Plastic Surgery: Necessity or Vanity - Essay Example

Plastic Surgery: Necessity or Vanity Surgery is a means of treating diseases. Borrowing the word’s meaning from its Greek origins cheir, hand, and ergon, work, the literal translation of surgery is “handiwork “. In simpler terms, surgery means the treatment of disease by use of the hand. (Bradley III) Surgery has been used by man for thousands of years as a method to treat diseases. Over the years, however, surgery has evolved to be more than a cure for illnesses. After numerous developments in the field and with the advent of modern technology, it has been used as a “tool” for beautification for people who are willing to go under the knife.Thus, plastic surgery or more appropriately, cosmetic surgery, has also been tapped by people as a ” fountain of youth “. Necessity Plastic surgery has been known to help improve the appearance of people whose skin or body parts have been deformed or altered by burns, accidents or a dismorphic disease. Used in this way, plastic surgery in the form of reconstructive surgery has been known to change the lives of thousands of people mainly children who have conditions present at birth such as a cleft palate and other deformities. Aside from the aesthetical value one can derive from plastic surgery, these procedures, may save and improve the quality of life an individual. Vanity Every person has his or her own standard of physical attractiveness. Factors that affect this include gender, racial background and even economic status. Human beings have been concious of their looks for the longest time. Along with hair styling, nutritional supplements, exercises such as strength training, aerobics, yoga, and pilates, cosmetic surgery has been one of the techniques used by both men and women to alter their bodies to meet cultural standards or their own standards of beauty. (Gimlin) Since its introduction as an alternative and a quicker means to alter one’s appearance, a lot of men and women have resorted to cosmetic surgery. Those who have done this are those who can afford the treatments and want fast results. These people include those who have an urgent need to have procedures done because of complicated medical conditions. These people may also not have the patience to try dieting, exercise and take supplements which are effective, healthier and safer methods but make take some time. However, for a lot of theorists and social critics, they view cosmetic surgery as the most invasive means of altering the body for the sake of physical beauty. This just goes to show how far some people are willing to go just to improve their looks. (BLUM) Most human beings, especially women, are not contented with their physical appearance. Almost all of us believe that we would look and feel better if we looked a certain way. Those who are too thin have their bodies done so they can get curves, those who are a bit on the heavier side of the scale either have surgery to help control their weight for health reasons such as the gastric bypass surgery or liposuction, to help those who would like to sculpt better bodies. (Ince) As a result, a lot of procedures or treatments to beautify the self have been created. Among the most common procedures are breast augmentation, nose lift, eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty), liposuction and others. Treatments may range from non-invasive to invasive procedures that require one to go under general anesthesia. Healing and recovery may take from as fast as a few days to as long as few weeks. Some treatments require only one session while others would take several visits to the doctor to complete the treatment or to attain the desired result. (Gimlin) The number of people who have embraced plastic surgery as their fountain of youth has risen significantly. According to Debra L. Gimlin’s book, “Body Work: Beauty and Self-Image in American Culture”, in 1999, surgeons have performed more than 2.2 million procedures in that year alone. This figure is 44 percent higher than the figures from 1996 and a whopping 153 percent more than the figures from 1992. (Gimlin) These treatments do not come cheap. They range from $1,300 for chemical peels; $2000 for liposuction, breast augmentation costs nearly $3,000, blepharoplasty or eyelid surgery costs something below $3,000 and facelifts cost over $5,000. A majority of cosmetic surgery patients are women. The most common procedure and a favorite of women is liposuction. With pressure from society and the strong influence of celebrities to be thin even at the cost of one’s health makes cosmetic surgery one of the options for the easy way out. (Gimlin) In showbusiness where aging is seen as a disease or one of the most horrible things to happen to a person, cosmetic surgery is seen as one of the roads that will lead to their salvation. This is true, at least for the celebrities whose careers are dependent on their looks and therefore believe in employing this technique. Celebrities are among the role models of many people especially for young people who are barely out of their teens. Showbiz celebrities have become more than just artists. They have become trendsetters as far as fashion, beauty and culture are concerned. With