Beauty Plastic Surgery - Essay Example

Sana Osman English 7 December 2008 Beauty Plastic Surgery The process of restoring body parts to look normal or changing a body part to look better, by performing a variety of operations is called plastic, cosmetic or reconstructive surgery. These are highly specialized surgeries which are characterized by careful preparation of a patient's skin tissue and by detailed cutting and suturing to minimize scaring. Recent developments of new materials for artificial body parts and limbs, and improved surgical techniques have increased the scope of plastic surgeries. Plastic surgeries include varieties of surgeries like that usually involve skin. There are various operations, like operations to remove acne scars or tattoos, to remove excessive fat from the abdomen, reshaping the cartilage in the ears of children are few common plastic surgeries. Cosmetic surgeries are usually done on the face. Cosmetic surgeries are usually done to enhance the patient's features or correct defacement. The most common cosmetic surgeries in adult are reshaping of the nose, face lifts, removal of baggy skin around eyelids, and changing the size of breasts. The other form of beauty plastic surgery is reconstructive surgery. This is the oldest form of plastic surgery which was developed to treat soldiers during wartime. This type of surgery is usually performed on accident and burn victims. It can include skin grafting and rebuilding of brutally fractured bones. The procedures of reconstructive surgery include, implanting prostheses and the reattachment of an amputated toe or finger. Though these three types of plastic surgeries have some common techniques, their emphasis is different. Plastic surgery is usually used to treat acne scars, remove birth marks and warts. Cosmetic surgeries are used to enhance the beauty of a person and make people look younger. Reconstructive surgeries are used to reattach and reconstruct body parts. The top performed cosmetic surgeries performed by choice in the United States are liposuction, breast augmentation, eyelid surgery, face lift, tummy tuck, collagen injections, chemical peel, laser skin resurfacing, rhinoplasty, and forehead lift. It is estimated that approximately 29 million surgical procedures were performed in the United States in the year 2001. However, the accurate figure cannot be determined as many plastic surgeries are performed in private professional offices. Plastic surgery does not only have physical benefits, it also has many psychological benefits. Plastic surgery also affects a person emotionally. It helps a person grow emotionally stronger. It helps better a person's self-esteem and self-worth. It also helps a person become more sociable and outgoing. Cosmetic surgery is an option that provides benefits of a lifetime. Beauty plastic surgery helps people who are struggling with their appearance which often controls their insight of the world. If a person is not happy with their looks it shows in the way they behave socially and personally. Cosmetic surgery can help improve a person's psychological position. People usually suffer emotional trauma when teased by peers in regards with their looks, this emotional trauma leads to lowering of a person's self-worth and self-esteem. In such cases, cosmetic surgery if performed can benefit a person's emotional state immensely. One successful story of a reconstructive surgery is of Marie "Hana" Gebrewold. When Hana was six months old she fell out of bed and broke her hands and her jaw. After her fall she was treated for her hands, however no one noticed her broken jaw. As she grew it started began affecting her appearance, her speech, and her ability to chew. When she was five years old her parents looked for ways to get her treated, but they were asked to wait foe a few years before they opted for any link of treatment. Two years later when Hana was ready for treatment her parents could not afford it. At the age of ten, a group of doctors from the United States and Europe offered to operate Hana. However, they discovered Hana was suffering from diabetes as well. As the doctors could not provide follow up care in Ethiopia they decided that the surgery would be too risky for Hana. For the next ten years Hana had to live with her condition. This made her develop a low self-esteem and shyness. In 2002, when Hana turned 21, she came to the United States and visited a dentist who was a volunteer for Operation Smile, a children's medical charity. With the help of Operation Smile Hana's dentist pulled together a team of doctors including Dr. Steven Barker and funds for a reconstruction surgery. Finally in 2008, Hana's reconstructive surgery was scheduled. Dr. Barker performed a series of reconstructive surgeries moving Hana's jaws to fit into a new position. Her jaws were then secured by titanium plates and screws. In order to correct the stooped growth of Hana's jaw which was due to failure of getting treatment at an earlier age, Dr. Barker also grafted bone from Hana's hip to the right side of her lower jaw. He also adjusted her chins position to give it a normal appearance. "Dr. Baker's assistant recalls Hana's first follow-up office visit, just one month after surgery: "When she came to the office window to check in, I didn't recognize her at all.I asked her for her name, and she giggled and said, it's me, Hana" (American Society of Plastic Surgeons 2008). After her reconstructive surgery Hana became very confident and outgoing. Her successful surgery also made her emotionally strong. Hana believes that Dr. Barker's surgery not only gave her confidence but also taught her to do good things for others. Plastic surgery can be done on a person's lips, eyes, nose, cheeks, ears, legs, butt, and body. The most common cosmetic surgery among women is breast augmentation where in size of the breast is increased. Another common cosmetic surgery is facelifts where the sagging skin on the face is treated in order to look younger. The most common reason why people opt for