Plastic Surgery, Essay Example

Medical science has come a long way and now it is also possible to change any aspect of physical appearance through plastic surgery. Plastic surgery was probably meant to help people repair damage from accidents or medical conditions but now it is mostly used for aesthetics purpose. It is so common now that many people don’t take the decision seriously or educate themselves. It is important to understand that the plastic surgery trend is harmful and the costs are often more than benefits.

The combination of plastic surgery and entertainers has been dangerous for the society. Celebrities go for plastic surgery to obtain desirable features which are then promoted by media as standards of beauty and influence the average person to opt for similar procedures also. This trend has also been creating unrealistic perceptions of beauty. In addition, media continues to give ample coverage to these plastic surgery trends that the society has come to expect it as a normal thing and most people do not understand the benefits and costs really well except getting desirable looks which doesn’t always happen.

Plastic surgery was meant to help people repair damage to physical appearance but now it has become a major contributor towards psychological disorders such as body dysmorphic disorder (Mayo Clinic). Plastic surgery has also been given birth to insecurities because it is making people discontent with their natural looks.

One another major problem with the plastic surgery’s trend is that despite its popularity, its pros and cons are poorly understood and many people don’t educate themselves before opting for the procedures and have unrealistic expectations. Unfortunately, media also does a poor job of educating the masses and rarely covers the dark side of plastic surgery including mishaps that happen to celebrities.

Plastic surgery also threatens the great progress society has made towards placing less emphasis on physical appearance and more on nonphysical characteristics. As Christine Rosen argues in her article, the society has once again started placing emphasis on physical appearance in both professional and private arena and as a result, our moral standards have been declining. Rosen also reminds us that our freedom and individuality is being threatened and we are being forced to conform to society’s expectations rather than being ourselves (Rosen).

It is also important to understand why plastic surgery has been growing in popularity. One contributing factor towards plastic surgery’s popularity is psychosocial changes that occur in young people due to which they try to develop personal identity and become more aware of the world’s perceptions of them (Cherry). Some young people go for plastic surgery to escape bullying or taunts on the basis of some aspect of their physical appearance (Goddard). Similarly, looking good is a natural desire and some opt for plastic surgery to gain more acceptance with the opposite sex. Moreover, plastic surgery and social media have also proven themselves to be dangerous combinations. Most people have presence on social media where they are constantly exposed to images and ideas related to beauty and feel the pressure to look good themselves also. The constant exposure to media was already giving rise to popularity and social media has only increased exposure to such ideas and images.

It is important to understand both pros and cons of plastic surgery so that people make more educated decisions. First of all, plastic surgery may increase confidence if one is able to achieve the appearance he/she is satisfied with. This will also boost self-esteem. Plastic surgery also has genuine medical applications and can be used to repair damage from accidents or medical conditions (Coila). Similarly, plastic surgery may also help the individuals get ahead in certain careers and even though this is a disturbing fact, it is nonetheless a reality.

As far as plastic surgery’s cons are concerned, many people don’t realize that it is a medical procedure and could result in serious complications and side effects and even death. Similarly, many people have too high expectations from plastic surgery which may never materialize and disastrous results will only add to the agony. Similarly, plastic surgery is not cheap and it is not uncommon for procedures to cost tens of thousands of dollars. Plastic surgery can even become an addiction when individuals may be too concerned with every single ‘perceived’ flaw in them and want to correct them all. There are even celebrity examples of plastic surgery addiction. Similarly, plastic surgery also has opportunity costs because the procedures are usually followed by a recovery period during which the individual may miss work or school (Coila).

Plastic surgery has mostly been a negative social and cultural force because it has imposed unrealistic beauty perceptions on the society and has also increased emphasis on physical appearance. It may also has led to men becoming more judgmental of women physical appearance since every perceived flaw can be corrected.

Plastic surgery’s origins probably lie in noble intentions but now this technology is being misused for non-medical purposes and is only contributing towards social decline of the society where appearances are once again becoming important in determining one’s social value. Media and celebrities have also promoted this trend and many people go for plastic surgery without properly educating themselves, especially on the cons of the plastic surgery.

References

Cherry, Kendra. Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development. 5 April 2013 <http://psychology.about.com/library/bl_psychosocial_summary.htm>.

Coila, Bridget. What are the Pros and Cons of Cosmetic Surgery? 4 May 2011. 5 April 2013 <http://www.livestrong.com/article/71935-pros-cons-cosmetic-surgery/>.

Goddard, Jacqui. American teenagers resort to plastic surgery to beat bullies. 2 September 2012. 5 April 2013 <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/9514215/American-teenagers-resort-to-plastic-surgery-to-beat-bullies.html>.

Mayo Clinic. Body dysmorphic disorder. 5 April 2013 <http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/body-dysmorphic-disorder/DS00559>.

Rosen, Christine. “You – Only Better.” Nature. n.d. 612-616.