brings about constructive outcomes on physical and emotional health. Others argue that plastic surgery offers temporary solutions to beauty that falls short of nurturing healthy lifestyles such proper nutrition, body exercise and limited exposure to sunlight. Additionally, medical errors resulting from some cases of plastic surgery have led to permanent deformities. This paper explores whether plastic surgery is a way of promoting beauty or destroying it. Superficial beauty The surgical corrective measures that people who want to improve their appearance resort to arguably satisfy temporary and idealistic feelings of beauty that ends in the media. McInnes, Courtemanche, Verchere, Bush and Arneja (2012) have argued that plastic surgery does not alter one’s personal life; rather, it may boost an individual’s level of self-confidence and earn him or her better well-being. Some people elect to have plastic surgery on their body because they want to try it on and have a feeling of the impacts; while others want to have a new, more attractive and younger look. Either way, many American citizens are using the medical process of plastic surgery to enhance physical looks and achieve self-confidence. The outcomes remain contested, however. Fedok and Kellman (2012) have argued that the use of medicine as a strategy to improve the external physical appearance of human lives raises the question of when the best outcomes of the ‘treatment’ are been achieved. Medicine is undergoing constant evolution toward the utilization of proven technology-aided interventions which create faster, effective, less invasive methods of treatment for physical deformities (Abate, 2010). These developments often are viewed by the victims as extra incentives to go through the treatment purely for medical reasons. Therefore, the issue that arises is what will be the ultimate goal or qualities of beauty that plastic a surgery must achieve outside beyond deformity correction? Owing to the fact that perceptions of beauty varies from one person to another, the ultimate goal of plastic surgery is shifting and might lead to another deformity depending on the desire of the person and the nature of the invasive processes employed achieve these goals. Disfigured body Plastic surgery may result in body deformities and psychological disorders, especially if such procedures were performed multiple times in the same place (Fedok, & Kellman, 2012). Even though ads in the media do influence many people to contemplate plastic surgery, research findings indicate that excessive plastic surgery may result in body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) (Fedok, & Kellman, 2012). Individual victims of the disorder are normally obsessed with cosmetic surgery processes in order to restore a perceived deformity in their looks or skin. The disorder generally results in the performance of unnecessary medical procedures that often destroy one’s beauty. It is notable that BDD affects two percent of people in the United States; and 15 percent of victims of skin diseases who pay visits to dermatologist clinics and plastic surgery facilities are diagnosed with the condition (Abate, 2010). More than half of persons who are diagnosed with the condition, and who have gone through cosmetic surgery report unsatisfactory aesthetic outcomes (McInnes et al, 2012). Apart from the unintended beauty outcomes or damaged beauty, whether perceived or real, BDD is sometimes a risk factor in some suicide cases. Moreover, whereas many persons with BDD condition resort to cosmetic surgery as a corrective measure, the medical intervention does not alleviate BDD, and can eventually lead to more deformities and lost beauty when the patient opts to for crude methods so as to achieve the dream. In some instances, individuals whose surgeons refuse to undertake any further corrective surgeries as an avenue to improve beauty, have resorted to individually induced measures such as injections. The use of untested chemicals couples with unhygienic conditions often expose victims who are obsessed with plastic surgery to adverse safety risks, which would not happen had they not been exposed to the procedures. McClain (2013) cites the story of Hang Mioku who abused plastic surgery measures. Due to Mioku’s obsession with aesthetic surgery after modeling, and the refusal of surgeons to continue administering her therapy, she resorted to injections with unapproved silicone and cooking oil. By the time her self-imposed remedies were not yielding any positive outcomes, she had developed a completely disfigured body that even her closest family members could not recognize. And in an effort to correct the problem, almost two dozen surgeries conducted afterwards could not to win back her earlier appearances and beauty. In light of this, plastic surgery may be destructive to one’s beauty, especially if it was conducted several times in succession. Health risks Plastic surgery remains relatively unregulated in most developed countries including in the United States. Most of the surgeons perform these procedures in tiny, unhygienic offices. In view of these medical deficiencies, chances of infections can be higher after these invasive medical processes have been undertaken. Bacterial infection can cause skin infections or create wounds on the operated parts on their adjacent tissues after a plastic surgery. Currently, there are a few plastic surgeons who have received accreditations from the American Board of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (Fedok, & Kellman, 2012). Due to the lack of proper oversight policies, many people have suffered from infections resulting from such processes. Unhygienic equipment and environment can be favorable breeding grounds for bacteria that may cause permanent skin damage and reverse whatever beauty an individual had before he or she had an aesthetic surgery. Apart from bacterial infections, unintended outcomes of the medical procedure may result in deformity when a surgeon misses a step or uses substandard tools to achieve the objectives (Fedok, & Kellman, 2012). Medical errors are awash in plastic surgery, developments that could deform the appearance of the victims permanently. Cases of improper breast implants performed on victims who wanted a breast augmentation have resulted in the deformation of the victims’ breasts. Conclusion Plastic surgery is a medical process whose primary aim is to correct natural or artificial body deformities. The issue of whether plastic surgery should be encouraged as a way of correcting bad looks remains debatable. Owing to the fact that beauty lies in the perception of an individual, it is hard to determine what constitutes it. Regardless of the controversy, plastic surgery should not be used to improve one’s beauty because what constitutes beauty is a moving target, and may eventually result in the loss of beauty altogether. This is especially true when persistent and invasive processes are used to correct a physical condition. Owing to the massive health risks, plastic surgery for beauty is inappropriate because it creates superficial outcomes and might result in a disfigured body when there is a lack of competency in the process. References Abate, M.A. (2010). “Plastic Makes Perfect”: My Beautiful Mommy, Cosmetic Surgery, and the Medicalization of Motherhood. Women's Studies, 39(7), 715-746. Fedok, F., & Kellman, R. (2012). Techniques in Facial Plastic Surgery: Discussion and Debate, an Issue of Facial Plastic Surgery Clinics. New York: Elsevier Health Sciences. McClain, L. (May 8, 2013). Korean model Hang Mioku’s plastic surgery nightmare. Retrieved from McInnes, C.W., Courtemanche, D.J., Verchere, C.C., Bush, K.L., & Arneja, J.S. (2012). Reconstructive or cosmetic plastic surgery? Factors influencing the type of practice established by Canadian plastic surgeons. Canadian Journal of Plastic Surgery, 20(3), 163-168. Read More