The Truth about Cosmetic Surgery Essay -- Health Beauty Medicine

The Truth about Cosmetic Surgery Cosmetic surgery has become one of the most popular trends in America today. Whether you are reading a magazine, watching the news, or a television program, you are likely to see something about cosmetic surgery. Within the past year, there have been several television programs dedicated to people â€Å"bettering† themselves through body augmenting surgeries. Millions of people undergo risky surgery every year simply to improve or enhance a feature or body part. While the results may seem foolproof and glamorous, it is actually a very risky procedure. With the airing of shows such as â€Å"Extreme Makeover†, MTV’s â€Å"I Want a Famous Face†, and Fox’s show â€Å"The Swan†, cosmetic surgery has become a normal part of American life. With programs like these contributing to the overwhelming popularity of cosmetic surgery, the number of people having these surgeries has greatly increased. According the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, over 8.7 million cosmetic plastic surgery procedures were performed in 2003 (Procedural Statistics). This is an increase of 32 percent, up from around 6.6 million procedures performed in 2002. These numbers are simply cosmetic surgical procedures, people who have elected to have surgery to improve their features, and do not include reconstructive or necessary plastic surgery. Eighty-two percent of the people who have cosmetic surgery are women. The most popular procedures are nose-jobs, followed by liposuction, then breast augmentation, eyelid surgery, and finall y facelifts. Patients are also becoming younger. While the age group having the most surgeries is 35 to 50, 19 to 34 year olds now make up 26 percent of the group. The most popular surgery amongst this younger group ... ...ember that like everything else in life, it is in no way foolproof. Works Cited â€Å"Procedures at a Glance.† American Society of Plastic Surgeons. 2004. http://www.plasticsurgery.org/public_education/procedures/Cosmetic PlasticSurgery.cfm> â€Å"Gel Bleed- Breast Augmentation Risk and Complication.† Just breast implants.com. 2001. http:// www.justbreastimplants.com/risks/gel_bleed.htm> â€Å"New Study Finds No Link Between Breast Implants and Immune-Related Disorder.† Imaginis.com. 3 April 2001. â€Å"Cosmetic Surgery and Procedures.† WebMD Health. 23 Sept 2004. http://my.webmd.com/hw/health_guide_atoz/aa64119.asp?z=4209_00000_8002_to_01 â€Å"Procedural Statistics Press Kit.† American Society of Plastic Surgeons. 2004. http://www.plasticsurgery.org/news_room/Procedural-Statistics-Press-Kit-Index.cfm>