Gone are the days when cosmetic beauty or cosmetic plastic surgery was part of a household debate. The world has seen it now as if it is just a matter of consulting a doctor for a regular headache. Before people were divided on the subject of natural beauty and that cosmetic surgery is a “sin” in terms of changing what has been believably given by God. Well I am not here to negate either side of the issue. Let us tackle what statistics say and how people nowadays react and respond to cosmetic beauty.
The Definition of Cosmetic Beauty
Cosmetic beauty refers to enhancement, restoration or improvement of one’s physical beauty. It is either done through the use of “cosmetics”, also known as make-up, which are substances or products used to enhance the appearance or fragrance of the body, or cosmetic surgery which involves a deeper enhancement or procedure where the body undergoes a certain surgery or operation.
Beauty Industry on the Rise
The beauty industry in the US has generated $56.2 billion in 2015 where hair care has contributed the most while skin care placed second and has also been growing fast. The growth is being driven in part by a generally increasing awareness of the importance of skin care but also specifically due to increase in the market for men. [Source: Beauty Industry Analysis 2016 – Cost & Trends, www.franchisehelp.com/industry-reports/beauty-industry-report/]
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) has also seen continuous growth in cosmetic procedures over the years. Lifts have remarkably dominated the stats from 2000 till 2015: breast lifts is up by 89%, buttock lifts by 252%, lower body lifts at 3,973% and upper arm lifts at 4,959%. This clearly shows the increasing interests among women and even men to undergo body enhancements. Apart from these said procedures, the top 5 cosmetic surgeries performed in 2015 are breast augmentation, liposuction, nose reshaping, eyelid surgery and tummy tuck. There are numerous surgery types being discussed in the data but it was shockingly true to find out that men shared 40% of aesthetic breast reduction surgeries (Gynecomastia) too. [Source: New Statistics Reflect the Changing Face of Plastic Surgery, www.plasticsurgery.org/news/press-releases/new-statistics-reflect-the-changing-face-of-plastic-surgery]
The Negative Facts
True enough, cosmetic plastic surgery made waves in the Hollywood and now almost anyone who can save a buck can easily get a body part done. However, there are also some horror stories around these procedures. And taking into account some of the famous failed surgical procedures, most of them are celebrities who were afraid of getting old with their looks, not to mention some who just wanted to enhance what they thought was hideous (which I personally found ok anyway). There have been cases as well, wherein a husband tried to sue (and won the case) his wife for having ugly children despite his and his wife’s good looks. This case resembles establishing honesty with your surgery since your old looks will still stay in your DNA even after numerous attempts to kill your old self. That’s a sad fact you cannot run away from.
Science has also defined a psychiatric disorder called Body Dysmorphic Disorder or BDD, which is characterized by a person’s intense preoccupation with an imagined defect in appearance. This disorder is afflicted with significant distress and/or functional impairment, as recounted by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. BDD is prevalent to those who seek cosmetic surgery.
Can you Compensate Health (or Life) for Beauty?
Physical, mental and even spiritual health are at stake when getting a cosmetic surgery procedure. If in case a certain surgery fails, your body system might be affected and a failure gives a lot of mental stress and lifetime worries. These people really care about how they look, and if something goes wrong along the way especially if the procedure ruins their intended looks and makes it even worst, this means a total disgrace. This case has actually led a lot of people to attempt suicide, and sadly a lot of them succeeded too.
The popularity of cosmetic surgery is perhaps stimulated by the impressive physical rejuvenation shown by media figures or TV shows. Let us face it, the multi-billion industry has always been leaving us in awe whenever we see how pleasing these stars appear on TV and in the movies. We also see how their face, body, skin and hair style change and sometimes we tend to ask our hairdresser to mimic our favorite star’s hairstyle just to follow the trend. This influence is also changing the way we think and decide for ourselves, sometimes without us noticing it. This is how beauty is known these days. In the old days, thicker lips and bigger butts looked awful but they seem iconic these days and women would die to have one.
Seeing beauty before our eyes is always fascinating. When there is beauty, everything seems light. We all have the freedom to do whatever we decide on doing and for as long as we can avail the costly operation that we may think will save us from being called ugly, then we are free to do so. Let us just all remember that every decision we make has pros and cons, it might be different to each and every one of us who wants beauty, but the thought process is always the same. If this would add a meaning to your life as you constantly hate what you have now, then might as well try it, it will save you from agonizing about your ugliness all the time. But if you still believe that beauty still lies in the eyes of the beholder, then go on and continue finding happiness outside beauty. It is still your choice anyway.