Cosmetic surgeries seem to be an innovation of the modern age; though that’s not exactly the case. Cosmetic Surgery has been around for much longer than most people consider it to be.
The earliest known instance of a cosmetic surgical procedure dates back to 6th century BC and can be found in Sushruta-Samhita, a very important medical text from ancient India responsible for the cosmetic advancements in India and rest of the world.
The text is attributed to Sushruta, and its best contribution to plastic surgery is rhinoplasty, i.e. the reconstruction of the nose. The influential nature of Sushruta-Samhita, its theories about medicine, anatomical knowledge and surgical procedures still hold true today.
The primary focus of this historical review was not to highlight Sushruta’s dexterity and advanced knowledge, but to lay stress on the fact that we have been using cosmetic skin care procedures for centuries, and it would be too erroneous to believe otherwise.
This brings us to another important question, why.
What motivates people to go under the knife and choose cosmetic sugeries?
The cosmetic industry is booming. In just less than a decade, it’s undergone a 5-fold increase. This is particularly so because of the unprecedented boom in non-surgical procedures such as botox, dermal fillers, etc.
With more and more of us jumping in to slow down our aging, it seems that the idea of aging gracefully is now anathema to most.
There are 2 major reasons as to why someone would shed the inhibition and opt for a surgical treatment; either to mask an accident or an illness that instilled a sense of disfigurement in the patient or to simply enhance and improve their aesthetic appearance, which, in most cases, is the prevalent scenario.
It’s equally important for the cosmetic dermatologist to know the reasons as well. Firstly, they need to determine if they are capable of providing the desired service or not, and secondly, to determine if the chosen procedure would be of any benefit or not.
As it so happens, some people would want their nose to look like a particular celebrity which, given the diversity and uniqueness in body shapes, is not always possible.
As with the second case, some patients do not necessarily require a surgery. Many a time, people with hampered self-esteem knock our doors. It’s important for them to understand that the void comes from within and no amount of superficial procedures would make them feel any better. In serious cases, it becomes imperative to turn such patients down.
The reasons you possess for wanting a cosmetic procedure done would determine if the cosmetic dermatologist agrees to operate or not.
Ultimately, it all boils down to a few legitimate reasons. These include recovering from bad genes, reversing the signs of aging and sun damage, fix physical flaws, treat acne scars and social validation. However, if you’re just aiming for perfection, are depressed or straight up bored and still want to opt for a cosmetic surgical procedure, please bear in mind that you wouldn’t be doing yourself any good.
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