Attitudes Towards Plastic Surgery

• Tuesday March 7, 2006 in: Facial Plastic Surgery Tag(s):

  EXACTLY what are the attitudes of First World denizens towards plastic surgery?

  A casual walk down the streets of the Big Apple shows the offices of some New York plastic surgeons lined up with some hopeful ladies wishing to improve their noses, boobs, butts or some other choice part of their respective anatomies.

  But what about Europeans? A report from BBC shows that more and more Britons are casting aside their bias of plastic surgery as largely "an American indulgence" to one of recognition of its promise to help restore confidence and even excitement to one's social life.

  Stll other countries have a question or two about the viability of plastic surgery. Though not outrightly dismissing the process medical groups in countries like Australia are adopting a more pragmatic approach on the issue.

  A study made by the Medical Journal of Australia on the US figures on plastic surgery services stated there was no conclusive evidence to show that cosmetic surgery improved a person's sense of well-being.

  At least as far as American women are concerned, the attitude towards plastic surgery is improving as can be gleaned in this report. And they are not confined to the many Hollywood celebrities undergoing the knife or the glare of a laser beam.

  Questions about a person's sense of confidence about the results of his/her plastic surgery aside, the matter is further complicated by the problem of how to identify and choose a qualified plastic surgeon.

  Whatever one's reasons these reports specifically show that plastic surgery-originally intended to help horribly disfigured soldiers or fire victims---have now become accepted in mainstream society and won't go away anytime soon.

  And men today certainly don't deny its popularity but are in fact embracing it in increasing numbers, proof that they are getting comfortable with plastic surgery as a way of improving one's life.

Different for everyone, everywhere
And that's the way it should be, right? It's a personal decision, and what one gains from surgery is individual. The numbers of those having plastic surgery are indeed rising, even outside the U.S. In fact, in a 2005 report released by the British Assoc. of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS), the numbers of those having surgery increased 34.6 percent from 2004's numbers. And as you say, it's not just women, because the report saw the number of men having plastic surgery rise from 8 percent in 2004 to 11 percent in 2005. I'm not a doc myself, but I work with one here in the states (a surgeon performing plastic surgery Phoenix), and here's a study I read about how surgery improves a patient's well-being, specifically a woman's well-being following breast aug. A University of Flrida study found that following breast enhancement, women saw increases in self esteem and positive feelings re: their sexuality.
Anonymous at 8:03pm on Oct 24, 2007