Ethics in Cosmetic Society
From the colourful packaging of products in supermarkets to the beautiful supermodels so often present in advertisements for products completely unrelated to the supermodels in question, firms and corporations are all too aware of the high esteem to which we hold looks and physical appearances, and are using this to their advantage.
Indeed, the role of appearances in determining the way we perceive things, the way we consider them, and consequently the way we judge them cannot be denied, for our society is one that places immense value on appearances. Too often we judge the character, the success, and the personal ability of a person based on their height, facial features and physique. And the sad thing is, it makes evolutionary sense. The study of genetics shows that we are subconsciously inclined, however much we may deny it, to favour peers who look good, for their successful combination of genes dictates better adaptation and therefore a greater survival rate in our dog-eat-dog world. Certainly, looking good 24/7 creates interest, and interest is what helps people get ahead. At the very least, looking good certainly cannot hurt.
Of course, looking good is something that not everyone is capable of, and therefore something that we need to learn to accept. There are many people who are born with average and below average looks, ever trapped in a cesspool of mediocrity that is their genetic lot. It would be inappropriate to say that people who do not have the capacity to be pretty or handsome will all be sad and be subject to ridicule and suicidal tendencies. However, there are many who consider it as such. Weighed down by insecurities about their appearance, caused by making unrealistic comparisons with celebrities and sexy, famous people, many go into depression because they cannot accept themselves. Others take slightly more ‘drastic’ measures.
Plastic surgery is an umbrella term for a series of procedures, invasive and non-invasive, that have the effect of altering the physical appearance of an individual. For better or worse, many individuals pay tens of thousands of dollars to cosmetic surgeons per procedure to suck fat out of their bodies, to make their chins squarer, to sharpen their noses, and to inject lethal venom into their skin in the interest of removing wrinkles (Botox).
Essentially, patrons of these cosmetic surgery clinics are given the opportunity to customise their appearance, to take on the mantle of an unrealistic body image and to shun their heritage. Indeed, the moment one decides to undergo cosmetic surgery, one discards his or her identity for the sake of looking at another face in the mirror.
Inherent in the practice of cosmetic surgery are perplexing ethical considerations. A plethora of ethical concerns arise because the benefit of cosmetic surgery is much harder to perceive than other functional operations. A tummy tuck is certainly nowhere near as necessary as say, a heart-liver bypass or the excision of a minute, single cell carcinoma tumour; the operation does little more than place unnecessary risk on the patient. While it is true that in modern times, the risk has been minimised to the point that it is almost negligible, the fact remains that patient still faces unnecessary risk. All doctors, upon pursuing their profession, undertake the Hippocratic Oath; the question that emerges then is whether a surgeon may ethically put a patient through a cosmetic procedure simply to satisfy the excesses of a consumer-driven demand.
Further ethical dilemmas are raised when the patient demands surgery even when the surgery is not justified. At some point, we must question whether a surgeon has the responsibility to say ‘‘no,’’ even when a patient has been fully informed but demands the operation anyway. So how high is too high for a bust lift, and what should a surgeon do when asked to perform an operation that he believes is not in the best interest of the patient’s health? (And so Michael Jackson’s nose comes to mind). The complexity of the question is further compounded when the concept of beauty, as interpreted by the surgeon and the patient separately, are juxtaposed with one another and forced to clash, for beauty is subjective, and what the surgeon may deem ‘beautiful’ may differ drastically from what the patient considers ideal. How tight is too tight for a facelift, and where should the surgeon draw the line?
The answers to all these questions are not clear-cut, and they often raise more questions than answers. As a general rule of thumb, the physical and emotional maturity, and desired outcome for each adolescent patient must be carefully evaluated before any decisions are made. Additional consultations and long discussions before plastic surgery are often merited. Sometimes, however, the real question is: is it ethical not to operate on a patient?
Indeed, the role of appearances in determining the way we perceive things, the way we consider them, and consequently the way we judge them cannot be denied, for our society is one that places immense value on appearances. Too often we judge the character, the success, and the personal ability of a person based on their height, facial features and physique. And the sad thing is, it makes evolutionary sense. The study of genetics shows that we are subconsciously inclined, however much we may deny it, to favour peers who look good, for their successful combination of genes dictates better adaptation and therefore a greater survival rate in our dog-eat-dog world. Certainly, looking good 24/7 creates interest, and interest is what helps people get ahead. At the very least, looking good certainly cannot hurt.
Of course, looking good is something that not everyone is capable of, and therefore something that we need to learn to accept. There are many people who are born with average and below average looks, ever trapped in a cesspool of mediocrity that is their genetic lot. It would be inappropriate to say that people who do not have the capacity to be pretty or handsome will all be sad and be subject to ridicule and suicidal tendencies. However, there are many who consider it as such. Weighed down by insecurities about their appearance, caused by making unrealistic comparisons with celebrities and sexy, famous people, many go into depression because they cannot accept themselves. Others take slightly more ‘drastic’ measures.
Plastic surgery is an umbrella term for a series of procedures, invasive and non-invasive, that have the effect of altering the physical appearance of an individual. For better or worse, many individuals pay tens of thousands of dollars to cosmetic surgeons per procedure to suck fat out of their bodies, to make their chins squarer, to sharpen their noses, and to inject lethal venom into their skin in the interest of removing wrinkles (Botox).
Essentially, patrons of these cosmetic surgery clinics are given the opportunity to customise their appearance, to take on the mantle of an unrealistic body image and to shun their heritage. Indeed, the moment one decides to undergo cosmetic surgery, one discards his or her identity for the sake of looking at another face in the mirror.
Inherent in the practice of cosmetic surgery are perplexing ethical considerations. A plethora of ethical concerns arise because the benefit of cosmetic surgery is much harder to perceive than other functional operations. A tummy tuck is certainly nowhere near as necessary as say, a heart-liver bypass or the excision of a minute, single cell carcinoma tumour; the operation does little more than place unnecessary risk on the patient. While it is true that in modern times, the risk has been minimised to the point that it is almost negligible, the fact remains that patient still faces unnecessary risk. All doctors, upon pursuing their profession, undertake the Hippocratic Oath; the question that emerges then is whether a surgeon may ethically put a patient through a cosmetic procedure simply to satisfy the excesses of a consumer-driven demand.
Further ethical dilemmas are raised when the patient demands surgery even when the surgery is not justified. At some point, we must question whether a surgeon has the responsibility to say ‘‘no,’’ even when a patient has been fully informed but demands the operation anyway. So how high is too high for a bust lift, and what should a surgeon do when asked to perform an operation that he believes is not in the best interest of the patient’s health? (And so Michael Jackson’s nose comes to mind). The complexity of the question is further compounded when the concept of beauty, as interpreted by the surgeon and the patient separately, are juxtaposed with one another and forced to clash, for beauty is subjective, and what the surgeon may deem ‘beautiful’ may differ drastically from what the patient considers ideal. How tight is too tight for a facelift, and where should the surgeon draw the line?
The answers to all these questions are not clear-cut, and they often raise more questions than answers. As a general rule of thumb, the physical and emotional maturity, and desired outcome for each adolescent patient must be carefully evaluated before any decisions are made. Additional consultations and long discussions before plastic surgery are often merited. Sometimes, however, the real question is: is it ethical not to operate on a patient?
BY VICTOR TAN
