There are many different reasons why people of all ages, race, and sex get cosmetic surgery today. The majority of people in today’s society get it done because they want to enhance their personal appearance. There are many types of surgeries performed today that are used to boost self-confidence such as, breast augmentation, rhinoplasty, liposuction, Botox, and other implants. There is a wide variety of surgeries out there that can change anything you want modified about yourself. As people get older they become more aware that they do not look like they did when they were 20 years old.
Therefore, they turn to anti-wrinkle creams, Pilates, and cosmetic surgery. Botox and face-lifts are the most popular types of facial surgeries for the older generations. Liposuction and breast augmentations are also common for that age group too. With the younger crowd, I have found that it is more common for them to get breast augmentation, lip implants/injections, and rhinoplasty. People turn to cosmetic surgery for medical reasons too. Many people have physical birth defects that use cosmetic surgeries to correct their deformities. In addition, people who have diseases or deformities utilize these surgeries.
Many women who have lost the battle of breast cancer had to have their breasts removed . These patients have chosen to breast implants to boost their self-confidence and make them feel like they are women again. People who have scars from burns or almost any other physical deformity can choose a facial reconstruction to enhance their physical appearance. Gastric bypass surgery and lap bands are also very popular for obese individuals. Gastric bypass surgery actually removes a piece of one’s stomach to reduce the amount of food intake that the body allows. The surgery also restricts one from over eating and eating sweet foods.
The lap band is a band that is placed around the stomach to reduce the space available for food to occupy the stomach. The lap band allows just about 3 oz. of space available for food consumption. It can also be removed at anytime unlike the gastric bypass surgery procedure is irreversible. There were nearly 11. 5 million surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures performed in the United States in 2006, as reported by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS). Surgical procedures accounted for nearly 17% of the total with non-surgical procedures making up 83% of the total.
From 2005-2006, there was a 1% increase in the total number of cosmetic procedures. Surgical procedures decreased by 9%, and non-surgical procedures increased by 3%. Surgical procedures consist of one being put under with general anesthesia or a local anesthesia for the area the medical procedure is being conducted and a doctor/surgeon cuts into the body with a scalpel or other medical instruments. Non-surgical procedures are less evasive and usually consist of using needles to inject the body with substances like collagen and Botox. The top five surgical cosmetic procedures in 2006 were:
(Cosmetic surgery, the costs and riskshttp://mywebspace. quinnipiac. edu/mnbordieri/index. html,) Liposuction (403,684 procedures); Breast augmentation (383,886Procedures); Eyelid surgery (209,999 Procedures); Abdominoplasty (172,457 procedures); Breast reduction (145,822 procedures). Women had over 10. 5 million cosmetic procedures, 92 percent of the total. Surgical procedures decreased 9%; non-surgical procedures increased 4%. Since 1997, surgical procedures increased 123%, while non-surgical procedures have increased 749%. Men had nearly 1 million cosmetic procedures, 8 percent of the total.
Surgical procedures decreased 9 percent; non-surgical Procedures decreased 3 percent. Since 1997, surgical procedures have decreased 2% while non-surgical procedures have increased 722%. Patients ages 35-50 had the most procedures – 5. 3 million and 47 % of the total. Patients age 19-34 had 22 % of procedures; age 51-64 had 25 %; age 65-and-over had 5 %; and age 18-and-younger had less than 2 %. Racial and ethnic minorities, as of last year, had approximately 22 % of all cosmetic procedures, an increase of 2 % from 2005: Hispanics, 10 %; African-Americans, 6 %; Asians, 5 %; and other non-Caucasians, 1 %. Americans spent just under $12.
2 billion on cosmetic procedures last year. There are many surgeries that are available to the public for commercial uses. Many people focus on losing weight and removing body mass. There are some cosmetic surgeries that places implants into their body. People inject the lips with silicon to enhance the size, use Botox to diminish wrinkles and age lines, breast implants and you can actually use facial implants to enhance cheekbones, chins, or even insert plastic slips in your lips. With the technology that our world has today, you can virtually change anything about your appearance for a handful of money.
