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Keyla Aguilera
Mr. Kozak
3rd hour
Part 4
7 December 2012
Plastic Surgery
Plastic surgery for long has been a subject of controversy since it became a common way
for anyone to improve their physical appearance. Personally I never had put any thought into it
mainly because in my household it is not an issue that we talk about. I believe that my family has
physical extremes, my dad being extremely tall and thin and my mom being extremely short and
a little chubby. My mom’s common saying is that no one is perfect and we shouldn’t be
embarrassed about our imperfections. Sadly these feelings aren’t shared by everyone; today
many teens, celebrities, and older women look at cosmetic surgery as an alternative of doing
exercise and living a healthy lifestyle.
In 2008 the total number of cosmetic surgical and nonsurgical procedures done in U.S
was more than 12 million, an increase of 3 % from the previous years, states ("Cosmetic
Surgery...”). The American Society of Aesthetic Surgery reported that the most common and
popular procedures were breast augmentation, liposuction, eyelid surgery, rhinoplasty, tummy
tuck, and Botox injections; more than 80% of these were performed on older women. For long
these have been marketed as generally safe but in reality there are medical and emotional risks
involved. Psychological complications include disappointments with the results for those hoping
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for an extreme change or for the surgery to improve their social life. Complications include
breast asymmetry, chest wall deformity, loss of natural breast tissue, the most common is
capsular contracture which is occurs when scar tissue forms near the implant and causes it to
harden and eventually rupture ("Cosmetic Surgery...”). Cosmetic surgery has become an
increasingly appealing specialty among doctors in the U.S majorly because of the pay which are
driving top students away from specialties in needed feels such as family medicine.
A main issue is teens wanting to have cosmetic surgery. There are a variety of viewpoints
but what is most important is that the teenagers want the surgery for him or herself says Dr.
Richard D’Amico president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Signs that teens are not
prepared for the post-surgery changes are if they have low self-esteem and if they feel or are
lonely. The expectations need to be realistic; the surgery will not fix your life, that task is up to
the person. Many surgeons think twice before performing the most popular procedures like
rhinoplasty, liposuction, and breast implants on teens not because it is more risky but because the
emotional consequences that these may bring ("Cosmetic Surgery Can Benefit Some Teens..").
Another main issue of cosmetic surgery is the cost. The article “Tough Choices” gives the
reader an example of how expensive cosmetic surgery can be, it points out the exact cost of the
different types of cosmetic surgery. Also it compares how the money of these surgeries could be
used instead for necessities. Today some mothers choose to have a debt of $5000, 00 for a
tummy tuck knowing the possibility of complications and even death. The desire for beauty has
been pushing to be prioritized for a long time; some analysts predict that in the future it will
become more important than the wellness of the family.
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In a study done, Dr. Lipworth and colleagues performed an extended fallow up study of
3,527 Swedish women who underwent cosmetic breast implants between 1965 and 1993. They
used their death certificate data to analyze the causes of death and compared it to the general
female population. They concluded, “The increased suicide risk-together with similar increase in
death form alcohol and drug dependence-suggests that plastic surgeons should consider mental
health screenings and fallow-up for women who seek breast implants” (“People Who Seek
Plastic Surgery...”). The suicide rate tripled for women with breast implants, and the risk was
seven times greater for women who received their implants at age 45 or older.
Botox reached more than $1 billion sales in 2006 “As this wrinkle cure as continued to
shoot up in popularity (it's the NO. 1 non-surgical cosmetic treatment in the country), a Botox
backlash is also brewing” ("Introduction to Cosmetic Surgery: Opposing...”). Botox is injected
into wrinkle causing muscles, it sticks to nerve endings to halt their signals, freezing the nerve
temporarily which gives the face a smoother appearance ("Introduction to Cosmetic Surgery:
Opposing...”). To celebrities it is part of their beauty routine costing between $350 to $500.
American Idol judge Simon Cowell explains “To me, Botox is no more unusual than
toothpaste..It works, you do it once a year”. Specialists question the safety as it is one of the most
powerful poisons in existence, long term effects are unknown.
In this project I learned to not judge people, specially women who choose to have
cosmetic surgery. Some simply want to look 'good' while others utilize it as a way to bury deeper
problems. I agree with some of the articles that state that people should have a mental health
screening before getting anything done. It is a fair way to prevent some of the post-surgery
consequences. In conclusion is up to the person to decide what they want and what it is the best
way to improve their physical appearance or if it is the case deal with personal problems.
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Works Cited
"Cosmetic Surgery." Current Issues: Macmillan Social Science Library. Detroit: Gale,
2010. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 30 Nov. 2012.
Shulman, Matthew. "Cosmetic Surgery Can Benefit Some Teens." Cosmetic Surgery.
Ed. Roman Espejo. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2011. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt.
from "Teens Getting Plastic Surgery: Be Cautious." U.S. News & World Report (1
July 2008). Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 30 Nov. 2012.
"Tough Choices." Newsweek 19 Dec. 2011: 14. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context.
Web. 2 Dec. 2012.
"People Who Seek Plastic Surgery Should Have Mental Health Screenings." Cosmetic
Surgery. Ed. Roman Espejo. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2011. Opposing
Viewpoints. Rpt. from "Breast Implants Triple Suicide Risk." Newsmax.com. 2007.
Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 2 Dec. 2012.
"Introduction to Cosmetic Surgery: Opposing Viewpoints." Cosmetic Surgery. Ed.
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Roman Espejo. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2011. Opposing Viewpoints. Gale
Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 30 Nov. 2012.