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The Importance Of Cosmetic Surgery

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The obsession with beauty is universal and transcends all regions and cultures (Kalantar-Hormozi et al. 359). The attention to the attainment of physical attractiveness has increased tremendously over the past few decades. As such, more and more people are opting to alter their physical features through cosmetic surgery. However, there are varying attitudes and opinions over whether one should undergo such a drastic procedure. Factors such as self-esteem, peer-pressure, socio-economic status and the influence of the media towards perceived body-image play a major role in one’s decision to undergo cosmetic surgery. One of the biggest determinants towards the consideration of cosmetic surgery is self-esteem. Self-esteem can be defined as a mental assessment of one’s worth and value. But not all people who suffer from low self-esteem will undergo the knife. According to a research paper based on a theory by Sarwer et al., “those whose self-esteem highly depends on their appearance and those who have significant body dissatisfaction levels will consider cosmetic surgery” (Kalantar-Horomozi et al. 360). This is perceived by many people as finding a temporary fix for one’s insecurities. However, some people would argue that the decision to undergo cosmetic surgery is a statement of empowerment. An example of this is a paragraph in Kathy Davis’s book “Reshaping the Female Body: The Dilemma of Cosmetic Surgery”, where she describes a conversation with her friend for her

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