GRSJ224/Medicalization of Female Beauty
Medicalization is when something is treated as a medical problem, especially without justification.(1) It can be defined as a process which non-medical problems are described in terms of medical problems such as illnesses and disorders.(6) It is performed to reshape normal structures of the body in order to improve the patient’s appearance and self-esteem. Often times, the ‘improvement’ is made to fit the social norms or standards. Many patients want certain kinds of cosmetic surgeries to alter their physical appearance to make the look normal to their cultural standards. Patients use popular-culture idols and media figures as sources of reference for their ideals. This media images influence patients’ aesthetic concept and desire dramatically.(5) Majority of times, medical terms are employed to diagnose beauty, show credibility of the surgeons and to advertise cosmetic surgeries.
Feminism in Medicalization of Female Beauty
Feminism has identified all cosmetic surgery as problematic and potentially addictive. However the focus of psychiatrists and cosmetic surgeons was on sorting normal from pathological cosmetic surgery patents. Body Dysmorphic Disorder has been the problem for psychiatrists. Public’s awareness about surgery addiction has been a significant challenge for cosmetic surgeons.(3) Because women’s bodies are often objectified, women are expected to maintain their form, appearance, and comportment within strictly defined social parameters. Traditionally, the physical aspect of female bodies has been subject to heightened scrutiny.(7) This female standards of beauty is becoming even more limited and unrealistic overtime, hence women turn to cosmetic surgeries. What feminists, psychiatrists, and surgeons all agree on is that the decision to surgically alter the body is often the result of deep psychological issues.(3)
Problem with Medicalization of Female Beauty
It is important to acknowledge any kind of possible complications before undergoing surgeries. However, these cosmetic surgery clinics play down the negative after-effects and play up the positive benefits with ‘before and after’ photos. Although both media reporting and clinical research recognize that surgery is a painful practice,(4) usage of medical and therapeutic terms lure people into blindness. Differentiating reconstructive surgeries and cosmetic surgeries is also crucial. Two terms are typically used interchangeable, however, the difference is there. Reconstructive surgeries are to correct disfigurements or to restore function instead of to increase aesthetics by undergoing cosmetic procedures.(6)
Beginning of Medicalization of Female Beauty
During 17th and 19th century, the medical image of feminine beauty was misunderstood with the woman’s representation as a good spouse and mother producer of many children. In the end of 19th and beginning of 20th century, beauty was associated to the values of the catholic morality such as purity and cleanness. Being a good mother and a good wife were the key. How many children can she bear, and how good of a wife a woman was were used as a standard to measure women. However at this time physical appearance was taken as a divine gift rather than an achievement or an individual possibility. Therefore the usage of medical prescriptions that includes the body hygiene and physical culture was seen as a risk and denoted as a doubtful morality.(5)
Current Medicalization of Female Beauty Around the World
USA
In American society, diverse media marketing strategies and materials perpetuate the idealized standards of beauty among females by influencing a particular body image as well as providing convenient solutions to achieve this body image by undergoing surgery.(6) In 2003, according to the American Society For Plastic Surgeons - ASPS, more than 8.7 million aesthetic procedures were carried out. This includes both invasive and non-invasive procedures. Almost three million shots of the botulinum toxin were given, 320 thousand liposuctions were performed and 254 thousand breast augmentation.(5) In 2016, 7 million botulinum toxin, 290 thousand breast augmentation, and 235 thousand liposuctions were performed. The increase shown percentage is breathtaking. From 2000 to 2016, for breast augmentation 37 percent increase, and for botulinum toxin 797 percent increase. The only invasive cosmetic surgery that showed decrease from 2000 was liposuction, by 34 percent. However comparing it from 2015 to 2016, there was 6 percent increase. Top 5 invasive cosmetic surgeries are: breast augmentation, liposuction, nose reshaping, eyelid surgery and tummy tuck. Top 5 non-invasive cosmetic surgeries are: botulinum toxin type A, soft tissue fillers, chemical peel, laser hair removal and microdermabrasion.(8)
Brazil
Brazil is running second behind USA in number of total cosmetic performed. Breast augmentation, liposuction, eyelid surgery, tummy tuck and breast-lift are top 5 invasive cosmetic surgeries performed in Brazil. Total numbers of procedures are: 226 thousand for breast augmentation, 236 thousand for liposuction, 125 thousand for eyelid surgery, 120 thousand for tummy tuck and 108 thousand for breast-lift.(2) Just like the USA, botulinum toxin is the first in non-surgical procedures. It was performed 308 thousand just in 2013.
South Korea
South Korea has one of the highest numbers of cosmetic surgery procedures performed in the world. Korea’s public transportations, television shows, streets and even newspapers are filled with advertisements for cosmetic surgeries. It is more of an obsession with cosmetic surgeries. It hits the headline of both Asia and North America because of its reportedly high take-up rate by both women and men. It is hard to track down the actual number of surgeries performed because only a fraction of surgeries are actually recorded, and vast majority of them are performed at a private clinics. Some clinics offer discounts for cash transactions, which are rarely documented. In 2005, the official statistics put the percentage of Koreans undergoing cosmetics at around 20 percent, though it is important to keep in mind that the number will most likely be higher that 20 percent. Other surveys show, in 2008 alone, around 30 percent of women between the age of 20 and 50 received cosmetic surgeries. The most popular cosmetic surgeries in South Korea include blepharoplasties, also known as eyelid surgeries, and rhinoplasties, or nose jobs. Jaw reshaping is also becoming popular. South Korea may be one of the countries that highly downplays the negative after-effect of surgeries and up-playing deceiving images of before and after photos, which are a lot of times highly photo-shopped.(4)
References
1. https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/medicalize
2. International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (2013). International Survey on Aesthetic/Cosmetic. Retrieved from http://www.isaps.org/Media/Default/global-statistics/2014%20ISAPS%20Global%20Stat%20Results.pdf
3. Purdy, L. (2001). Medicalization, Medical Necessity, and Feminist Medicine. Bioethics, 15(3), 248-261.
4. Holliday, R., & Elfving-Hwang, J. (2012). Gender, Globalization and Aesthetic Surgery in South Korea. Body & Society, 18(2), 58-81.
5. Poli Neto, P., & Caponi, S. N. (2007). The'medicalization'of beauty. Interface-Comunicação, Saúde, Educação, 11(23), 569-584.
6. Merianos, A. L., Vidourek, R. A., & King, K. K. (2013). Medicalization of Female Beauty: A Content Analysis of Cosmetic Procedures. The Qualitative Report, 18(46), 1-14.
7. DOLEZAL, L. (2010). The (In) visible Body: Feminism, Phenomenology, and the Case of Cosmetic Surgery. Hypatia, 25(2), 357-375.
8. American Society of Plastic Surgeons (2016) 2016 National Plastic Surgery Statistics Cosmetic and Reconstructive Procedure Trends. Retrieved from https://d2wirczt3b6wjm.cloudfront.net/News/Statistics/2016/2016-plastic-surgery-statistics-report.pdf