plastic surgeries is to make themselves look good. Cosmetic surgeries have many positive and negative impacts on patients. One of the most common advantages of plastic surgery is that it usually makes the persons look younger. Some of the positive impacts of cosmetic surgeries include improvements to body image. Another good impact is a boost to the quality of life of a person. Studies show patients who receive cosmetic surgeries were usually very satisfied with the improvement in the body part that was altered and also their whole body image. Another benefit of cosmetic surgery is that it gives a person better social interaction, as physically attractive people are more sociable, mentally healthy and intelligent than less attractive people. A simple liposuction of a bulging tummy can boost the self-esteem of a person. Women who alter their breasts, say they are able to do things they could not do before surgery, like jogging or getting a job. The lifestyle of people often improves after surgery, as they become more outgoing and enjoy doing things with others. There are many kinds of cosmetic surgeries, the most common ones being face lifts, lip injection, double eyelid repair, liposuction, breast implants, and gastrectomy. These are the most common cosmetic surgeries that people opt for, as they are concerned with improving the way a person looks. It is believed that when a person looks good he feels good, therefore, many people opt for these surgeries. Face lift surgeries are done to make a person look younger. With a face lift surgery you can smoothen the skin on your face, make the facial muscles firm and restore an attractive facial contour, all of which make a person look younger. A facelift is also known as a rhytidectomy, and is defined as a surgical procedure to improve signs of aging on the neck and face. One of the most common benefits of facelifts is repairing and tightening loose sagging skin. Previously face lift techniques only tightened the facial skin, today's techniques repair underlying structures of the face, like cheek fat, as well. This procedure puts less pressure on the skin and makes the face lift last longer. One of the benefits on modern face lifts is restoration of a youthful configuration to your face's muscles, connective tissues and fat as well as the skin. Restoration of facial contour is a remarkable benefit of facelifts. This is done by rearranging the underlying structures of the face. Today's surgeons tighten the underlying structures of the face, which usually weaken as a person ages, to give the patient a natural look. Face lifts are most common among middle aged people, who have visible wrinkles and aging skin. Marcy DiMare was very energetic and young at heart but was always told she looked tired. So when her son decided to get married she thought it was time for her to get a face lift. Marcy sought help from Dr. Levens, For Marcy's facelift; Dr. Levens made incisions in the front of the ear, behind the ear in the hairline and under the ear lobe. He also removed skin and fat, to reduce and lift the upper eyelids. After the surgery Marcy had some pain which was overcome with a few painkillers. Another famous method of cosmetic plastic surgery is Lip Augmentation. Plumps lips are considered a symbol of youth and fertility. Lip augmentation is used to enhance the shape and beauty of lips. Lip augmentation is among the most widely used cosmetic procedures nowadays. In lip augmentation the appearance and shape of the lips are changed by injecting pigments under the dermal layer of the lips. People opt for lip augmentation for various reasons like repairing thin lips and changing the color of lips, and to give their lips a permanent lip color instead of using lip sticks. Lip augmentation helps in heightening the self-confidence of a person. It also helps in transforming aging with the help if injectable lip fillers, lip implants and fat transfers. These procedures are also used to change the appearance of naturally thin and disproportionate lips into plump, smooth and youthful looking lips. All this takes just one visit to a cosmetic surgeon. A 54 year old lady with thin unattractive lips wanted to get a new look. She opted for lip augmentation. She chose to use Restylane treatment for which she visited Doctor Kelly R. Kunkel. After surgery her lips look more plump and full of life. Her lips showed marked improvement in appearance and the lines around her mouth. Surgery done on the eyelids is called blepharoplasty. Blepharoplasty is commonly known eyelid surgery. As people grow old their skin begins to droop and sag, this is seen mostly near and around the eyes. Eyelid surgery can bring back and restore the youthful of the eyes by removing excessive fat, muscle and skin from the eyelids. Eyelid surgery has both aesthetic and functional benefits. The aesthetic benefits of eyelid surgery include removing excess skin which obscures the natural fold of the upper eyelids. It also helps in reducing the puffiness of upper eyelids. Treatment for lower eyelids helps in removing excess skin. It also helps in correcting fine wrinkles and lines on the lower eyelids. Eyelid surgery can also help in removing bags that appear below the eyes and also helps in correcting droopiness of the eyes that reveals the white portion of the eye below the iris. The functional benefits of eyelid surgery include improving a person's vision. It also helps in restoring peripheral vision which is obscured by sagging and droopy eyelids. One benefit of eyelid surgery which is not cosmetic is that many insurance companies provide insurance for eyelid surgery as they also help in correction of vision, while insurance companies do not provide insurance for other cosmetic surgeries, as they are selective in nature. Ann Mary had always suffered from puffiness in her lower eyelids and her upper eyelids looked very lifeless and droopy. Ann Mary always wished to improve the fullness in her upper eyelids and remove the puffiness from her lower eyelids. She chose Blepharoplasty, to