Daniel Emerson
Cosmetic surgery is increasing in popularity so rapidly that soon "getting work done" will be viewed in the same category as having teeth whitened or capped, says a Sydney academic.
University of Sydney academic Meredith Jones last night launched a far-reaching book about cosmetic surgery titled, Skintight: An Anatomy of Cosmetic Surgery, which argues that Australia is turning into a "makeover culture".
"Nothing and nobody is ever good enough. We have to improve and become something better. That's why all these makeover shows are so popular, they are all about self-improvement," Dr Jones said.
"I argue that cosmetic surgery is a crucial part of the makeover culture, you could say it is its quintessential example."
Dr Jones said while statistics were still hard to come by in Australia compared with the United States and Britain, cosmetic surgery was definitely on the rise in Australia, and not just among bored soccer mums, aging trophy wives or corporate high-flying women.
"It's only a matter of time until we put 'work done' into the same category as having our teeth bleached or capped," she said.
"It's definitely becoming more run of the mill and the other change is that people are more willing to talk about it.
"It used to be a secret between you and your surgeon, you would pretend that you had gone away on a lovely holiday and that's why you were looking so good and refreshed. Now you might tell people that you are going to Thailand to get a cheap procedure and might even go with a few of your girlfriends."
Dr Jones reported that not all the people she interviewed got work done to look more beautiful, and about 10 per cent of plastic surgery recipients in Australia were men - in line with global trends.
"Most of them weren't doing it to look more beautiful," she said. "One woman who was already really beautiful told me she was getting breast implants because all her life she had felt 'deformed' with small breasts.
"Another woman I interviewed had the most enormous ears, they stuck right out. As soon as I saw them I though that's what she was going to get changed but what she wanted to do was to get rid of a tiny wrinkle in the middle of her forehead because she said it made her look like her mother.
" Men get things like pectoral implants, face lifts, calf implants on body builders, eye lifts and tummy tucks.
"Cosmetic surgery is definitely on the rise, it's part of a global trend. It's part of the makeover culture, we are surrounded by images that have been airbrushed and by people who have had cosmetic surgery themselves anyway."
Dr Jones said Australians were more likely to get cosmetic surgery to repair damage caused by the sun than people in other parts of the world but "overall we do follow the global trends of liposuction and breast augmentation being the most popular".
She said the rise in cosmetic surgery was in line with changes to the accepted standards in people's appearance.
"It's part of a cultural change, about what's acceptable and what's good looking," she said.
"It's extremely different to what it was 40 years ago and 20 years ago."
"You just don't see women with grey hair anymore. If you did then they would have made a conscious decision to remain grey.
"You don't see people with bad teeth anymore unless they are poor. I am not saying it's a good or bad thing, just that it's a different cultural change."
Cosmetic surgery has become one of the most popular means by which to improve one’s appearance and get rid of unwanted characteristics. Whether you are having a nose job or a tummy tuck, there is a procedure that can help. As with any other type of surgery, however, there are risks that you should be aware of before you decide to go under the knife.
Before you will be able to have a cosmetic procedure, you will need to know if you are even a good candidate. While this is not always a crucial detail, it can matter. While it is certainly possible to have such procedures done no matter what age you are, good health and realistic expectations are necessary. Keep in mind that improve, not perfection, is the goal of any cosmetic procedure.
Sometimes the question arises concerning age. While, as stated above, cosmetic surgery can be performed at any age, there are situations where a specific age is preferable. For example, someone under the age of 18 would not be able to obtain a nose job without a parent’s consent.
Another common question is whether or not more than one procedure can be performed at once.
The answer is generally yes, but this needs to be discussed in thorough detail with the surgeon. The answer will most likely depend on what types of procedures you wish to have performed, and what parts of your body they will affect. The surgeon may decide to split certain procedures into sections. For example, facial surgeries may be performed at the same time, while surgery on another part of the body may be performed at a later date.
Another main concern is the scarring that will occur after surgery. It is not possible to eliminate them from happening, but it is possible to properly care for them so they will become more difficult to see over time. Surgeons, however, are trained to help hide most, a procedure that is most often successful. It really depends on the type and extent of the surgery.
In any case, be sure to take the advice of your surgeon and properly care for yourself after the surgery. This is crucial to the healing process, and to the overall success of the surgery. It can also keep you from needing additional surgeries. Before making the decision to have cosmetic surgery, talk to your surgeon and know what you should expect. Understand the proposed outcome.
