Plastic Surgery Is the Most Common Surgery Done in America - Essay Example

Plastic Surgery From the time of the caveman, it has been through our outward appearances that we project who and what we are to other people. Studies have continuously shown that people dress a certain way and acquire certain things to try to evince an attitude of belonging to a particular subset of individuals who embody their ideals (Gilman, 1999). In today’s beauty culture, plastic surgery is the most common surgery done in American hospitals. It is a trend believed to be in response to constant societal pressure for people of all ages to become the ‘ideal’ person. This ideal person is usually someone of a mid-20ish age, slender, with specific measurements and a certain good-looking charm. This limited view automatically rejects anyone with a larger bone structure or other ‘defect’ from being socially acceptable. Those who can both afford to purchase the ‘right’ look and who are fortunate enough to be a candidate for surgery are seen to have the ideal life. Their outward appearance automatically indicates they also have wealth, happiness and freedom. However, even for these people, this restricted view of the ideal has several negative effects on the individual as well as society. With so much attention given to the way a person looks on the outside as being the only social measure, there is very little room for internal characteristics to receive their rightful attention. People also spend so much time obsessing about the way they look that there is little time or energy for personal development. This shallow, obsessive view can be especially seen in the alarming numbers of teenagers, both male and female, seeking plastic surgery, because it can be potentially harmful to the individual’s psychological nature and physical health, and as it is perpetuated by their role models and peers and encouraged or supported by their parents and elders. As it becomes more socially acceptable, more people are turning to cosmetic surgery to enhance their bodies while they’re still attending high school. They are working to construct the ideal form without giving their bodies a chance to finish growing. Many adolescents (and the parents that allow them to seek these types of surgery) don’t seem to realize that plastic surgery is still surgery. Surgery of any type can have significant physical and physiological risks, especially when performed on bodies that have not yet completed their growth cycle. Although some parents might argue that a child has definitely finished growing, doctors have reported sending prospective patients home for a few years before they’ll consider surgery simply because they haven’t finished growing physically. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons reported 8,074 rhinoplasty, or nose reshaping surgeries, were performed on patients aged 18 and younger in 1998, making it the most common surgery for this age group. “Although noses typically stop growing at age 15 in girls, it is closer to age 20 in males” (Powers, 2000). Another age-specific danger surgery is the procedure known as liposuction. “Wallace [Dr. Robert Wallace, chairman of the University of Tennessee College of Medicine’s division of plastic surgery] said he also is reluctant to do liposuction during the hormone and weight fluctuations that often accompany adolescence” (Powers, 2000). Although liposuction was designed to remove unwanted inches from specific areas of the body, reports indicate more than 1600 adolescents expected to shed unwanted pounds. They saw liposuction as a quick-fix alternative to adopting a healthy diet and regular exercise program. The idea of psychological maturity is also an important factor to consider. In one study questioning 2,000 girls with an average age of 14, “four out of ten said they would consider plastic surgery to make themselves slimmer” (Gustafson, 2005). According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), teenagers seek plastic surgery as the only way in which they feel they can be acceptable to their peers (Gustafson, 2005). Many surgeons, in screening their patients, will bring up the question of what is expected. One nurse said “It won’t get them a boyfriend or make them smarter or solve their problems … You have to seriously go into their motivation” (Powers, 2000). Those in favor of cosmetic surgery point to studies that compare psychological and psychosocial behavior both before and after plastic surgery procedures. These studies suggest positive outcomes as a result, “including improvements in body image and possibly a quality-of-life boost too” (Dittman, 2005). However, these same studies demonstrate several predictors of negative outcomes that can include depression, adjustment problems, social isolation, family problems, self-destructive behaviors and anger toward the surgeon and/or his staff as they receive the brunt of the blame (Dittman, 2005). A majority of the negative reactions were a result of unrealistic outcome expectations or previous issues with psychological conditions that plastic surgery itself could never solve. “Unlike women who seek plastic surgery later in life, Dr. Ann Kearney-Cooke noted, teen-agers typically lack the perspective crucial to developing realistic expectations about probable results and the life-long consequences, including scarring and change in sensation” (Powers, 2000). While surgery may be successful in making teens slimmer or more outwardly attractive, it will not give them a one-way ticket straight to the top of the popularity ladder. However, the problem does not exist solely in the minds of the teenagers. “Experts say parents play a crucial role in the process. Because cosmetic surgery is not covered by health insurance, parents are likely to foot the bill. In 1999, the average surgical fees ranged from about $2,000 for suction-assisted lipoplasty to more than $4,700 for breast reduction” (Powers, 2000). In most cases, these ideals of the perfect body are originally pointed out by the mothers, who are constantly in pursuit of the teenage waist or the wrinkle free complexion regardless of age. “The same sex parent shapes an adolescent’s body image, in part. A parent unhappy with her breasts or thighs or chin who sees plastic surgery as the answer is more likely to raise a child who turns to surgery” (Powers, 2000). As these parents continue chasing that elusive fountain of youth, they communicate several messages to their children. Daughters learn that making the best of what nature provided is not acceptable, nor is adopting healthy living habits or developing inner beauty. This fixation on the perfect form for the older crowd as a way of standing out against their contemporaries translates to the younger generation as a requirement to achieving personal success and recognition. “The reinforcement of moms depressed about her weight because they don’t look like magazine models, makes it even more likely for the daughters to be unhappy with their bodies” (Gustafson, 2005). The blame for this unrealistic ideal does not rest solely on the shoulders of the mothers, though, as everyone in society forms their images of beauty and perfection from the same source – that of the media. The image of the young and beautiful as the only real success stories in the world is as pervasive as it is distracting and unrealistic. “Although the typical cosmetic surgery patient is still a woman between age 35 and 50, the internet, music videos, teen-age magazines and old-fashioned peer pressure is fueling a new generation of patients interested in getting sculpted, shaped, nipped and tucked” (Powers, 2005). The media contributes greatly to the unrealistic expectations of potential teenaged patients. Reinforced by the ideas and activities of their parents, surrounded by fairytale role models that only have looks in their favor, teenagers believe that the ideal form, carefully constructed in the plastic surgeon’s chair, is the only way to acceptance and happiness in today’s world. Little value is placed on inner talents, abilities, compassion or other desirable human traits. Rather than being the voice of reason and reality, many parents contribute to the hysteria by taking part in it themselves. They see it as a way of achieving the eternal image of youth despite the passing of years. Few people realize the differences between the way adults view plastic surgery versus the way teenagers view plastic surgery. Where adults consider it an improvement in favor of their health and have more realistic expectations as to the results, teenagers are equating looks with potential success. They often feel as if they will be failures in life if they do not have the ‘right’ look. This idea is reinforced by the images on TV and in the movies. However, this belief could lead them to take part in surgeries that may be harmful to their physical health and will prove psychologically limiting. In the end, it is society that determines what the ideal human form should look like. Therefore it is equally in the hands of the adults to determine whether physical measurements should define the quality of the individual or if attention should be redirected to more realistic and less superficial attributes. Works Cited Dittmann, Melissa. “Plastic Surgery: Beauty or Beast?” American Psychology Association. Vol. 36, N. 8, September 2005. Gilman, Sander L. Making the Body Beautiful: A Cultural History of Aesthetic Surgery. Princeton University Press, 1999. Gustafson, Rod. “Parenting and the Media.” Parents Television Council Publications. January 18, 2005. Powers, Mary. “More Teens Seek Plastic Surgery.” South Coast Today. September 9, 2000. Read More