improve the appearance of her eyes. After her surgery she had much better and fuller looking eyes. Breast enlargement is the process of increasing and enhancing the size and shape of the breasts. Breast enlargement is a common cosmetic procedure. Breast size is a very important component of a woman's body which makes her feel confident and adds to her physical appearance. The benefits of breast enlargement are beyond an attractive and proportionate figure. Larger breasts in woman help bring balance to a woman's body and hips and helps eliminate a pear-shaped look. Breast enlargement helps restore the fullness and of breast that have lost volume and lift due to pregnancy and aging. It is possible for a surgeon to provide a breast size that suits a persons figure. A woman that feels her breast size is small and does not suit personal and societal standards suffers from loss of confidence. Breast enhancement helps alleviate these feelings and improve a person's confidence. Woman loose their breast size and volume after pregnancy and breast feeding, breast enhancement surgeries like a 'mommy makeover' can restore the firmness and youthfulness of breasts. One of the most enjoyed benefits of breast enhancement for woman is the wide range of clothes available to women. Breast enhancement surgeries help women increase their self-confidence and they become more sociable. Laurie a tax professional was also a body builder for ten years. She had a puffed up body but relatively small breasts. Laurie did not like the way she looked and thought that her body was very disproportionate. She was desperate to do something about the size of her breast. All she wished for was to have breasts of at least size 36 C. She then decided to get breast augmentation done by a member doctor of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. After her surgery she had fuller and bigger breast. Gastrectomy is the process of surgically taking away of part or all of the stomach. It is a surgical procedure used to reduce the weight of a person. Gastrectomy is also known as vertical sleeve gastrectomy or just sleeve gastrectomy. Gastrectomy is not a very common type of weight loss surgery, and is performed less than the other types of weight loss surgeries. However, it certain situations gastrectomy is the best option for some patients. For many patients advanced weight loss options like laparoscopic techniques and gastric banding operations are not suitable, that's when these patients opt for gastrectomy. There are many benefits of gastrectomy. People with excess body weight loose at least 75 to 80 percent of their excess body weight. Gastrectomy also helps patients with hypertension, after surgery almost 70 to 80 percent of are of medication for hypertension. Gastrectomy is also useful to patients with type II non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, are expected to go of medication after surgery. Gastrectomy can also drastically improve if not completely cure health problems like sleep apnea, arthritis, asthma, joint pain, shortness of breath fatigue and an overall sense of well-being. It is also said that gastrectomy can help reduce the risk of pulmonary diseases heart diseases, cancers and heart diseases. Obesity can reduce a person's lifespan by almost 20 percent, gastrectomy helps a patients reduce weight which not only helps him live longer, but also gives people a better lifestyle and an improved self-esteem. Cathy, a software professional was overweight for many years. She was desperate to loose weight. She then heard about gastrectomy. She looked for the different options available and opted for gastrectomy. She had no complication after her surgery and was back to work after eleven days. She had to stick to a strict diet after her surgery in order to show affective results. It did take some time for Cathy to cope with her small stomach, however she believes it was all a part of the learning process. After seven months of her surgery she was able to loose 42 kilos. She now looks thinner and much healthier than before, and she is able to do many more things than she did before her surgery. Beauty plastic surgery is very affective for people who want to change their physical appearance and looks. People usually opt for plastic surgery when their appearance changes due to accidents or some kind of a mishap. Plastic surgery is also done when a person wants to change his or her natural appearance. For example, people opt for a Rhinoplasty or nose surgery when they want to change the way their nose looks, they can make it look thin and long from short and bulging, or even give their nose a new shape to suit their looks, all this with the help of plastic surgery. The advantages of the different kinds of plastic surgery weigh much more than the minor risks involved. This is one of the biggest reasons why plastic surgery is fast growing among people. Another reason why people opt for plastic surgery is that it helps them psychologically and emotionally, changing their looks for the better makes people more confident and gives them immense emotional boost. This factor is also backed by many doctors and psychiatrists. Having a younger looking face, better looking lips, with fullness and great shape, improving the size of the breast or even giving the breasts a fuller look and better shape, reducing weight by a simple surgery, or improving the way the eyes look, these are all small steps one can take to improve his or her self-esteem and pride and look good. "Cosmetic wellness defines cosmetic surgery as a self care practice that lays the groundwork for greater all around health and well-being, as well as an enhanced ability to take control of one's life" (Taylor 26) Works cited Reconstructing Lives, American Society of Plastic Surgeons, 2008, http://www.plasticsurgery.org/patients_consumers/patient_stories/Reconstructing-Lives-Marie-Gebrewold.cfm Taylor, Victoria-Pitts, Surgery Junkies: Wellness and Pathology in Cosmetic Culture, Rutgers University Press, 2007 Read More