All the above factors of social acceptability and media influence also play a role at this stage.
The increasing popularity of cosmetic procedures are also related to the general wealth of society today. Many more people are able to afford cosmetic surgery because of greater wealth, wiser investment and greater ease of obtaining loans (Williamson). Cosmetic surgery is therefore available to a much larger sector of society than just the rich and famous. Furthermore, because of the increased level of social acceptability, the decision to have a procedure is much easier. The almost instant gratification projected by those who undergo procedures such as liposuction furthermore drive this decision in favor of a strict diet and exercise regimen. Cosmetic surgery and non-surgical procedures are therefore much more accessible to a larger sector of society.
Medical advances have also resulted in more than a tendency to live longer. Many cosmetic procedures have become safer and less invasive as a result (Brown). Along with easier payment plans, this then makes the decision somewhat easier. Furthermore, according to Williamson, the media not only serves a glamorizing function, but also an educational one relating to cosmetic surgery procedures. Indeed, people tend to no longer plunge headlong into cosmetic surgery without consulting a physician first.
Surgical enhancement is therefore no longer a question merely of looking better, but also of being healthier and making wiser choices. Some proponents of the phenomenon indeed report that looking better has a great psychological impact upon their emotions and everyday performance. One surgeon goes as far as claiming that people choose cosmetic surgery as a means of self-improvement, to "make the most of themselves" (Williamson). This reasoning suggests that cosmetic surgery is a means of reaching one's potential as a human being, even though this is accomplished by artificial means.
There are also deeper psychological factors involved in cosmetic surgery, as suggested above with the workplace issue. Some people choose cosmetic surgery, for example, to maintain their competitive edge in the workplace, especially in image-conscious industries. Ros Taylor, a psychologist interviewed by BBC, holds that choosing cosmetic surgery and its increasing popularity...
As mentioned above, physical beauty has been popularized by the media as being the gateway to every other success in life, including wealth and happiness. Taylor suggests that the psychological impact and dangers of cosmetic surgery should be considered thoroughly before choosing such procedures. She also suggests that the deeper-seated psychological insecurities of the patient should be addressed before surgery is recommended.
A minority of patients undergo cosmetic surgery for medical reasons. A breast reduction for example eases the discomfort associated with abnormally large breasts, while birth defects or defects related to accidents can be mitigated by modern advances in plastic surgery.
In conclusion, whatever view one takes of the plastic surgery phenomenon, the reality of the matter is that it is a very successful industry, and as unlikely to disappear as the human desire to look and feel better. Hence it is perhaps better to embrace the industry as part of humanity, while encouraging people not as much to choose plastic surgery, but rather to thoroughly consult their physicians before doing so. Certainly an industry as successful as this can play a large role in wealth and possibly also health creation.
Sources
BBC News Online. "Cosmetic surgery popularity surge." 24 January, 2005. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4195525.stm
Brown, Maeghan. "Plastic surgery popularity grows among Americans."
The Current Online, 24 January 2005. http://media.www.thecurrentonline.com/media/storage/paper304/news/2005/01/24/Features/Plastic.Surgery.Popularity.Grows.Among.Americans-839711.shtml
Dittmann, Melissa. "Plastic Surgery: beauty or beast?" Monitor on Psychology, Vol. 36, No. 8, 8 September 2005. http://www.apa.org/monitor/sep05/surgery.html
Warner, Jennifer. "What's the most popular cosmetic procedure?" WebMD Medical News, 16 February, 2005. http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=43549
Williamson, Susan. "The surge in surgery: Why cosmetic enhancements are so popular." 20 October 2004. http://media.www.thecurrentonline.com/media/storage/paper304/news/2005/01/24/Features/Plastic.Surgery.Popularity.Grows.Among.Americans-839711.shtml
