Raven Elias
Duron
AP English Literature
13 October 2014
Society typically views a person with Botox as an unnatural looking Hollywood face.
However, this is the false reality of what cosmetic procedures really look like. Cosmetic
procedures can be drastic body changes or subtle facial alterations. However, each procedure has
a positive effect on the person receiving them. Research suggests that psychological and social
well-being is linked to a person’s self-image. Contrary to popular belief, it is beneficial to an
individual’s social, sexual, and personal health to enhance their appearance with the use of
cosmetic procedures.
Beauty is something that has shaped the everyday life of human beings. Eleanor
Roosevelt wrote that she wished she was prettier. (Popova) Eleanor was an extremely successful
woman with numerous accomplishments. Even the most successful people realize the impact
beauty can have on a person. The United States spends more money on beauty products than on
education. (Popova) Some might argue that humans have created a vain world and prioritize
unimportant actions such as Botox, laser treatments, and body contouring. Indeed there are more
important things in the world than beauty products and procedures. However, the desire for
beauty is present in every individual and that desire has shaped and will continue to shape
decisions human beings make on each other. The judgment of beauty will always operate in the
human mind. (Popova) Many do not wish to acknowledge how large of a role beauty plays in
their life. Whether one consciously thinks about it or not, animal brains are wired to notice
beauty for a variety of reasons. Both humans and animals identify beauty as indicators of health.
Appearance powerfully impacts the human experience and is something that is difficult to fight.
Humans have been drawn to beauty whether one wishes to admit it or not. Individuals
who participated in a study were able to register and rate attractiveness when presented with an
image of a face for just 13 milliseconds. (Beauty) Humans are capable of registering facial
images extremely fast. Whether man admits it or not, facial recognition is essential to human
interaction. Newborn babies will spend more time observing a symmetrical face to an
asymmetrical one. (Feng) Faces that show symmetry are often rated more beautiful than
asymmetric ones and continue to be rated as such through the aging process. From newborn to
adulthood, symmetrical faces are found to be most attractive in all ages. It is no secret humans
are drawn to beauty, but it is even more interesting to learn why.
All traits found in attractive faces show the genetic health of the individual. Symmetry is
favored in facial beauty because it suggests the individual has a strong immune system and has
withstood outside forces that would otherwise change the symmetry. (Beauty) An example of
someone with an asymmetric face and a weaker immune system or unfavorable genetic traits
would be someone with Down Syndrome or Cerebral Palsy. Fistfights and accidents cause
imperfections that negatively affect the face’s symmetry as well. The appearance of symmetry on
a person signifies the health of that person which is what most human beings find to be beautiful.
Symmetry is a favored gene to be passed down to offspring and that is why humans are
consistently drawn to mates who possess this trait. Interestingly enough, humans are not the only
animals that favor symmetry in appearance.
Primal animals are no exception to this phenomenon. Female swallows are attracted to
males with symmetric tail patterns and female zebra finches are attracted to males with
symmetric leg bands. (Feng) The pattern of attractive symmetry is present in animals as well as
humans of all cultures and backgrounds. It does not matter which individual traits a person
possesses such as hair or eye color; as long as the individual exhibits facial symmetry. Humans
and animals are also attracted to mates with the correct hormones. Individuals who make it
through puberty to adulthood with the proper hormone levels for their gender intact are most
attractive to the opposite sex. (Beauty) Proper hormone levels also suggest a healthy body.
Women are drawn to men with the correct male hormones and vice versa. Males with high
testosterone levels attract women who want strong offspring. Females with high estrogen levels
attract males who desire a woman who will take delicate care to raise his children. What humans
find attractive in each other are the genes they want to get passed on to their children.
Specific genes are favored for animal reproduction. A McMaster University study
showed that when a group of people rated facial beauty and a compilation of attractive images
was made the compilation depicted the population’s average traits. (Beauty) Average traits
suggest that the individual is not carrying any harmful mutations, thus being more desired to
mate with. People find averageness to be most attractive not only in other humans but in pets and
material items as well because it is simpler for the brain to process. Humans are also attracted to
features similar to their own in hopes that their own traits will be passed on to their offspring.
People often obsess over facial features because they want to be perceived as a healthy mate.
(Etcoffe) Individuals who possess facial symmetry and balanced hormones are most desired as
mates. To have the traits desired by the opposite gender equals a healthy sexual life and more of
an opportunity to reproduce. The sexual health of an individual is increased when one contains
the proper hormones, symmetry, and genes.
In addition to sexual health: being beautiful has social benefits as well. The Halo Effect
describes beautiful people to be more successful and desired because that is how beautiful people
are stereotyped. (Feng) Those who are perceived as attractive are also perceived to live a
successful life. It is believed that when one is often told specific information they tend to believe
it. Elliot Aronson of Stanford University believes in the self-fulfilling prophecy. (Feng) The
self-fulfilling prophecy states that an individual’s success is based on their self-confidence, not
actual appearance. This is can be true, but those who are thought of as successful by others will
believe they are successful, and beautiful people are constantly thought of as successful by
others. When one believes in their own success it opens a plethora of doors for them. When selfconfidence is improved so is the dating, social, and professional aspects of that individual’s life.
