Aesthetic Plastic Surgery: The Medicalization of Appearance

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Medicalization is something that has become overly common all over the world. It seems as if almost everything, from aging to deviant behaviors, is medicalized. Human beings have a tendency to want things their way, so they strive to get what they desire. Little do people know “each instance of medicalization represents an advance in medicine’s control over the human body” (Ferrante Ch. 6). This may not seem like a serious problem, but as medicalization increases so does the chances of danger towards people’s lives.
If reports stated in Neto and Caponi’s article claim data “can’t be found in medical literature describing the anatomic details that make the body parts beautiful” Neto and Caponi 5), then why is society make it seem like there are strict standards for body type? “Beauty is the combination of qualities, such as shape, color, or form that pleases the aesthetic senses, especially the sight” (Dictionary.com). Just as this definition says, beauty can come in many different shapes and sizes depending on how it is viewed. Sadly, everyone wants that unrealistic or “perfect” image. People continue to compare themselves to unreal stars they see through movies, on television, and in magazine advertisements. Most people today are never satisfied with what their see in the reflections in the mirror due to how society has changed the meaning of beauty to mean something that is ideal. They try to fit in with culture and social norms and fortunately for them, with the help of medicine and physicians, techniques have been created for them to receive the flawless look that society has characterized as normal and ideal. Although there are many resources—products, practices, and procedures short of surgery— for one’s desire to be beautif...

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...le.edu/~galuskwj/Kaw.pdf>.
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Merianos, Ashley L., Rebecca A. Vidourek, and Keith A. King. "Medicalization of Female Beauty: A Content Analysis of Cosmetic Procedures." The Qualitative Report 18.91 (n.d.): 1-14. Web. .
Neto, Paulo, and Sandra Caponi. "Medicalization of Beauty." Interface 11.23 (2007): n. pag. Web. .
"Reconstructive Procedures: Breast Reconstruction, Scar Revision, Skin Cancer." The American Society of Plastic Surgeons. ASPS, n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2013. .

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