Solution or Superficial Fix? Cosmetic Surgery on the Rise
It appears that close to 80% of women over 18 are dissatisfied with their bodies, according to a recent study. This study comes as no big surprise, taking into account the dramatic rise in plastic surgery procedures in the US over the past ten years. Procedures such as liposuction, face lifts, Botox injections, and collagen injections are completely commonplace, and thousands are performed daily in the US alone.
What are the causes of this dramatic rise in cosmetic procedures? Many studies have shown that the wide-spread effect of the media has a crucial role in the way women view their bodies. Each age in human history has had its own beauty criteria, for this is human nature. In no other age, however, have women been blitzed with constant images representing what they “should” look like. A lot of these ideals and images are considered to be universal, with no adjustments for cultural and racial differences. Thus, Asian women will often adopt the western beauty ideal, and be completely incapable of achieving it.
Remaining young is strongly embedded in the western beauty ideal. The sense that most women get from the media is that they must not only be beautiful according to ideals that only 5% of women can actually achieve, but they must remain young as long as possible. Wrinkles must be banished, grey hairs eliminated, less firm skin removed, and, of course, sagging breasts must be lifted.
A lot of women often turn to cosmetic surgery when trying to solve their body image issues. Women are more likely to opt for the cosmetic surgery option, since it has become so acceptable and the prices have lowered dramatically. This can be beneficial. Many women, especially when they are body conscious regarding the size of their breasts, feel much better after breast augmentation or reduction procedures. The surgery often kick-starts a process of a physical rediscovery of the body, and many women feel like the procedure saved their lives on an emotional level. A small change like this can often make a dramatic difference.
The problem arises, however, when the low body image is deeply ingrained in a woman’s psyche. Cosmetic surgery, after all, can only change the physical appearance of the body, not the way a woman views it. Cosmetic surgery can rarely fix a woman’s dissatisfaction with her body if it is more than just superficial. A new medical disorder has actually been listed with the American Medical Association describing this low body image, called Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). This is considered to be a psychiatric condition in which an individual is obsessed with minor faults in their body, and their efforts are concentrated in changing these faults. Women with BDD often turn to cosmetic procedures to fix their “faults,” but find no satisfaction once the procedure is done. No matter how many cosmetic surgeries a woman with BDD undergoes, she will never be satisfied. Only intense therapy and treatment can solve this problem. However, the proliferation of cosmetic surgery can “hide” this problem, since it is so common for women to go under the knife for the tiniest bump on their nose.
So is cosmetic surgery a solution or a cover-up? This really depends on why the woman wishes to undergo the surgery. The best advice anyone can give a women considering cosmetic surgery is to think carefully about why she wants to do it. If in any doubt, get help from a professional, such as a therapist. Most importantly, find a very good cosmetic surgeon, one with a reputation of questioning his patients carefully before agreeing to do the procedure. Some cosmetic surgeons don’t bother asking their patients the right questions before undergoing the surgery, due to greed. There are other doctors out there, however, who take the time and effort to understand why their patient wishes to have cosmetic changes, and will refer patients to therapy if they feel that their motives are due to BDD or some aspect of body image dissatisfaction.
The best cosmetic surgeons are known to be in New York. There are hundreds of cosmetic surgeons in the city alone, providing many options for breast augmentation in New York. The best surgeons will ask the relevant questions and make sure their patient is fully informed before performing any type of procedure. After all, a successful breast surgeon in New York has a reputation to protect. If you decide to undergo any kind of cosmetic procedure, it is best to find the absolute best doctor for the job, and that doctor is most likely to be in the Big Apple. Be it a complex breast reduction or a simpler breast lift in New York, make sure to find the absolute best doctor for the job.
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