Plastic Surgery Essay

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Cosmetic Surgery We live in a culture where people are valued because of their looks. If someone doesn’t like what they look like, there are numerous options for them to change their appearance. One of these options is the ever growing trend of cosmetic surgery. “Cosmetic surgery represents a particular application of plastic surgery, in which the operative competence of the discipline is focused not on the correction of pathological disorders, but on the correction of some morphologic traits not accepted by the patients” (Ferraro, Rossano, D’Andrea 2005). This type of surgery is growing in popularity, while also being fueled by a culture of youthful attractiveness, and unprecedented affluence. Cosmetic surgery has become something to entertain the public instead of fixing something that’s wrong. There are many TV “makeover” shows that keep us watching every week because of the amazing work they can do. We can see an ugly duckling turned into a beautiful swan in a matter of hours. Who would have thought that our world would have come to this? The cosmetic surgery craze has gone from being one of the only options in third world countries of fixing natural deformities to creating an unhealthy overemphasis on physical appearance to society. Background Not so long ago, it was mostly Hollywood stars and the wealthy elite who would disappear for a few days to have a little “work” done, but now cosmetic surgery is a lifestyle choice for people of all ages and bank accounts. In 2005, more than 9 million cosmetic surgery procedures were performed in the United States — a 25 % increase over 2000 (Friedman, 2005). Americans spent more than $12 billion on surgical and non-surgical procedures to improve their looks in 2005, including nearly 3 million Botox injections to eliminate wrinkles, more than 300,000 liposuctions, more than 250,000 breast augmentations and

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