Over the last few years, it has become for many people to have cosmetic surgery
operations to have a better look. This could be attributed to social comparison as well
as achieving increased self-esteem. In spite of improving physical appearance of
individuals, cosmetic surgeries may still pose some risks, convincing me to regard their
popularity as a negative trend.
The main reason for the prevalence of cosmetic surgery could be obtaining greater self-
confidence. After such operations as facelifts, people tend to look more beautiful and
attractive, and psychologically, this is reflected in their confidence. In a recent study,
almost three-quarters of women who have gone through cosmetic surgery operations
reported their appearance, coupled with confidence levels, improved to a great degree.
They no longer suffered from the concerns as to how they look. If it were not for
cosmetic surgery, they would probably continue having lower self-esteem and feeling
embarrassed about their appearance.
Another reason seems to be social comparison. Due to the increasing popularity of
social media, say Instagram, users often see celebrities with glamorous faces and body
shape. When they compare themselves with those famous people, they may realize
their appearance is not as attractive. In this case, cosmetic surgery could seem to be a
viable option to achieve similar beauty and look, thereby encouraging increasingly more
people to use them.
Despite contributing to the overall appearance of individuals, I believe the proliferation
of cosmetic surgeries is a negative development. This is because not all such
operations are conducted successfully, and there is more than 10% chance that
cosmetic surgeries may end up producing unexpected results. While one such negative
outcome could be a scar on the face or potentially unpleasant look, more worrying
concern could be fatal consequences. As an illustration, the death of an Uzbek gym
athlete, a 35-year old woman during a cosmetic surgery operation, has gone viral
throughout the Internet recently. Any other example could not be more terrifying than
this incident, which is why I would not see the trend as something positive.
To conclude, the reasons behind the increasing popularity of cosmetic surgeries could
be having improved self-confidence and social comparison. Despite these benefits, I still
believe this development is negative as the risks involved could be more significant to
consider.