Other surgeries focus on the removal of unwanted features of the human body. Liposuction and tummy tucks are used to remove excess body fat and loose skin. These surgeries are use both for personal use and for medical uses. Rhinoplasty is used to correct any issues one might have with the appearance of their nose. It is also used to help with any medical problems one might have with their nose. There is no end to the amounts of surgeries performed today that are used to remove fat, add cleavage, lift an eyebrow, smooth that wrinkle and flatten that tummy.
There have been many horror stories from cosmetic surgery but there have also been many wonders worked from cosmetic surgery. Mentally it is scary ‘go under the knife’. Many patients take that risk for the outcome of their improved personal appearance. I conducted interviews with one woman and one man. The first woman I interviewed was Taylor Duran, she is 20 years old and had breast enhancement surgery and rhinoplasty. She was in an A cup and had a bump on the rim of her nose before her surgery. She said that she was nervous about having the surgeries.
After the surgery she stated that she was sore and at first she regretted getting it done. But once the swelling and pain decreased she was ecstatic. Her nose was smooth and her breasts were perfect. The man that I interviewed was Jose Gomez, age 34; he had liposuction, lip enhancement and the Botox procedures completed. Jose said that he was not scared and had been planning on having the surgeries for a long time now. He said that he knew he would be sore for a while but he said it was worth it. I had before and after pictures of both Taylor and Jose.
We went to a local park and asked seventeen different people what they thought was better, the before picture or the after results. Fifteen people said that they liked the after result better than the before pictures. Seven of the fifteen people said that Taylor and Jose looked more confident now then they did in the picture and that is why the after results are better. The other two said that they preferred the after results because the physical appearance of Taylor and Jose was much better now than then.
The Two people who preferred the before picture said that the natural look was better for Taylor and Jose and they were against the surgeries. The majority of people like the final results of the cosmetic enhancement. There are definitely many risks to any surgery. Cosmetic surgery is no exception to that. All surgeries should be investigated and taken into great consideration. There have been many incidents that left the client with scars physically and mentally. Also if the surgeon is not licensed he could have very little experience and really cause harm to your well being.
That is why it is very important to always research the types of surgery you are planning on getting and the doctor that you will be using. There have even been some incidents where people have lost their lives during or shortly after a major cosmetic surgery. Cosmetic surgery is very expensive. It can also be addicting. With that, many people have fallen into financial despair. There are major cost differences in the types of surgery and the doctor you pick. (Financing surgery, http://www. tsroadmap. com/reality/finance/finxplastsrg.
html) The link provided has an average cost of cosmetic procedures, and all the other things that come standard with surgery. With the increase in demand for cosmetic surgery, the prices have sky rocketed in the last ten years. Based on the data received I can conclude that cosmetic surgery is safe, self empowering, and financially reasonable. Most people in today’s society are pro cosmetic surgery. Not all surgeries are for self improvement, some of them are used for medical problems. I have found that the gastric bypass and lap bands do work to lose weight but are not the healthiest way to go about it.
Men are more and more open to the idea of having surgery in today’s society compared to when cosmetic surgery was first introduced into the public’s eyes. From the research that I have done, I am more aware of the medical and financial risks of having any type of surgery. As with any type of cosmetic procedure some factors should be well researched. These would include financially responsibility of the patient and the reputation and track record of the surgeon. We should all be aware of all aspects of every surgery before we plunge into it. References Perry, A. W. (2007). Straight talk about cosmetic surgery.
Yale University Press health & wellness. New Haven: Yale University Press. Grabb, W. C. , Smith, J. W. , & Aston, S. J. (1991). Plastic surgery. Boston: Little, Brown. Blum, V. L. (2003). Flesh wounds the culture of cosmetic surgery. Berkeley: University of California Press. National Cancer Institute. What you need to know about breast cancer: Symptoms. November, 2007, http://www. cancer. gov/cancertopics/wyntk/breast/page2 Cosmetic Surgery, the costs and risks, http://mywebspace. quinnipiac. edu/mnbordieri/index. html Financing surgery, http://www. tsroadmap. com/reality/finance/finxplastsrg. html.