Impact on Individual | beautyondemand

Ideology and Medicalisation

Risk of Breast Implant

Breast implants have been associated with the long-term risk of developing cancer (Brisson et al., 2006), mortality (Briton et al. 2001) and systematic disease, such as symptoms of rheumatic disease (Nunnen et al. 1982). Briton (2001) reported a scientific study, which shows that implant patients had a slightly increased risk for all causes of death, all malignancies, and suicide. Similarly, Koot (2003) has also found a fifty-percent excess mortality rate amongst Swedish women with breast implant.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)

Awful Cosmetic Operation

Among those patients treated, major medical problems were related to breast surgery and tummy tucks (Botched Cosmetic Operations, 2008).

One particular case, as cited by Latham (2008), highlighted Denise Hendry, wife of footballer Colin Hendry, to have suffered from severe injuries following liposuction, as the consequent of consulting a non-medically qualified staff who did not elaborate the procedural risk of the surgery.

Women’s experience

Schofield et al. (2002) also suggested that aesthetic surgery was useful to satisfy their spouse about the immediate physical effects of the violent experiences, but such external restoration does not overcome their fear, shame or anxiety from the violent incidents. Such trauma of violence may stimulate psychological problem and dysfunction, such as low self-esteem, depression, which is often treated with cosmetic surgery. Therefore, cosmetic surgery could marginalise the traumatic experience caused by domestic violence, thus overcoming the mental affliction triggered by the violent act.

Health and Regulation Risks

The practice of cosmetic surgery also poses issues of risk, malpractice, and informed consent. In the United Kingdom, regulation of private cosmetic surgery has been formalised with Care Standard Act (2000) and Health and Social Care Act(2003). However, the implementation and supervision of such regulation remains in the hand of private surgeons, which might present potential negligence in practice. Consequently, inadequate supervision and regulation standards, such as lack of infection control policy and doctors not having specialist training are often reported in national newspaper.

Cosmetic surgery patients might not fully comprehend the potential risks from the cosmetic operations.

Davis (2003 a) explained that patients are free to use experimental medical procedures, provided they are aware of the risks and benefits, thus enabling them to freely choose a particular procedure as long as it is available and they can pay for it.

In addition, several large epidemiological research studying the causes of mortality amongst women who received cosmetic breast surgery revealed an unexpected association with suicide (Lipworth et al. 2007). Building on the aforementioned studies, Sarwer and Crerand (2008) indicated the possibility of the reported suicides could be associated with the appearance preoccupation typically shown in person with BDD. Therefore, although cosmetic surgery could rejuvenate an individual's external appearance, it still could not complete solve the complex psychological issue.

Cosmetic surgery is also entrancing to people with BDD, a condition where patients suffer from an excessive perception of physical imperfection. People with such medical condition, have the tendency to undergo repeated plastic surgeries to fix the perceived flaw (Sarwer & Crerand, 2008). BDD patients might also suffer from various comorbidities (disorders), such as mood disorder, social phobia, obsessive compulsive disorder and personality disorder.

In addition, further worries also emerged in regard to cheap holiday surgery packages threatening patient safety, as reported by the British Association of Plastic and Reconstructive Aesthetic Surgery (BAPRAS, 2009). Other researches (Rankin et al., 2006) reported high rates of infection correlated with postoperative conditions, including severe depression, disappointed patient, anger, post-traumatic stress disorder, postoperative anxiety, and helplessness,. Such findings provide association between psychological condition and physical complications after cosmetic surgery.

One scientific study (Crerard et al., 2005) has shown that among 184 adults and 16 adolescents aged 17 years and younger with BDD, indicating that 71–76% of patients sought and 64–66% received cosmetic treatments.

The results of the studies revealed that 50-60 % of all received treatments resulted in improvement in BDD symptoms with some of them became anxious about how their medical condition would be improved, while the others developed appearance-related concerns.

Cosmetic surgery gives hopes to victims of domestic violence by addressing their trauma of violence through restoring of physical injuries caused by the violence. From the baseline survey of Australian women’s health, Schofield et al. (2002) discovered that 7% (n = 982) of their population-based sample (n = 14,100) had undergone cosmetic surgery.

It is also significant to know that 22% of the portion that had undergone such surgery, experienced violent relationship.

A study administered by Culos-Reed et al. (2002) on 50 female who accomplished self-report analysis following acne or vein treatment revealed that the primary reason for receiving cosmetic surgery was appearance related. Seventy-eight per cent of the sample believed that the treatment would improve their appearance and well-being.

Nevertheless, consultation at private clinics might be conducted by receptionists or cold-calling sales team member (Latham 2008), thus inferring that there might be lack of professional advice on the risk and suitability of specific treatment to the patient.

In the reality, many cosmetic surgery services are available to a growing number of people travelling abroad for private surgery at reduced prices. As a result of such trend, patients might encounter language barrier, which could affect severely on the understanding of risk and benefits of the medical operations, thus implying a serious compromise on informed consent of the patient. Furthermore, in a foreign country, patients might face difficulties with verifying the surgeon’s qualifications and accessing after-care support.

Figure 3 - Depressed Woman [Retrieved from: http://exsuperwoman.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/sad-woman.jpg]

Figure 4 - Domestic Violence [Retrieved from: http://discussingdissociation.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/domestic_violence6_1.jpg]

Aesthetic surgery has been shown as a demonstration against patriarchal ideologies, in which Asian women are perceived as being more submissive to male. Following the Second World War, Koreans, Chinese, Japanese, and Asian Americans underwent cosmetic surgery to create folded eyelids (‘western eyes’) and nose bridge surgery in an attempt to match the western counterparts that are regarded as being more aesthetically and socially appealing. Several studies by Kaw (2003) also revealed that the decision to undergo cosmetic surgery was never purely aesthetic but mainly for improving their social status as women of racial minorities.

In addition to the aforementioned trend, Gimlin (2007) alluded the notion of medicalisation among british women who received cosmetic surgery. In his study, Gimlin (2007) revealed that women who had inferior physical traits, such as ‘runner’s nipple’ or small breast, could perceive them as medical conditions and sought cosmetic surgery as a treatment to such situations. Furthermore, women could suffer from physical and mental abuse due to the visible deficiency, thus causing emotional distress, which might lead to depression.Therefore, by going through aesthetic surgery, women could amend their physical inferiority, and in turn, overcome the negative experiences evoked by it.

Figure 1 - Eyelid Surgery [Retrieved from: http://abagond.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/beforeafter31.jpg]

Figure 2 - Aesthetically Appealing Eyelid [Retrieved from: http://sheshines.us/wp-content/uploads/Eyelid-line-300x237.jpg]

Figure 5 - Breast Implant [Retrieved from: http://media.rbi.com.au/AD_Media_Library/Breast_implant_5.jpg]

Figure 6 - Breast Cancer [Retrieved from: http://goo.gl/3CgPD]

Figure 7 - Body Dysmorphic Disorder [Retrieved from: http://goo.gl/31G8n

Figure 8 - Failed Tummy Tuck [Retrieved from: http://trialx.com/g/Tummy_Tuck-3.jpg

Figure 9- Botox Injection [Retrieved from: http://www.rustoneyeinstitute.com/images_content/botox1.jpg

A recent study by Clarke et al. (2007) shown that majority of women aged from 50-70 years in the sample of study, acknowledged harmful agents to the body through injections of Botox, causes significant risk to their health and well-being.

Figure 10 - Overseas Surgery [Retrieved from: http://goo.gl/fDa25]