Gratification comes in literally many shapes and forms. While some are looking to improve on their net worth and crush goals, others are more ‘superficially’ inclined to resolving all the imperfections on their body.
Whether in beating time, reversing the natural order of one’s biological clock, or perhaps placing a temporary ban on the aging process of one’s body, it has become an obsession for some and a means to boost self-esteem, confidence and psychological well-being for others.
In this case, aesthetic medicine has become a goldmine for the health and beauty industry. Undoubtedly, the health sector is a big industry and for obvious reasons. People have over the years taken their health a lot more seriously and for good reasons too, but aesthetic medicine is revolutionizing the face of the wellness industry.
Besides living a healthy life with particular focus on diet, exercising and general wellbeing, people are becoming more obsessed to look exactly like what they eat with no wrinkle in place – hence, the need to resort to aesthetic medicine or surgeries.
In 2021, aesthetic medicine saw over 30 million surgical and non-surgical procedures carried out and a jump of 19.3% from the previous year. A telltale sign of the trending global surge in body modification.
Rave Of Body Enhancement Procedures
Since the days of industrialization, modernized countries and communities have given phenomenal relevance to the body and physical appearance. As a result, the utmost fascination with youthfulness and physical attractiveness in western societies, particularly, has led to a proliferation of cosmetic/aesthetic products, services, and surgical procedures.
As it stands, many women and men seeking to conform to contemporary standards of beauty ideals, choose to use various rejuvenation procedures and surgery to enhance or maintain a physically attractive appearance.
The practice of aesthetic medicine is a combination of interpreting patient goals and skillfully tailoring a treatment approach to provide an optimal aesthetic outcome, and in the process, fostering a trusting relationship.
Interestingly, the Global Survey report indicates growing aware- ness about fitness and overall appearance which have increased the demand for aesthetic treatments in developing countries. Aesthetic procedures, such as liposuction, nose reshaping, and Botox injections, are gaining consumer interest in countries, such as India and South Korea.
According to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS), in 2021, India was ranked among the top 5 countries per- forming non-surgical procedures at a global level. This highlights the lucrative growth prospects that lie ahead for industry players in the country.
Patients Clamor For Mental And Emotional Wellbeing
Fundamentally, factors that drive people towards the path of treatment goals and expectations of the aesthetic patient reflect evolving social, cultural, and commercial influences. When it comes to the aesthetic practitioner, he may often be faced with the challenge of first decoding the underlying motives that drive the patient to pursue their specific goals. The challenge for clinicians is further compounded by an increase in patient diversity with respect to race, ethnicity, age, and gender.
Predominantly, several factors contribute to this rising trend as patients are not only looking to improve their physical appearance, but also the desire to improve their mental and emotional health along with social wellbeing.
Reported motivations of patients considering cosmetic dermatologic procedures in a study, highlighted concerns about mental and emotional health more times than any of the other identified themes, citing the appeal for improved confidence, feeling depressed and anxious with current appearance, and feeling consumed by efforts to conceal undesirable physical features as motivations to pursue cosmetic procedures.
Furthermore, it was found that increasing self-confidence was the top motivation for patients seeking a variety of cosmetic procedures including injectables, laser treatment, and liposuction or noninvasive fat reduction.
According to UBC Medical, there’s a growing body of research on the psychological effects of plastic surgery, and many studies have found that those who have undergone plastic surgery do experience improved self-confidence after their surgeries.
Psychologist Diana Zuckerman, PhD and President for the National Research Center for Women and Families, told the American Psychological Association that these are fascinating issues for psychologists to look at especially from the cultural phenomena to the interpersonal phenomena to the mental health and self-esteem issues.
She believes that though the research is currently thin, it will be- come a huge part of psychological study in the future.
A recent study from the Center for Human Appearance at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine examined the psychological outcomes following a cosmetic procedure. Researchers discovered that more than 87 percent said they were satisfied with the surgery and felt that
their body had improved as a result. They exhibited fewer negative emotions towards their body when put in social situations.