the example that most young stars are showing, it is more likely that most young people will try to be like them. The creation of reality shows like “The Swan” that feature makeovers of their participants as a major highlight of the show have contributed to making cosmetic surgery a popular choice to enhance one’s appearance. “The Swan” and other reality shows shift the focus of the people into thinking that one can have a better life if one looked better. This puts much emphasis on improving one’s looks as a key to an improved life. One downside of this culture of beauty is the effect to the young women of the current society. An alarming outcome of this is the growing number of young women who have eating disorders as a reaction to the pressure to be thin or look a certain way. Most of them are not aware of the repercussions of such actions to their health. (Blum) The willingness of people to avail of these procedures in spite of the hefty price tag on the treatments and the risk to their lives send the message that more and more people are willing to do anything just to improve their looks. People have become more willing to risk almost anything just to look better and money is no longer an object. This is dangerous because it more often than not causes an individual to lose his or her focus on the more important things such as their health and their relationships with the people around them. Another interesting point to note is the age of the women who go to surgeons to avail of such cosmetic procedures. Over the years more and more younger women who appear normal and have no health or weight problems whatsoever, have flocked to the medical professionals in the business of cosmetic surgery to have a nip there and a tuck here. Somehow, the influences of older women relatives who have undergone cosmetic procedures contribute to the growing number of people choosing plastic surgery as the way to beauty. Magazines that show reed-thin models with their ribs protruding out of their flesh are giving the younger generation a twisted notion of what is means to look good. The younger generations who do not know any better are mislead into thinking that looking pale, gaunt, and sickly is the new concept of beauty. This can be detrimental to the younger generation as this could cause them to have a bad self-image and have a negative impact to their self-esteem with the constant subliminal introduction of the quest for physical perfection. (Hesse-Biber) Summary The obsession to be thin has taken a serious turn. According to the book “Am I Thin Enough Yet: The Cult of Thinness and the Commercialization of Identity” anorexia nervosa, bulimia and other eating disorders are very common in young women nowadays. So much is the pressure to be thin that women try hard to pursue this end even if it means employing means that could endanger their health and their mental well-being. (Hesse-Biber) It is very alarming to note that girls in their teens are considering having procedures done improve their looks. The more alarming fact is there are parents who are supportive of this action. The parents who provide for the funds for these treatments and procedures are not aware that they are giving way to their child’s a low self-esteem, self-worth and poor self-image. Sharlene Hesse-Biber notes in her book that “rejecting the Cult of Thinness begins with recovery and reclaiming your "Inner Child," the authentic self “. Hesse-Biber believes that to save one’s self-esteem, one must learn to accept the flaws and imperfection that one has. (Hesse-Biber) More than anything, it is important to focus on one’s physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. People with issues concerning their looks should look to other methods of healing because there are many underlying factors that bring about such problems. More often, these people are dealing with deeper problems that have remained unsolved. They should concentrate on getting help and resolving these issues before doing anything drastic to their bodies. In my opinion, people should only use plastic surgery like any medical procedure. This is as a cure and to correct medical conditions that threaten or endanger the lives of individuals. I believe in aging gracefully. These imperfections lend character to the totality of a person. Believing otherwise would lead one to be confused about his or her priorities in life. Works Cited Blum, Virginia. "Becoming the Other Woman: The Psychic Drama of Cosmetic Surgery." Frontiers - A Journal of Women's Studies. Volume: 26. Issue: 2 (2005): 104+. BLUM, VIRGINIA L. Flesh Wounds, The Culture of Cosmetic Surgery. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2003. Bradley III, Edward L. "A PATIENT'S GUIDE TO SURGERY." A PATIENT'S GUIDE TO SURGERY. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1994. Gimlin, Debra L. Body Work Beauty and Self-Image in American Culture. Berkeley, CA: UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS, 2002. Hesse-Biber, Sharlene. Am I Thin Enough Yet? The Cult of Thinness and the Commercialization of Identity. New York: OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS, 1997. Ince, Kate. Orlan: Millennial Female. Oxford, England: Berg, 2000. Read More