Perhaps it’s a bump on the chin, the shape of the nose or that lips or breasts are too small or too big, whatever the perceived alignment is the main reason why people get cosmetic surgery is because of how they feel about their appearance or lack of appearance which leads them to embark on a journey to undergo operations and procedures to fix the imperfections they’re unhappy with.
The main reasons related to the desire to alter one’s appearance includes things like:-
Body dissatisfaction
Physical appearance
Teasing (being teased about different body parts)
Media influence (feeling pressured to appear like people in the media)
The USA remains the plastic surgery capital of the world, Brazil is not far behind statistics show that in 2019, 92% of all cosmetic procedures were performed on women, and 8% were performed on men.
A recent study examined young women’s interest in obtaining cosmetic surgery. They found that all four factors they investigated namely, body dissatisfaction, physical appearance, teasing and media influence were related to the desire to have cosmetic surgery. The best predictor of their interest in obtaining cosmetic surgery was body dissatisfaction.
Mental benefits of plastic surgery
There are of course some mental benefits obtained from plastic surgery treatment, like an increase in happiness and growth in self-esteem, less chances of depression, and reduced social anxiety.
It’s been found that patients tend to have greater quality of life as improving one's appearance leads to having more confidence.
Disadvantages of cosmetic surgery
Any surgery that requires changing something God given carries a high risk factor and can sometimes result in complications ranging from an unattractive or unnatural final result to scarring or even death.
In some ways, cosmetic surgery can be more challenging than more standard surgeries especially if the patient doesn't tolerate the surgery well or underlining health conditions that were not properly prescreened.
What are the most common surgical procedures?
Breast augmentation or enlargement
Breast implant removals
Breast lift with or without the placement of an implant
Buttock lift
Chin, cheek, or jaw reshaping (facial implants)
How does cosmetic surgery affect those around the patients?
Physically attractive people often receive preferential treatment and are perceived by others as more sociable, dominant, mentally healthy and intelligent than less attractive people, according to research.
Being around people whom have had cosmetic surgery may cause body dissatisfaction or insecurity for the people around the recipient.
Some would even argue that, people who get plastic surgery against people who don't, put the people who don't at all kinds of disadvantages, such as in finding a job or spouse.
What effect does plastic surgery have on children and teenagers?
In 2004, about 240,682 cosmetic procedures were performed on patients 18 years or younger, and the top surgical procedures were nose reshaping, breast lifts, breast augmentation, liposuction and tummy tucks. However, very few studies have been conducted to examine the safety and long-term risks of these procedures on adolescents an age in which teenagers are still developing mentally and physically.
While most people do well in terms of psychosocial adjustment after such procedures, some do not and have life long debilitating conditions meaning that the decision to partake in any form of cosmetic surgery should be well thought out with risks and consequences carefully considered.
Listen To Podcast S3 E16 Plastic Surgery
