Lauren Hammer November 1, 2012 Plastic Surgery: the good, the bad, & the ugly The pressures

of beauty have been around for centuries, but has a recent shift redefined this ideal? Plastic surgery is an up and coming medical field and has raised some very controversial attitudes in society. Though first purely clinical, plastic surgery is now generally viewed as exclusively cosmetic reconstructive surgery. Possibly the modern day fountain of youth, 43% of procedures, meaning approximately 4 million people, are between the ages of 35-50 (History of Plastic Surgery). Open any magazine or even turn on the television and bare witness to this severe shift to artificial beauty; faces appear stiff and glued to the bones, noses are altered in everyway possible, and waistlines are Barbie-fied. The increasing emphasis on the need to stay forever young along with emohasis on surgery changing from clinical to cosmetic, has created an undeniable shift in the overall perception of plastic surgery. In history, plastic surgery has existed for centuries, as far back as 600 A.D when a Hindu surgeon named Sushruta attempted to reconstruct a nose from the patients cheek (Friedman). In 800 A.D. in India, primitive skin grafts were performed. From this period to the late 18th Century, plastic surgery and such practices were fairly stagnant and focused on improvement of the skin. Significant developments then began to arise, most notable when Dr. John Peter Mettauer executed the first cleft palette operation with tools he developed himself (History

of Plastic Surgery). Subsequently, John Orlando Rose performed the first intranasal rhinoplasty in 1887. Procedures, however, were still fairly simple and non-evasive until 1914 when World War I erupted in Europe. Advanced methods became necessary for severe injuries to soldiers, primarily the reconstruction of imperative facial features such as the ears and nose. This event spurred the identification of plastic surgery as a separate medical field and led to specialization. At this time, surgery was saving lives and bringing soldiers home, not yet improving society for superficial means. In 1931, a group of ten physicians, all of whom gained practice and knowledge of techniques through aiding in the war, then brought these innovations back to the US. They developed the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons, the first and most notable professional society. Devoted to the advancement and unity of the field of plastic surgery, this group was small at first, but slowly grew in numbers. During the period between World War I and World War II, these surgeons focused their work on aiding patients who were disfigured and deformed, not the public. There were exceptions, however, as the famous or wealthy began to be noticed with subtle changes. For example, in 1923, the first celebrity to noticeably make an alteration was vaudeville comedienne and Ziegfeld Follies star Fanny Brice who bobbed her nose (Friedman). The masses were still left in the dark with how this was done, but the change was noted. From the period of 1940 through 1980, developments and public knowledge were therefore few and far between. The field of plastic surgery remained relatively stagnant during this period due to lack of public knowledge and the insignificant size of the driving force, the ASPS.

Technology developments persisted in this field through the years, such as the invention of silicon breast implants in 1960. The public was also slowly becoming aware of plastic surgery although few could still afford it, making face-lifts and nose jobs the most popular procedures during the time. Already, the craze to alter ones appearance and the new concept of beauty was taking shape. In the 60s, the ASPS also grew in membership to approximately 1,000 doctors who worked to get information about cosmetic surgery out to the general public. The big boom for plastic surgery truly shifted in the early 1990s as even more celebrities noticeably looked younger and beautiful (in some eyes). Celebrities like Cher and Elizabeth Taylor, who many of the older generation had grown up idolizing, began looking younger then them. At this point, word was spreading, especially through magazines and the media. People wanted the youth and perfection their favorite celebrities epitomized and the plastic surgery industry exploded. In 1990, the ASPS jumped to 4,500 surgeons from just 1,500 in the 70s. By 2000, nearly five million cosmetic surgery procedures were performed in the US, baby boomers accounting for a whopping 43% of this total (Friedman). However, the attitude towards plastic surgery quickly took an unexpected dive. Reports of death by autoimmune disease caused by the Silicon in breast implants were surging, immediately negatively affecting the views of the masses. People had not had their fill of surgery, however, and quickly switched to less invasive procedures such as liposuction and Botox in 2002. But yet again in 2005 silicon implants went back on the market due to popular demand, although the Food and Drug Administration provided a different option by advertising a safer, saline implant to the interested

public. By 2004, 9 million cosmetic procedures were performed nation wide, becoming one of the most popular fads in America. The cultural views on plastic surgery have been back and forth at times and even non-existent over the decades, but there is a prominent shift occurring in the 1990s. The number of medical specialists in the realm of aesthetic plastic surgery has vastly expanded with thousands of physicians specializing in facial plastic surgery, oculo-plastic surgery, dermatologic plastic surgery, dental plastic surgery, and many more (Santoni-Rugiu). The commercialization of plastic surgery really ran rampant through this period and still does today. With the rise of reality television, print media, the internet, and thousands of advertisements, generations, especially todays, have been bombarded with a new definition of beauty and tons of methods that will seemingly accomplish this. People are becoming ludicrously obsessed with it, as shown in a 2007 survey in which it was described that the approval rate of cosmetic surgery is at an all time high after positive results have consecutively increased for the past ten years (Santoni-Rugiu). A poll of people above the age of 18 also showed that 63% were in favor of plastic surgery and even want particular procedures (Slevec). Many researchers believe the increasing desirability to alter ones appearance surgically is primarily influenced by television. In 2004, TV shows such as Extreme Makeover and The Swan hit the airwaves and climbed the charts, gathering over 7 million views per episode. These shows were centered on the premise of taking an ugly girl/boy and giving them various treatments and surgeries to make them beautiful. The Swan took this a step further,

transforming participants and entering them into beauty contests. These shows make viewers believe that by changing their appearances, their lives will improve consequently (Friedman). Makeover shows also fail to show unsuccessful surgeries and the painful recoveries participants go through, giving the audience a superficial, misleading perception. Other reality shows also convey this message that the more surgery you have, the more beautiful you are. Lets take the Real Housewives for example. All the women have nip and tucked themselves into perfection and even start arguments when someone claims to not have any work done. Obviously this show is paradoxical on several levels, but overall it leads fans into believing that surgery is the modern day fountain of youth. Celebrities have always been idolized and seeing them alter their appearances using surgical methods influences their fan bases to do so as well. Previously viewed as an eccentric luxury, this fad has undeniably shifted with even the youngest generation succumbing to the plastic surgery craze. It is hard to believe that procedures used today were once used to save peoples lives and are now keeping old women perpetually young and thin.

Works Cited Friedman, Jane. "Cosmetic Surgery." CQ Researcher 15 Apr. 2005: 317-44. Web. 28 Oct. 2012. "History of Plastic Surgery." History of Plastic Surgery. American Society of Plastic Surgeons, n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2012. <http://www.plasticsurgery.org/aboutasps/history-of-plastic-surgery.html?sub=The 1990's>. Santoni-Rugiu, Paolo, and P. J. Sykes. "Introduction to Cosmetic Surgery." A History of Plastic Surgery. Berlin: Springer, 2007. 299-306. SpringerLink. Web. 22 Oct. 2012. <http://www.springerlink.com/content/978-3-540-462408/#section=293918&page=1&locus=96>. Slevec, Julia, and Marika Tiggemann. "Attitudes toward Cosmetic Surgery in Middleaged Women: Body Image, Aging Anxiety, and the Media." Psychology of Women Quarterly. Wiley Online Library, 8 Feb. 2010. Web. 24 Oct. 2012. <http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.14716402.2009.01542.x/full>.