FutureWire - futurism and emerging technology

Wednesday, February 16, 2005

Cosmetic Surgery as a Lifestyle

Medical technology and style have converged to elevate cosmetic surgery from a procedure or series of procedures to a comprehensive state of mind. If any proof of this is necessary, consider that several new magazines are being launched dedicated to the lifestyle of cosmetic surgery.



Earlier this year, New Beauty launched with stories about how to select the best spas, how to get rid of wrinkles, "the ultimate guide to breast augmentation," and the latest on laser treatments. A similar magazine, titled Plastique, has launched in Denmark.

Magazines are a bellwether of leading cultural trends, as they live and die by what fascinates the buying public at any given moment. Remember all the Internet-business mags that flourished and folded during the dotcom bubble? At the very least, cosmetic surgery publications prove that people are fascinated with cosmetic surgery. At most, they show that surgically improving one's self has become an experience. People don't get surgery to fix a flat chest, reduce wrinkles or suck out fat. They get it to attain a new self-image, to enter a world of sexy, beautiful and glamorous people. That's certainly not a bad thing, but it indicates that body modification is changing the way we view the human body.

Source: Boing Boing