Dying to be Beautiful
Is life or image more valuable? In 2012, 14.6 million cosmetic plastic surgery procedures, including both minimally-invasive and surgical, were performed in the United States (14.6 Million Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Procedures Performed in 2012). There are people who lose their lives each and every day just because they are not happy with the way they look. Patients who desire a change in appearance go to a cosmetic surgeon where countless numbers of mishaps could happen and do happen. This is an unsettling fact for many; however, there is nothing that can prevent people from going to the cosmetic surgeons due to the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. Cosmetic surgery should be limited because these surgeries have too many negative consequences. There is one way to help control this dilemma, and it would be to limit the amount of surgeries one could have executed on them for safety reasons.
“The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) is the world 's largest organization of board-certified plastic surgeons. Representing more than 7,000 Member Surgeons, the Society is recognized as a leading authority and information source on aesthetic and reconstructive plastic surgery” (14.6 Million Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Procedures Performed in 2012). Cosmetic surgery is the reshaping of body parts through surgical procedures such as breast reduction or enlargement, facelift, hair replacement, and liposuction. Cosmetic surgery is performed in
“Cosmetic Surgery is the reshaping of body parts through surgical procedures” (“Cosmetic Surgery”). “In the United States the organizing bodies of plastic surgery were founded between the world wars, with the American Society of Plastic Surgeons established in 1931 and the American Board of Plastic Surgery established in 1937”(“Plastic Surgery” 2). Cosmetic surgery can be various things such as Botox injections or elective surgeries such as breast augmentations and correction for nose deformities (“Plastic Surgery” 7). Men and women have both been known to undergo cosmetic surgeries for their
Cosmetic surgery, a type of elective surgery undertaken to alter a person’s appearance for reasons beyond injury, illness, or disease, has become increasingly pervasive in society in the past few decades despite sparking controversial debates. (Coleman, 171) While reconstructive surgery is condoned, cosmetic surgery occupies a gray area where physicians “dedicated to saving lives, healing, and promoting health” perform “invasive surgical operations on healthy bodies for the sake of improving appearance.” (Miller, 353) Nevertheless, demand for it is higher than ever with people looking to surgery as an easy method for changing their appearances. This essay will argue that cosmetic surgery is indeed ethical for physicians to perform by examining it through the perspective of the four basic principles of medical ethics: autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice.
Plastic surgery is becoming a widespread pandemic in the United States. More and more people everyday are electing to take this surgery which, for many people, is an unnecessary change to their body. People in this country and around the world need to realize the dangers and consequences of choosing this surgery. In the United States, there should be increased restrictions on plastic surgery because it would help people better understand the risks and stop some from taking the unnecessary surgery due to the associated health risks.
Every year more and more people around the world are choosing to have cosmetic surgery. It seems to be an easy fix to problems that people perceive, even if the problems are natural, like breast size. In a sociological study done in the UK, the author found that “[T]o have breast implants requires a major medical procedure, but they are sold as a fashion accessory and the procedure is framed as a beauty treatment rather than an operation by those who sell it” (Taylor). While many cosmetic surgeries are fairly simple procedures, there is very little benefit to outweigh the extreme risks, and many doctors are more interested in making money than fully explaining all of the risks to their patients. Many patients would be better helped by
One point seven million cosmetic surgeries procedures were performed in 2015. (According to American Society of Plastic Surgeons). Every year this number is growing; however, the question is should we, as a society, allow it? Plastic surgery should be allowed when the patient has a legitimate medical need or would like a minor cosmetic enhancement. When plastic surgery becomes unsafe, surgeons should be allowed to decline the patient and held accountable for their actions. Surgeons should be required to counsel patients on the risk of excessive plastic surgery and the complications. Cosmetic surgery should be allowed but not to the point where you change into Barbie or a TV character. Reasoning for this is, it’s unsafe and not needed. If someone loves Barbie they can buy a doll, they do not need to put their life and bank account at risk just because they aspire to be something that surgeries can get them to. Getting a nose job is safe and you know everything about the surgery but going and getting 3 botox’s in one month is excessive and unneeded.
The abuse of plastic surgery over the years has gotten out of control. Due to the high demand for fillers, laser, and Botox, physicians perform cosmetic procedures that are non-surgical with no training. Society has unofficially banned wrinkles, fat deposits, and sun-damaged skin. An ethical concern for patients and healthcare providers is that these so-called problems should be enhanced and dealt with rather than result in aesthetic surgery. Although body image is important to certain people, the outer image does not define a human being. “The real value of a person cannot be reduced to his/her appearance, and medicine as an art, should feel the obligation to resist these modern ideologies and should attempt to help people get a more authentic attitude about themselves.” (Mousavi, 2010) If a person is unhappy with himself or herself, they should rely on a more natural solution. Aesthetic surgery should only be an option for people that have suffered an accident or born with a deformity. Having small lips, tiny wrinkles, beauty marks, or dark hair is not a deformity, they’re simply things the body produces over the years.
In today society cosmetic surgery has become more and more common. Some people see this operation as a way to improve their appearance. Often caught up in the advantages of plastic surgery such as boosting their self-image, and/or improving their physical attraction, they fail to realize the negative effects of cosmetic surgery. The truth is cosmetic surgery is not always successful, so people should be ready to accept the risks of this operation, particularly, health diseases, psychology disorders, and economics problem. As a result, cosmetic surgery has more cons than pros and people should be conscious about it.
