Plastic surgery is frequently discussed and pondered over in the media, with lots of people guessing as to whether a certain celebrity’s features have been improved, or in some cases, damaged, by it. I can think of times when the media reported Megan Fox’s nose jobs, botox, etc, or when they discussed the supposed surgeries of several stars. With its new affordability and plethora of eager surgeons, plastic surgery is becoming increasingly common among the general population. And this isn’t hard to believe, among our looks-obsessed world, where people strive for perfection. As it seems, this is a part of a global trend, with an overall rise in plastic surgery. The United States leads the way.
The International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS) produced in 2010 a survey of plastic surgeries among the top 25 countries and regions, with the total amount of surgeries amounting to 8.5 million, and an additional 8.7 million procedures from non-surgical methods. This survey revealed America as the leader, but also showed a surprising top 5 of countries such as China, Brazil, India, and Mexico. European nations such as England, Italy, and France seemed to be trailing behind Asian countries in the rates of plastic surgery. The overall popularities of certain procedures have been slightly unexpected. Breast augmentation was frequently assumed to be the most popular, but this is not the case as liposuction proved the most popular, representing 18.8% of all surgeries. Breast augmentation followed a close second at 17%. Eyelid lift was estimated at 13.5% and rhinoplasty was 9.4%. Tummy tucks, the fifth most popular, came in at 7.3%. In a second unexpected piece, non-invasive procedures rivaled the traditional invasive surgery. This can be attributed to their lower costs, lesser degree of invasiveness, and greater safety. The most popular non-surgical procedures proved to be injections such as Botox, hyaluronic acid injections, laser hair removal, and autologous fat injections.
Looking deeper into data between the countries, there seems to be a trend of requested surgeries. Among Asian nations such as China, India, and Japan, the more popular surgical procedures consisted of lipoplasty (liposuction), rhinoplasty, blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery), breast augmentation, and tummy tucks. Among Americans, the trend deviated in terms of breast lift, breast augmentation, tummy tucks, and an absence of rhinoplasty. Additional data from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons indicate a 4% rise in breast enhancement and a huge increase of 5% in Botox injections. These data can be a reflection of cultural values. In the Western world, turn on a TV or read the news, and there seems to be an obsession with having larger “boobs or a butt.” Of course, these are the “ideal” curves, as liposuction of fat from less desired places often requested. In Asia, there is a desire to look more “Western” with the prevalence of eyelid and nose surgeries. In both areas, there seems to be a desire among some to enhance, and even to reconstruct natural born features. While plastic surgery can produce great results and have good intentions, this increasing trend of surgery is a reflection of the values we instill in future generations and forces us to look back on our idols.
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