ABSTRACT
While the techniques of plastic surgery, most notably nose reconstructions, have been around since 3000 Bc, modern cosmetic surgery has its origins at the turn of the twentieth century (Rogers 1971). The first operations for “pug noses” were performed in the late 1890s, and by the early 1920s operations for eye-bags and face-lifts were popular. In recent decades, cosmetic surgery has undergone an enormous expansion, becoming the fastest growing medical specialty in the US. Although in recent years more men are finding their way to the plastic surgeon’s office, women continue to make up the vast majority of recipients (from 70 to 90 per cent). The accepted explanation for the disproportionate number of women who undergo cosmetic surgery is that women have historically been more concerned with their appearance than men. Whether this is because they are by nature more narcissistic – as Freud would claim – or are under more pressure to comply with cultural norms of feminine beauty, women’s desire for cosmetic surgery tends to be linked with femininity (Davis 1995).
