The Search for Beauty

Cosmetics surgery, also known as “plastic” surgery, is the science of changing the way a person looks by reshaping a part of the body. Cosmetic surgery also includes replacing the skin of people who have burned and replacing the hair that some people lose as they grow older. The science of beauty has changed with time, but the desire for beauty remains the same.

People have always had the desire to look more beautiful and fashionable. Whatever their age, size or shape people have followed fashion in order to look more attractive. In the 1980s, for example, American women in New York began to admire the fashions of Paris. In fact, French fashions were once so popular that American dressmakers used to change their names to French ones!

In the 1700s, height and weight became an important part of beauty. During the time of the French Revolution, many women used to wear corsets, belts that made their waists appear slimmer. Today we still think of the ideal person as tall and slim. But, nowadays, men or women who want to change their body shapes don’t need to wear uncomfortable clothing. Instead, they can choose cosmetic surgery to reshape their bodies or to remove body fat.

In England in the 1500s, makeup became an important part of beauty. Some women used to paint their faces white. They thought this made them more attractive. Later, in North America, some women used to eat arsenic, a dangerous poison, to make their faces whiter. By the 1860s, American women started using makeup to make themselves more attractive. These days, women who want to look their best at all times have started using makeup. Some men, especially those in show business, also use permanent makeup. The application of permanent makeup is type of cosmetic surgery. It is much safer than using paint and arsenic, and it helps busy people save time.

In the 1890s, Americans discovered that bicycle riding could actually improve their appearance! They exercised in order to look and feel better. The popularity of bicycle riding even led to a change in fashion. American women began to wear shorter skirts instead of the traditional long, full ones they used to wear. By the 1920s, the beauty ideal was closely related to health, and people believed that diet and exercise were the best ways to become naturally beautiful.

Although diet and exercise are still popular ways of improving one’s appearance, there are some parts of the body that cannot change without the help of a cosmetic surgeon. In the past, American women used to spend weeks repeating words that started with the letter “p” because they wanted to change the shape of their mouths. Today, a cosmetic surgeon can reshape the nose or lips in a few hours. Rhinoplasty, the reshaping of the nose, can greatly improve a person’s appearance. People who cannot lose weight in certain areas of their bodies through diet and exercise can use liposuction, the surgical removal of body fat, to make their bodies slimmer.

Surprisingly, cosmetic surgery has been used for centuries in China and India. Today cosmetic surgery is used in many countries to improve the appearance of people who have been hurt in fires or in car accident. Cosmetic surgery is also used to improve the appearance of children who are born with physical problems.

It is possible that in the future everyone will look more beautiful? The answer could be yes. Cosmetic surgeons are working hard to find safer and faster ways to help people who want to change the way they look. With the help of computers, people can see their new faces before surgery is even done. With lasers (machines that produce very strong light) cosmetic surgery can be dangerous and painful. It is also somewhat expensive for the average person. For these reasons, cosmetic surgery is not as popular today as it could be in the future. As surgeons find safer, faster, and less expensive techniques, people around the world will continue their search for beauty.