Throughout recorded history, a pale complexion has nearly always been more fashionable than a tan complexion because pale skin represents a woman who does not have to labour outdoors. So, most non-white women probably wanted to be whiter and they sometimes underwent cosmetic surgery to make themselves attractive. Every woman expects to appear to be young and vibrant, and many have turned to cosmetic surgery to achieve their goals since women have had the notion that beauty is all that their matters in life.
As a result of that, the demand of cosmetic surgery is increasing so that cosmetic surgery has become one of a huge business in beauty industry. Everyone who lives in a civilized age can easily find plenty of advertisements touting the best procedures performed by the best doctors through advertisement sections of newspaper and magazines. Most patients who have received cosmetic medical care have turned out well, but the rate of serious and fatal complications is rising and the risks to future patients growing.
Consequently, the side effects or complications of cosmetic surgery will show how cosmetic patients can take care of themselves after undergoing operations, and will discuss what kind of preventions for the complications there are. The History of Cosmetic Surgery Cosmetic surgery has a long history that continues to evolve to this day. Dr. Paul Schnur of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons [ASPS] notes that it first began in the eighth century by physicians in ancient India.
They were using skin grafts for reconstructive surgery. It was also common for them to perform rhinoplasty, due to barbaric rituals of cutting off noses and upper lips of one’s enemies (2009). Schner reports that the United States first plastic surgeon was Dr. John Peter Mettauer who was born in Virginia in 1787. He performed the first cleft palate operation with tools designed by himself. Dr. Mettauer studied medicine in Philadelphia. He also founded a private medical school, which became the first medical department in a school.
In addition, at the end of World War I, the high number of shattered faces which were rebuilt by new cosmetic surgery procedures was recorded by the press in order to restore hope among soldiers. At the same time, plastic surgeons began to realize that cosmetic surgery procedures could also be used to enhance beauty (Snodgrass, 2006). Over time, additional procedures were developed to include body contouring techniques such as breast augmentation, liposuction, and tummy tuck, in addition to facial surgeries.
The Trends of Cosmetic Surgery Procedures There are many options when it comes to the types of cosmetic surgery procedures a person can have performed. Body contouring, breast surgery, and facial surgery are well-known. There are also non-surgical procedures that are very popular such as Botox, laser hair removal, and laser skin resurfacing. According to Mayo Clinic, surgeries performed in 2007 were mainly undergone to women with a ninety one percentile. Men had the other nine percent.
The top surgical procedure performed on women was breast augmentation and the second one was liposuction. The top non surgical procedure was Botox. For men, the top surgical procedure was liposuction with eye lid surgery being second. Their top choice for non surgical procedures was Botox, and laser hair removal was second. Cosmetic Surgery was once treated as a forbidden subject. It was mostly not discussed or announced. Today, cosmetic surgery has become one of the most popular trends in the world.
Surgery has also become more reasonable for everyone. There is no question that celebrities have influence on the trend as huge role models. Whenever people are watching television or reading a magazine, they are very likely to hear or read something about cosmetic surgery. In the past few years, there have been several shows about cosmetic surgery such as “Extreme Makeover”, and “The Swan”. MTV has also started targeting young adults with shows such as “I Want a Famous Face”.
These kinds of shows have contributed to much of the popularity, increasing the number of surgeries performed. The Risks of Cosmetic Surgery What kinds of risks are patients taking by getting cosmetic surgery? The first and most important risk is dissatisfaction. Many people go into cosmetic surgery with high hopes and often come out dissatisfied. With cosmetic surgery, patients never can go back to the way they looked originally so patients have to understand the risks and limitations to make sure they are doing their best choice.
There are many other risks which patients are taking by getting cosmetic surgery, such as postoperative complications with anesthesia, wound infection and internal bleeding(Snodgrass, 2006). The dangers of cosmetic surgery will increase or decrease depending on the types of surgery performed. One of the most common dangers in cosmetic surgery is scarring. Jayashree Pakhare (2007) reported that “it is closely related to suture reactions and wound healing capability. ” Some other dangers in cosmetic surgery are bleeding, infection, and blood clots.
Cosmetic surgery risks also involve complications in the outcome of the surgery. Mayo Clinic staff (2008) emphasized that patients can get a higher risk of complications such as pneumonia, stroke, heart attack, blood clots in the legs or lungs, if they have “a history of cardiovascular disease, lung disease or obesity. ” The researcher mentioned that a person who smokes and wants to have surgery must quit and be smoke free for two weeks prior and two weeks after surgery.
This is so that the patient will heal properly. Smokers also have a greater chance of having infections and anesthesia complications (Loftus, 2008). It is advised that a patient speak openly with their surgeon and discuss any and all health conditions so that the surgeon can better explain the risks and complications that can occur. Conclusion Cosmetic Surgery is a phenomenon that has increased over the past few years. Even though this epidemic has become very popular, there are so many matters to know about it before having it done. Most people who have cosmetic surgery do so to change their appearance by altering the parts of their bodies.
A patient who understands the possible outcomes is more satisfied than one who has unrealistic goals or one who is under the influence of false promises. Being dissatisfied with one’s appearance sometimes brings down one’s self-esteem, and people feel that cosmetic surgery can help them get back the confidence about their bodies they have lost. However, lots of the trumpeted technology of today is not so clearly proven that it is safe from the risks and complications of surgery.
Therefore, every cosmetic surgery patient has to recognize what their goals are, and how much risk they are willing to take after the operation. Prospective cosmetic patients should remind themselves that it should be consulted with board-certified cosmetic surgeons to make sure any information which is found from Internet or advertisements of mass media is accurate. Last but not least, while many people come out of cosmetic surgery fine, cosmetic surgery can affect people’s life forever. References Loftus, J. M. (2008). The Smart Woman’s Guide to Plastic Surgery. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Mayo Clinic (2008, August 8). Cosmetic Surgery: What to Know Before Hand. Retrieved April 4, 2009 from http://www. mayoclinic. com/health/cosmetic-surgery/SN00006 Pakhare, J. (2007, March 1). Risks and Dangers of Plastic Surgery. Retrieved March 26, 2009 from http://www. buzzle. com/articles/risks-dangers-plastic-surgery. html Schnur, P. (2009). The History of Plastic Surgery, ASPS and PSEF. Retrieved April 4, 2009 from http://www. plasticsurgery. org/About_ASPS/History_of_Plastic_Surgery. html#Top Snodgrass, B. (2006). The Makeover Myth. New York, NY: HarperCollins.