Women were approached more often in a bar when they were wearing makeup opposed to when
they were not wearing makeup. (Beauty) When a woman’s beauty was enhanced she
experienced a livelier social life and heightened self-confidence. This study supports that humans
are drawn to people who possess an attractive face. Makeup can temporarily give the illusion of
culturally favored facial traits. Western society favors facial traits such as prominent cheek
bones, a small nose, clear skin, and large eyes. Beauty, natural or temporarily enhanced, will
support that person’s social and sexual life as well as their self-confidence. More permanent
beauty procedures can benefit that person in the long run.
Cosmetic procedures are rising in popularity for a variety of reasons. Many humans
suffer from acne, acne scarring and facial blemishes such as rosacea. “I went through my teenage
years with acne, and it was awful. I wish someone could have waved the magic laser and helped
me through it; instead, I suffered from shyness.” (Bailey) Humans with acne, blemishes, and
facial scarring tend to show lower levels of self-confidence and self-worth. Currently, there are
numerous products and procedures for the treatment of acne such as Proactiv, masks, and laser
treatments. These products provide physical treatments to the unwanted blemishes as well as
provide psychological well-being in the individual. When a person views their enhanced
appearance their self-confidence increases.
Cosmetic medical procedures are also increasing in popularity due to advancements in
technology. There are aesthetic procedures that are non-invasive and fast. (The injectables)
People appeal to walk-in/walk-out procedures that allow them to return to everyday activity. The
non-invasive procedures involve minimal recovery time with semi-permanent results. Examples
of these types of procedures would be laser treatments, Botox, and body contouring. Botox stops
the appearance of wrinkles in the face. (Botox) Botox is an injectable that works in the facial
muscles and reduces the contractions that cause wrinkles. Botox is only needed every 5 to 6
months for constant results. This procedure allows the patients to return to a busy life
immediately after the procedure is done. Lasers treatments are able to stop unwanted hair
growth, wrinkles, tattoos and scarring. (Botox) Women and men often obsess over hair growth in
unwanted places. Many find their body’s hair growth embarrassing or difficult to manage. The
laser damages the hair follicle which stops the growth of hair in 6 to 8 treatments. Laser
procedures can also remove unwanted tattoos and dark spots. (Botox) Many wish to remove their
tattoos for work-related reasons. Applying makeup to the unwanted tattoo on a daily basis is a
tedious task. Perhaps the unwanted tattoo was a youthful mistake or produces negative
memories. Laser treatments can break apart the dark tattoo pigments in the skin for a permanent
solution to unwanted marks. In addition, due to the American diet or because of hormonal
medical obesity many people undergo body contouring in order to shape their figure. Body
contouring is the cavitation of fat through ultrasound equipment. This type of procedure also
involves minimal recovery time. Some individuals are even willing to undergo cosmetic surgery
with longer recovery time in order to have more permanent alterations. The procedures that
involve a longer recovery time include breast implants, liposuction, and facial reconstruction.
Cosmetic procedures greatly benefit the needs of each and every patient.
Many argue that cosmetic procedures are for the vain and/or mentally ill. Popova even
argues that beauty is vain. It is important for individuals to form their own opinions, but beauty
is a present thought in every human’s brain at some point in their life. “Beauty is indifferent and
thrives on diversity.” (Popova) There are a variety of cultural ideals of beauty so beauty can be
diverse. Traits that are found attractive across all cultures and even in animals are symmetry and
healthy genes. Diverse faces make the average attractive ones appear to be rarer and more
desired. Humans seeking cosmetic surgery were once tested for depression and results came back
negative. (Etcoffe) It was then decided that the quest for beauty was a common human goal. It is
not a mental illness to want to enhance appearance or alter minor flaws. Persons with Body
Dysmorphic Disorder and other mental illness will not be operated on by cosmetic doctors.
(Body Image) Body Dysmorphic Disorder, or otherwise known as BDD, is a mental disorder in
which the individual constantly focuses on minor or non-existent body flaws such as obesity,
scarring, body shape, wrinkles, and undesirable facial proportions. An example of a person with
BDD would be someone who is anorexic or bulimic. Those with BDD will never feel adequate
with their appearance no matter what measures are taken; therefore cosmetic procedures would
be a waste of time and effort on these people. This particular mental disorder is pre-existing and
is not caused by previous cosmetic procedures. Patients going through a crisis or who are
perfectionists are also not recommended for operation because of their mental states. Doctors
will only perform procedures for persons with a healthy mental state. Beauty is a universal
human desire and this desire is not a mental disease.