Invasive Versus Non-Invasive Aesthetic Procedures
The motivation and reasons people have for doing the things they do are innumerable and the ur- gent need also to carry them out are enormous.
When it comes to aesthetic medical procedures or the demand for cosmetic surgeries and minimally invasive procedures, such as botulinum toxin and facial filler injections, it has increased dramatically over the past decade.
In 2013, Americans spent over $12.3 billion on elective surgical and nonsurgical cosmetic procedures. About half of the documented cases, nearly 5.9 million, were nonsurgical facial rejuvenation procedures, specifically soft tissue fillers and botulinum toxin.
There has been a significant increase in the demand for non-invasive aesthetic treatments. This surge in popularity has had a positive impact on the global aesthetic industry, benefiting both patients and practitioners financially.
Patients are increasingly opting for non-invasive procedures over traditional surgical methods due to several factors. Unlike surgical procedures that require large incisions and longer recovery periods, non-invasive treatments involve minimal downtime and shorter recovery times.
These procedures offer a way to achieve desired results without the need for extensive surgery or prolonged healing periods. For patients, the financial benefits of choosing non-invasive procedures are evident. Since these treatments require fewer resources compared to surgical interventions, they often come with lower costs.
The reduced recovery time means less time away from work or other commitments, resulting in further financial savings.
Beverly Wilshire Medicals contends that practitioners also experience financial advantages with the rise of non-invasive procedures. As these treatments become more popular, surgeons who specialize in such techniques have seen an increase in their patient base.
With their expertise in performing these less invasive procedures, they can cater to a broader range of cases while minimizing risks associated with traditional surgeries. This in the first place foretells that these procedures don’t come cheap.
Non-invasive cosmetic procedures offer numerous benefits over invasive options, making them increasingly popular among individuals seeking to enhance their appearance. These procedures provide a range of advantages, including minimal downtime, reduced risk of complications, and suitability for a wider range of patients.
Another key benefit is the reduced risk of complications and side effects associated with non-invasive procedures. Surgical interventions carry inherent risks, such as infection or adverse reactions to anesthesia. In contrast, non-invasive treatments minimize these risks since they do not involve incisions or extensive handling of tissues.
Implications Of Botched Procedures
It is quite easy for people to become victims of trends and fads which are pretty much fleeting in nature and bound to phase out sooner than expected. But with the pressure of the beauty industry and its attendant advertising plot twists which paints a basically unattainable picture of what beauty represents, it has inadvertently affected the true meaning of beauty.
This has affected the worth, self-esteem and confidence of both men and women and the need to meet up to society’s standards of perfect body goals even if it means going under the knife, although this can have long term and even permanent damages.
Increasingly, people turn to plastic surgery and other cosmetic procedures to build their self-esteem. The opposite can happen, though. The negative effects of plastic surgery on society stem from how individuals misuse it.
A series of studies beginning in the early 2000s found that women who underwent cosmetic breast augmentation surgery were more likely to attempt suicide. After comparing numbers, researchers found that the risk was just over twice that of the general population. As with many aspects of mental health, there are a lot of factors that could contribute to this increase.
Other studies also have found that women with breast implants are far more likely to have mental health issues like depression, eating disorders, and substance use disorders— all of which carry a higher risk of suicide. It’s also possible that botched procedures played a role in this increase.
Beyond the gloried aspect of aesthetic procedures offering a better remedy in rectifying some form of body abnormalities, sometimes, patients realize that it’s always better to leave such ‘defects’ as they are, especially if they do not in any way affect their overall health. Botched procedures have left victims in even worse situations than they previously were saddled with.
Relying on plastic surgery to achieve some arbitrary standard of perfection is damaging. The popularity of cosmetic surgery shows that many people believe their look is inferior to another and that they should risk mental and physical health to achieve that preferred appearance.