Plastic and cosmetic surgeries have become a persisting issue in The United States, with the steady advancement of social media and technology being exposed to teens, many are falling victims to the country’s perception of standard beauty and resorting towards surgical procedures features that are not considered to be attractive among the general public. The United States makes it very easy for teens to proceed with aesthetic surgical procedures that put their lives in risk, by not enacting legislations regarding teen plastic and cosmetic surgery. Plastic or cosmetic surgery should not be permitted to anyone under 18 for aesthetic purposes; however exception should be made in cases of valid medical cosmetic procedures such as reconstructive surgery.
In recent years plastic surgery is something that has become a very popular trend, and also where many young people are even lining up for it. Plastic surgery is to reconstruct or repair parts of the body, especially by the transfer of tissue it can be used for treatment of injury or cosmetic reasons. It enhances one’s physical appearance, allowing him or her to achieve a look he or she desires. For example, a women’s buttocks can be enlarged or reduced, or a nose can be straightened or lifted. Many people find themselves changing their bodies and wondering if perfecting their appearance would make life a bit more perfect. Plastic surgery can enhance someone’s level of confidence and boost their self-esteem, but it is something that can have very serious consequences people need to be aware of.
Plastic surgery is not the best choice for anybody because you never know what your final outcome is which Allison A. stated in 2008. Doctors cannot guarantee you will come out successfully from the surgery room. She also said that it is like a game where you do not know if you win at the end of the play. People turn to cosmetic products for better appearances but when it’s not enough or not satisfying to them, they turn to plastic surgery. They never think about the consequences of what they want to look like or the dangers and risks that are involved. Veronica S. (2007) believes that cosmetic surgery is more harmful than it is beneficial. Unnecessary surgery seems to put women in danger for the sake of Hollywood beauty. We all handle healing differently. Some may heal well and some won’t. Hykra (2005) states that if you have pre-existing health conditions cosmetic surgery can be really dangerous. He also reports that people with heart condition, diabetes, or if you are a smoker, or have allergies you may experience complications that others may not.
Cosmetic surgery is a globally well-known term, which is undertaken to alter and enhance human self-imageand esteem.Cosmetic surgery is different from all other forms of surgeries and is a treatment for “want” rather than for “need”. Along with gaining popularity due to social obsession, it also creates health risks due to invasive surgery. This essay will argue for government control of cosmetic surgery in the areas of advertisement, medical malpractices and human welfare.
In recent years, cosmetic surgery has increased in popularity. Although it is a person’s, own judgment on what they do with his or her bodies it is still dangerous. The three greatest popular and thus probably extremely dangerous are Botox, breast augmentation, and tummy tucks, which I stay here to explain and talk about why I view that the price to be beautiful can be too much at times.
We live in a society where people worship beauty. As far as recorded history people have gone to extremes to seek beauty. From foot binding in China to wearing strangulating corsets in Victorian era. People from different race and culture have experimented in every way possible way to look beautiful prior to this popular age of plastic surgery. It’s very common to hear people complain about their appearance, whether it’s their crocked nose, thin lips or flat chest. Remarkably, plastic surgery has been the solution for people who complain. Most people tend to think of plastic surgery as only cosmetic surgery and not as reconstructive surgeries. Plastic surgeries seems to be an invention of modern technology; however its roots lie in the ancient history of India. An Indian surgeon contributed towards the establishment of plastic surgery, it was intended to correct physical deformities acquired during birth, accident, disease or war. These surgeries did not gain the popularity it has today until the First World War. It was during the late 60’s, when doctors started realizing the endless possibilities of plastic surgeries. With the help of this surgery a trained surgeon can replace an amputate body part, remove skin cancer, get rid of unattractive scars and visible birthmarks or rescaling a nose or enhance body parts. Today more and more people from different age groups opt for plastic surgeries to obtain dramatic physical changes. These surgeries were envisioned to restore
It is no secret that the world operates adhering to strict and unrealistic beauty standards. Rather than embrace everyone for their individuality and uniqueness, society shuns those who do not fit to the ideal, forcing pressure and negative self-images on people. In order to conform to these set standards, people take drastic and life changing measures to alter their appearance, which comes in the form of plastic surgery. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, cosmetic plastic surgery is defined as “surgical and nonsurgical procedures that enhance and reshape structures of the body” (American Society of Plastic Surgeons 2017). The issue is, is there actually a benefit to undergoing
People the age of thirty- five to fifty years old, are more likely to have some form of cosmetic surgery. Of all cosmetic surgeries, 39.3 percent of patients were in this age group during 2016. There has been an 89 percent increase within a five year duration. Research has shown that this huge increase could be to improve a person’s dating life or social acceptance. There are three main cosmetic surgeries that are in the highest demand. In the year of 2016, liposuction, breast augmentation, and abdominoplasty were the most common cosmetic procedures in the world. The majority of these procedures were done in the United States on Caucasian individuals. No matter the ethnicity of an individual, cosmetic surgery gives one the option to almost completely change their features.