Cosmetic surgery and plastic surgery are often confused with one another. But they are separate procedures catering to different needs. While plastic surgery entails a wide range of surgical operations to correct deformities in the body and retain normal functionality, cosmetic surgeries are carried out to improve the physical appearance of a person, making their whole personality more aesthetically pleasing. For example – redesigning the body contour and shape, eliminating balding areas and smoothing wrinkles, or just giving yourself a facelift. It surely helps in improving the self-confidence and self-esteem of the person who goes for it.
From a statistical perspective, the number of people going for cosmetic surgery is increasing in leaps and bounds, and this is when there is no cover for the cost of cosmetic procedures under health insurance. There are many types of cosmetic procedures undertaken worldwide, but the topmost surgeries are – breast augmentation, liposuction, nose reshaping, tummy tuck, and eyelid surgery.
According to a report published by Medzino, various cosmetic procedures are correlated with the geographical demographics of the world which brings out interesting trends and patterns. This helped in bringing out the world’s surgical preferences based on each procedures’ respective popularity across the globe.
An illustration from the report clearly shows the various surgeries offered and how they are categorized by popularity within specific nations.
Image Source – Medzino
America is the world leader when it comes to cosmetic surgeries too. As one may have speculated, North America ranks the highest when it comes to breast augmentation surgeries, followed by Brazil and Italy. China, surprisingly, is the torch-bearer when it comes to liposuction, and Japan unsurprisingly is at number one in eyelid surgeries.
All these trends have deep-rooted causes behind them. Our hypothesis is that America stands number one in breast implants because of Hollywood and the idolization of celebrities and their perfect bodies – also the popular American belief that – bigger is better works as a catalyst in this social trend. China leads the way in liposuction because of cheaper rates for surgical operations as compared to other countries. Japanese people, though, have a seemingly tough time accepting their genetic makeup and are quite influenced by the Western culture and fashion, making them opt for eyelid surgeries to widen their eyes in an attempt to look ‘westernized’.
It is crucial to not get lost in the facts and figures to stay on track for the purpose of this campaign – to find out how cosmetic surgery is correlated to national geographies and what are its implications on the rest of the world. Thus, an interactive and engaging world map may come handy for exploring the trends across the world in the cosmetic surgery domain. Just select a country and it will display the popularity of all the cosmetic procedures within that country. Or you can go the other way around and click on the type of surgical procedure you want to explore – it will highlight the popularity of that particular cosmetic surgery all over the globe using depth of colour.
It is important to understand the effect of the irreversible changes that cosmetic surgery brings to you – both on the inside and outside on external factors surrounding your life. It can turn out to be quite dramatic as one experiences life post-surgery and thus it is crucial to prepare oneself both mentally and emotionally.
Prior to making an appointment with a cosmetic surgeon, it is important to gauge just how prepared you are for permanent cosmetic surgery. As many physical features can be altered and others cannot, it is better to know your motives behind your desire to change your appearance. A few pointers to help you ensure that you really want a cosmetic procedure done on yourself:
- You have realistic expectations about what can and cannot be achieved by the surgery.
- You understand the medical risks and lifestyle changes that will occur after you are through with the surgery. You also feel okay about the healing process and recovery period.
- You feel confident about the expenses to be incurred.
- You are not chronically ill or you have it under control
- You have no history of smoking or have committed to abstaining from smoking for 4-6 weeks before and after the surgery
- You have maintained a stable weight for six months to one year prior to the surgery.
