Buying Beauty

Hi, I would like to order one nose job, a tummy tuck, and a boob job please.

Sure, cash or credit?

From Extreme Makeover to America’s Next Top Model, media outlets have created standards of beauty that are forced on to society. Women are not appealing unless they get a facelift, buy a new nose job, or increase a couple cup sizes.

Credible doctors years of training beyond medical school dedicate their expertise to helping people get whatever it is they need to be able to accept themselves and love who they are. She provides them with the self-confidence and self-worth that some people may never understand. Surgeons take pride in the healthy, confident relationship that they offer their patients. Many patients are young and need particular surgeries in order to live and function comfortably. Some patients cannot accept their inner beauty until they are content with their outer beauty. However, the media only communicates the luxury of plastic surgery, not the scary, painful side effects that accompany it. In doing so, they force specific standards of beauty on to society.

Plastic surgery has been around for centuries. For example, the Assyrians were known for their curved noses. With the desire to look like them, Persians would stick bones in their noses to try and achieve that same curve. In addition, injured soldiers would receive reconstructive surgery when severely wounded in battle. However, plastic surgery was frowned upon and surgeons were often ridiculed for trying to “play God.” In certain cultures, it was a severe form of dishonoring one’s parents because parents are responsible for one’s looks and appearance.

American standards have also had profound influences on the plastic surgery profession. In an article on Forbes.com , Allison Von Dusen reports in her article, "TV's Medical Missteps" how the majority of patients consult plastic surgeons based on the knowledge they gain from television and the media. Firstly, the media does not accurately delineate scientific accuracy. Many of the surgeries accompany extremely uncomfortable side effects and stages of recovery.

They are not all completely about beauty and satisfaction. Many teenagers who experience gastric bypass surgery do not realize that in the long run there is extra skin after losing the weight that needs to be maintained. American media is so focused on communicating the necessity for viewers to conform to their standards of beauty that they leave out the important medical information. Dusen states that Dr. 90210 and Extreme Makeover significantly impacted a patient’s decision to consult a plastic surgeon (Van Dusen 1). Their knowledge of plastic surgery procedures was completely based on what they gained from each show.

American standards also convey to the public that plastic surgery aids in one’s desire to belong. The media perpetuates various beauty expectations, creating an image of what people are supposed to look like. Whatever is popular always catches on. In a sense, American media has driven the plastic surgery profession by bringing them patients. Shows like The Swan, E’s 10 Ways to look like a celebrity, and Dr. 90210 all influence young women in America, instilling a desire to get surgery to enhance their physical appearance. People will beg for what they need and pay for what they want. American standards have developed beauty into a pure commodity. Natasha Singer writes in a New York Times article, "Who is the Real Face of Plastic Surgery?"

“The medical industry has responded by marketing plastic surgery as if it were an

appliance or other big-ticket consumer product: a commodity to be financed with credit

cards and loans” (Singer, 1).

It is no longer something to be valued and cherished because nowadays it can be purchased. When looking for a safe surgeon, do not simply rely on television and the media. It is their job to sell beauty and they will say anything to make a sale. Some credentials to look for in a surgeon include proper residency training, Board certifications, and a certified surgery center. Consumers should understand that plastic surgery encompasses an array of services. Plastic surgery is reconstructive and aesthetic, not solely cosmetic.