Plastic Surgery Blog

As most know, plastic surgery is becoming increasingly popular in the United States amongst different age groups, genders and races. According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, since 1997 there has been a 446 percent increase in the total number of cosmetic surgeries performed in this country. Such an astounding increase has led many to ask why more are opting to go under the knife to enhance their physical appearance than ever before.

Recent studies have shown the latest phenomenon with reality television may go hand in hand with the plastic surgery craze. Four out of five plastic surgery patients have admitted they have been directly influenced to make their decision by watching reality TV shows like “Extreme Makeover,� “Dr. 90210,� and MTV’s, “I Want a Famous Face.�

Whether patients are looking for some quick liposuction, to reduce their wrinkles or desire a breast augmentation, the fact that reality TV shows depict characters that are apparently as “normal� as any other American, seems to be encouraging people to take the step themselves.

However, as with most things, future plastic surgery patients need to keep their own best interests in mind when they’re debating surgery. Just because Joe from Long Island chose to have calf implants to impress the ladies at the shore during the summer, doesn’t mean it’s the right decision for you.

There’s no doubt that America’s growing obsession with looking “perfect� is driving their desire to mimic those they see on TV, encouraging them to take that plastic surgery plunge.

Although ABC recently canceled their hit show, “Extreme Makeover� researchers have found that the country is undergoing an extreme makeover of its own annually. Doctors only hope that the patients they operate on are getting surgery because it’s something they feel is best for them, as opposed to being the influence of the media.

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According to the American Board of Plastic Surgeons, in 2005 more than 10.2 million cosmetic surgeries were performed. With so many going under the knife yearly, it’s no wonder some are choosing to bring a buddy along for a new nose or chest.

The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery reports that in 2005, 34% of those who went in for surgery opted to go tandem. Americans were not only quicker to jump at the opportunity to get plastic surgery, but they were also more likely to bring a partner.

Since plastic surgery has become more widely accepted, particularly in America, people are apparently starting to view going to the surgeon’s office as a sort of social gathering. Why not get some lipo done while your husband is getting his calf implants? Or better yet, ladies can grab their BFF of the moment to get breast augmentations, and then recover side by side on the couch watching re-runs of Melrose Place.

Doctors acknowledge the growing trend in tandem surgeries, though some say they don’t like to operate on two patients the same day. When one goes through the process and is recovering, surgeons say it is better to have their mother, boyfriend or friend at their side to take care of them, not relish in the misery while icing their own face. However, other surgeons say they are okay with performing two consecutive surgeries because each patient is there for the other, to feel exactly what they are going through and to experience the transformation with one another.

Plastic surgery may not be for all, but for those who do want to enhance their physically appearance with the help of a surgeon, why not bring a buddy along to share in the experience?

Technorati Tags: reconstructive surgery, liposuction, breast augmentation

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According to the American Board of Plastic Surgeons, nearly 11.5 million Americans received some form of cosmetic surgery in 2006.

Research has shown that there are many factors contributing to these growing plastic surgery statistics. The need and want for higher self esteem and the natural effects of aging seem to be among the highest reasons for this increase in surgery; however, I think we’re all fooling ourselves if we don’t relate this growing trend with our obsessed fascination with the celebrity world.

It seems you can’t pick up a magazine or search Google out of boredom anymore without being told about who’s supposedly had what done. Did Jessica Simpson get a breast augmentation? Will Liv Tyler have plastic surgery in the future? What gives with Victoria Beckham’s frozen face? And…uh! Dare I say it? Has Brad Pitt gone under the knife?

The media hype surrounding the celebs that entertain us, and those who simply party their way up the Hollywood food chain, is at an all time high right now. So it’s no wonder more Americans are opting for cosmetic surgery to look like their favorite idols. While some simply get a high off finding out that the seemingly perfect celebs that grace the pages of Vogue, Vanity Fair, and W are anything but, others are dialing their nearest plastic surgeon to request Angelina’s lips and Matthew McConaughey’s abs.

In the end, does it really matter which celebrity has or ever will have plastic surgery to enhance their physical appearance? When asking yourself whether plastic surgery is right for you, there’s only person who counts, and it isn’t Pamela Anderson. Having operations to alter your appearance should be a reflection of who you want to be in the future, what you want from your life and how you feel about yourself; after all, you’re not the one being followed by paparazzi.

Technorati Tags: celebrities, breast augmentation, paparazzi

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Until now, cosmetic surgery has been associated with women, but new studies show that more men, even young boys, are going under the knife to nip and tuck their physical imperfections.

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the majority of men seeking breast-reduction surgery are adolescent boys between the ages of 13-19. In 2006 alone, more than 14,000 boys underwent the operation in hopes of molding their bodies into what they “should� look like, toned and masculine.

For years, fingers have been pointed at teen magazines like Seventeen and YM for the constant increase in eating disorders amongst teenage girls due to the fashion spreads with mini Kate Moss’s gracing the pages. However, research now shows that boys too may be just as affected by the media’s portrayal of what the ideal male and female are too look like, and they’re now, with the help of their parents, taking action to look their physical best when hitting the beaches.

In a society that admires men with chiseled abs and the structured jaw line of Brad Pitt, it’s no wonder why men are choosing to have operations in order to alter their appearances. Women have been undergoing operations to mimic those we see in movies, magazines, and simply to keep up with one another for decades, so it only makes sense that men are following the same trend.

In a recent editorial in Men’s Health Magazine the editor-in-chief discussed the growing desire in his readers to have enlarged breasts like they see in most male models. As with women, men seem to be just as, if not more self-conscious when it comes to taking off their shirt in public.

Since the beginning of time men have been viewed as the providers and protectors, seen as the physically stronger and more capable sex. Now, for those men who don’t fit into this somewhat unrealistic Roman god stereotype, there are endless possibilities from calf implants and ab reconstruction to breast augmentation available to males. They seem to be taking notice, and scheduling consultations.

Technorati Tags: male breast augmentation, men’s health, ab reconstruction

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