Risks of Plastic Surgery Plastic surgery has become an obsession in America throughout the past decade. American society seems to hold an incredibly high standard of appearance that rewards only those who are thin, young and beautiful.
The pressure that is put on individuals to obtain a certain degree of perfection is somewhat disturbing. The media has recently given us, as Americans, nothing less than perfectionism to strive for. Television shows like “The Swan” and “Extreme Makeover” rely solely on using plastic surgery to change what is considered a below average looking woman, into someone that society deems to be beautiful.
It is very rare that one sees someone of even an average weight starring in a movie or gracing the cover of a magazine. It seems that only those who are unnaturally skinny and perceived to be beautiful receive such opportunities. It is this sort of mindset that is causing plastic surgery to become more and more commonplace and widely accepted throughout society. My interest in the subject of plastic surgery has grown due to the constant pressure that is placed on women today to live up to these unreasonable standards.
Teenagers, and even their parents, are completely enveloped in what society thinks they should look like. This causes self-esteem levels to be contingent upon appearance rather than value systems or moral codes. Although they are often downplayed in the media, the social, physical, and psychological risks of plastic surgery are very dangerous to a person’s well-being. The influence that our society today has over what is considered beautiful is overwhelming. It seems so important to Americans to look their best at all times, regardless of the costs or consequences.
Plastic surgery has become commonplace in the past few years that many patients do not think twice about going under the knife. For many years cosmetic surgery was mostly American, however, it is now widely accepted throughout the world. In the 1920’s and 1930’s, more Americans came to believe that social and economic success came from having good looks. Actress Edith Nelson was once quoted saying, “Attention to personal appearance is nowadays essential if you expect to succeed in life. You must look your best at all times” (Haiken 94-95).
This mindset resulted in a higher demand for surgery. In the early 1980’s, cosmetic surgery operations nearly doubled in frequency (Parens 127). Patients concerned with the way society treats them because of their appearance are much more likely now to opt for some kind of surgery in order to live up to society’s standards (163). The most commonly discussed risks of plastic surgery are the physical ones. Serious complications, including death, happen in 1 of every 60,000 plastic surgeries of all types.
1 out of every 20,000 liposuctions results in the death of the patient (Branswell 1). Side effects of plastic surgery are very common and may include pain, scar tissue, wound disruption, bruising, skin discoloration, fluid depletion, immune system damage or even death (Parens 133). Also, blood clots are a possibility during the operations which can be life threatening. In some cases, excessive blood loss has occurred. In addition to those risks, some people may experience bad reactions to the drugs used and anesthesia (Branswell 1).
Many people get surgeries like face lifts, Botox, and liposuction, as they start to show signs of aging, to make their skin appear more youthful. However, these people many not realize that plastic surgery is not something that slows skin aging, it accelerates it. Experts say that after receiving plastic surgery, patients need to spend more time in preserving their skin’s youthful appearance (? Plastic Surgery Facts” 1). More common and dangerous than the physical risks of plastic surgery are the psychological ones.
In most cases, the psychological aspect of plastic surgery is not even discussed, however, these risks can be just as, if not more, life-threatening as the physical ones. Schilder’s “Body Image” Concept states that, “Every person carries within himself a belief about his personal appearance that results from the interactions between the self and the environment in early childhood” (Blacher 198). Most patients that opt for plastic surgery are unhappy with the way they fit into their environment (195). A common example of this is breast surgery.
Breast surgery is possibly the most psychologically damaging if the surgery is botched. A woman’s reaction to breast surgery depends on how she perceives her breasts in creating self-esteem, their size and shape, and her feelings of sexuality and femininity (87-88). An additional psychological aspect of plastic surgery is the patients that have become obsessed with a simple, small imperfection.
These people may attribute all of their self-consciousness to the one flaw, causing it to act psychologically as a crutch. Once this happens, and the imperfection is removed, it can lead to a psychological disorder (195) In conclusion, as television, movies, magazines and such have recently been maximizing cosmetic surgery’s appeal and minimizing the flaws, the risks are still there.
Socially, physically and psychologically any kind of plastic surgery can be very harmful to the patient. Although in some cases, plastic surgery is needed to aid a terrible physical defect, it is most often used to enhance a person’s already normal appearance to meet society’s ridiculously high standards of what is considered beautiful. Works Cited Blacher, Richards. The Psychological Experience of Surgery. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1987. Branswell, Helen. “Cosmetic Surgery Risks Are More Than Skin Deep; In Line With Other Surgeries. ” Health-Plastic-Surgery-Risks.
The Canadian Press. 19 Oct 2004. . Haiken, Elizabeth. Venus Envy: A History of Cosmetic Surgery. Baltimore: The John Hopkins UP, 1997. Parens, Erik. Enhancing Human Traits: Ethical and Social Implications. Washington, DC: Georgetown UP, 1998. “Plastic Surgery Facts. ” Risks and Benefits of Plastic Surgery: The Facts You Should Know. 19 Oct 2004. .