Plastic surgery is a special branch of surgery that deals with the medical correction of a person’s form and structure. The word plastic comes from the Greek word plastikos which means “to mold” or “to shape”. So, plastic surgery basically means surgery that brings about a re-shaping of a part of the body. A popular procedure in ancient Rome was scar removal, particularly scars on the back which were marks of shame because they suggested a man had turned his back in battle or worse, he had been whipped like a slave.
Foreigners would also have plastic surgery to fit better into Roman society. During the Middle Ages, plastic surgery was typically deemed pagan and sinful because the spilling of blood by a surgeon and the power the surgeon had over the body were skin to magic. When plastic surgery became popular during the Renaissance, surgeons took skin grafts from various donors, such as a neighbor’s pig, but were confused when the new nose would shrivel up and fall off. They concluded the flesh was “sympathetic,” meaning that the graft died when its original owner died.
Many plastic surgeries in the early Renaissance were performed in barber shops. Breast implants grew in popularity in the 1960s. Show girls would inject their breasts with liquid silicone, a substance initially used in Japan in WWI to plump out legs withered by polio. Unfortunately, they could suffer dangerous, side effects, such as amputation of the breast due to infection and guaranteed “pendulous” breasts by the time they reached 40. In Nazi Germany, some forms of reconstructive surgery were mandated to enable the “too ugly” solder to become a “real” soldier.
Benito Mussolini’s (1880-1945) Italy also used plastic surgery to increase the performance of military officers, such as correcting drooping eyelids. The first modern breast augmentation took place on November 24, 1893, in Heidelberg, Germany, by Vincent Czerny. His patient was a 41-year-old singer who had a growth in her breast removed. Luckily, the patient had a growth on her back, which was harvested and transplanted to her breast. She was discharged on December 20, 1893.
In 1998, Bill Clinton signed a bill which required insurance companies to cover the cost of reconstructive breast surgery for women who had undergone breast procedures. In 2007, there were more than 11. 5 million plastic surgery procedures performed, an increase of 50% from 2000. The overall number of plastic surgery procedures has increased 457% since the collection of statistics first began. Some people are easily influenced by what is seen on TV such as music videos, movies, sitcoms etc, Internet, or even in person.
The entertainment industry makes those think that a perfect body is the appropriate way to live whether you are a female or male. Everyone wants that perfect figure or face. Everyone, from young children to those from higher age brackets, is aware of this need to find ways to make ourselves feel more beautiful. If any individual is influenced enough they will get whatever plastic/cosmetic surgery to get that perfect look. Plastic surgery has its advantages and disadvantages, you really have to look in more depth on the specific procedure you plan on having done.
Although each possible procedure has its own list of pros and cons associated with it, they can all be generalized for simplicity. The biggest disadvantages associated with plastic surgery are the risks as well as the price tag; this usually outweighs the disadvantages of plastic surgery. For starters, whether you are having a reconstructive procedure or a cosmetic procedure, the goal is to make yourself look better. While some people who decide to undergo the knife may already look great, there are many others who have been teased and taunted their entire life about their features.
Not only do years of teasing and taunting take their toll on a person’s emotional well being, but a person who does not like something about themselves will also cause an emotional scar. Plastic surgery, whether reconstructive or cosmetic, has come as a benefit for people who are displeased with their look and appearance. While reconstructive surgery improves the function of the body parts and cosmetic surgery is mainly concerned with the appearance of a particular body part. Cosmetic and plastic surgery comprises of a number of surgical procedures to change one’s physical appearance and make it more pleasing.
There are so many procedures that one person can have, but here are a few that are very common and popular: Breast Augmentation, Breast Reduction, Breast Lift, Liposuction, Tummy tuck, Rhinoplasty, Face Lift, Eyelid Surgery, Botox Injections, Facial Implants, Ear pinning, Hair Restoration, Laser Skin Resurfacing, and Laser Hair Removal. Sometimes plastic surgery becomes an addiction. Some people who undergo it become in love with the aftermath and look forward to a change in each and every part of their body. As such, plastic surgery becomes an obsession for them, rather than just a means of altering a body part.
These individuals develop the Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) which is a type of chronic mental illness in which you can’t stop thinking about a flaw with your appearance a flaw either that is minor or that you just imagine. But to you, your appearance seems so shameful and distressing that you don’t want to be seen by anyone. BDD has sometimes been called “imagined ugliness. ” When you have BDD, you intensely obsess over your appearance and body image, often for many hours a day. You may seek out numerous cosmetic procedures to try to “fix” your perceived flaws but never are satisfied.
Body dysmorphic disorder is also known as dysmorphophobia, or the fear of having a deformity. Also if an individual develops this mental disorder it could cause death if it’s not taken care of appropriately. An experienced psychologist or psychiatrist who is knowledgeable about BDD can help break the grip of the disorder so that a person can fully enjoy life. Plastic and Cosmetic surgery helps out a lot when it is really needed, but sometimes if it is abused by the wrong person it can affect themselves and everyone around them.?
Work Cited History of Plastic Surgery http://www. aboardcertifiedplasticsurgeonresource. com/plastic_surgery/history. html Plastic Surgery Info http://www. plasticsurgeryinfo. com/history-of-plastic-surgery. shtml Beautiful Body A History of Plastic Surgery http://www. randomhistory. com/2008/08/31_plastic. html American Society of Plastic Surgeons. “The History of Plastic Surgery, ASPS and PSEF. ” Accessed: July 20, 2008. Reconstructing the History of Plastic Surgery http://www. docshop. com/2007/04/13/history-surgery/.