Flip through the pages of a magazine, take a tour of social media or even walk down the street and chances are you’ll encounter someone who’s had a little cosmetic surgery. From minor touch ups to major lifts, it’s hardly a foreign concept in this day and age. But here are five facts you may not know about cosmetic surgery.
The major players
Nose reshaping and breast augmentation are the two most sought after surgeries in the modern age, and it’s a trend that extends across the world. But while these two surgical mainstays are hugely popular, non-invasive techniques such as Botox are on the rise. Experts in the industry, such as Cosmetic Surgery For Women, cater to this trend, offering both surgical and non invasive procedures.
It’s not just a girl thing
While women make up the majority of people having cosmetic surgery, men are increasingly using surgery to iron out imperfections. Since the year 2000, procedures for men have risen by 45%, with liposuction, male breast reductions, and small procedures like pinning back ears among the big ticket items.
It dates back
Cosmetic surgery has become commonplace over the past century but its origins date back earlier than many people realise. In Ancient Rome surgery was used to remove scars, the first nose job was performed in India in around 800BC, and the first breast augmentation was documented in 1895 in Germany.
The role of war
World War I played a major role in the honing of modern cosmetic surgery techniques. New Zealand surgeon Sir Harold Gillies developed now commonly used procedures while working in London to treat the huge number of soldiers returning from the front with disfiguring facial injuries. He is lauded as the father of modern plastic surgery, having performed 11,000 procedures on 5000 injured men.
Why is it also called plastic surgery?
While the term cosmetic surgery is now more popular than “plastic”, the use of “plastic” is derived from the Greek word plastikos, meaning to give shape or form, and it was first coined in 1798 as a label to repair facial deformities.
Much has changed in the past century when it comes to cosmetic surgery. Procedures are now less invasive, less risky, more common place and harder to spot, but it’s an art that’s been around and honed over the history of humanity.
