Plastic surgery is something people often think only celebrities and famous people have. Well you’d be wrong. If we take the UK as an example, there were 51,140 procedures in 2015 which is an increase of more than 6,000 from the previous year.
So what is it exactly that makes so many people want to get it done? The pressure to look perfect today is ever increasing with online celebrities who use social media apps such as Instagram to flaunt their perfect life. They are setting the standard for what people aspire to, even though it’s often revealed that much of these influences life’s are staged. Let’s explore a little bit more about why so many people are opting for plastic surgery.
It’s Readily Available
If you wanted to have a procedure 10 years ago, it was a lot more difficult as the availability wasn’t there, but now when you can visit the nearest large town or city and walk into a plastic surgeon’s clinic it makes it all too easy. The cost is not as daunting as it used to be either, and indeed Western cultures are starting to really see the pursuit of beauty as a worthwhile expense with one of the most popular procedures being rhinoplasty. The amount of money spent on make-up and gym memberships should show us that it’s no surprise for plastic surgery to also become a common purchase. If you can get something fixed permanently why would you carry on spending money on makeup to cover it up.
It Follows Celebrity Culture
Celebrities can often be blamed for the rise, but the amount of pressure they are under to portray the perfect face and body is overlooked. If a celebrity chooses not to they can be cast aside for someone else who does fit the stereotypical perfect look. If you can get lips like Kylie Jenner and a rear like her sister Kim Kardashian, then is there any wonder why so many people are choosing to follow suit.
It’s a Confidence Thing
Many people have something that they don’t like about themselves. They might feel that their nose is too big, or watch wrinkles appear around their eyes with dread. It might even be a case of hating their size and wanting liposuction. Whatever it is that they don’t like, when the chance comes to change it, of course they will take that chance. Increasing confidence can really improve quality of life, and can help at work too.
It’s Accepted
If there was still a huge taboo around plastic surgery, most people would probably shy away from it. But when pop culture accepts it as a normal thing to do, then it becomes more possible for normal people to try it out. Most of us are no longer surprised by the idea of someone having a procedure done, particularly small things like a nose job or a breast enlargement, so it stands to reason that it wouldn’t seem like a big leap to get it done ourselves.
There are, no doubt, plenty more reasons why plastic surgery is on the rise and still going strong. These are the big points to consider, but as with any cultural matter, it’s actually more complicated than it looks. What we can take away from this is that plastic surgery is only going to increase in the years to come.