It is additionally argued that beauty is objective and taking an extensive measure to be
beautiful is a waste. Artist George Santayana theorized that beauty is in the eye of the beholder
and everyone projects their own ideas of beauty into the world. (Danto) Yes, most humans have
separate ideas of what beauty is. The most common factor that separates taste of beauty is style.
Clothes and adornments vary depending on culture and lifestyle. Fashion is constantly changing
and does not affect the facial beauty of an individual; therefore it is not a valid way of indicating
beauty. Ideas of what is facially beautiful are much similar than one might think. Adornments
and fashion are culturally different but beauty is finding favorable traits to make healthy
offspring and that is universal. Taking measures to enhance facial features is not a waste.
Undergoing a cosmetic procedure will not only benefit how that individual is perceived
but it will also benefit how that individual views themselves. The majority of females today are
too self-Critical according to the Dove Campaign. (Brooks) Females tend to describe negative
features on themselves more often than positive features. Women’s levels of self-confidence and
self-worth have improved over history. There is a correlation between increase in cosmetic
procedures and increase in self-confidence in females. “Sometimes when a person perceives they
are defective in appearance, they will have some hopelessness or depression along with the
problem. Usually there is an increase in hope, a decrease in depression, and a renewed
commitment to taking better care of themselves.” (Bailey) The enhanced beauty of a woman will
make that woman feel higher levels of self-worth. Even successful women understand the
importance of beauty and its correlation with achievement. These higher levels of self-
confidence will often motivate the person to achieve more and become more successful in
different aspects of their life. When women feel beautiful they also feel confident and confidence
is not a waste. Confidence fosters success.
Individuals must look the part as well as act the part in order to be perceived as the type
of person they want to be. In order to look the part a person might have to employ cosmetic
augmentation to achieve the desired physical appearance and emotional self-confidence.
Cosmetic procedures change the lives of those who decide to undergo them. Women who went
through breast reduction surgery had psychological test scores jump from a 41 to 84 in mental
well-being, 40-78 in sexual well-being, and 43 to 81 in physical well-being. (Breast Reduction)
A cosmetic procedure improved the patient’s life in more than one way. Patients felt better
about themselves, reported an improved dating life, and felt little to no chronic pain and had a
better ability to exercise. The questionnaire BREAST-Q meets federal and international
standards and showed that 78% of cosmetic procedure patients showed satisfaction with
appearance, psychosocial, sexual, and physical well-being. (Breast reduction) More than half of
the patients were satisfied or more than satisfied with results. Patients experienced life
improvements after undergoing these operations. Cosmetic procedures are a modern way of
improving numerous aspects of one's continuing life span. People who decide to undergo
cosmetic procedures, whether it is non-invasive or invasive have experienced positive life
changes that cannot be done the same way through any other methods.
Almost nothing can beat the feeling a person gets when they look in the mirror and
actually love their appearance. To love one’s self is arguably the most empowering part of the
human experience. The start of a person loving themselves is loving what they look like, and
having positive outside feedback on their appearance will only increase their self-worth. Hearing
other human beings positively comment on a facial enhancement will only help that individual
feel confident in their appearance and help them reach that higher level of self-empowerment.
Mental counseling, doctor visits and therapy can only do so much for a person’s well-being.
Cosmetic procedures change a person’s appearance and self-image which changes their outlook
on life. The desire for beauty is a universal human desire and the use of cosmetic procedures can
benefit social, sexual, and personal aspects of any individual’s life.
Works Cited
Bailey, Margaret. Personal Interview. 22 August 2014.
"Beauty Is in the Mind of the Beholder." Association for Psychological Science RSS. Association
for Psychological Science, n.d. Web. 30 July 2014.
"Body Image." Cosmetic Surgery. Office on Women's Health, n.d. Web. 10 Aug. 2014.
"Botox, Tattoo Removal, Now Possible in Kampala." Africa News Service 19 Mar. 2014.
Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 27 July 2014.
"Breast Reduction Surgery Found to Improve Physical, Mental Well Being." Breast Reduction
Surgery Found to Improve Physical, Mental Well Being. American Society of Plastic
Surgeons, 30 Aug. 2013. Web. 10 Aug. 2014.
Brooks, David. "The Confidence Questions." New York Times 23 Apr. 2013: A23(L). Opposing
Viewpoints In Context. Web. 27 July 2014.
Danto, Arthur Coleman. "Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec." The Nation 14 Dec. 1985: 656+.
Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 27 July 2014.
Etcoffe, Nancy. "Survival of the Prettiest: The Science of Beauty." Stacy Roberts , Ashly
Mulder, & Sarah Tieman. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 July 2014.
Feng, Charles. "Looking Good: The Psychology and Biology of Beauty." Undergraduate PeerReviewed Science Journal. Journal of Young Investigators, 2002. Web. 30 July 2014.
Popova, Maria. "The Science of Beauty." Brain Pickings RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 July 2014.
"The injectables." Sun-Herald [Sydney, Australia] 18 Nov. 2012: 67. Opposing Viewpoints In
Context. Web. 10 Aug. 2014.