ABSTRACT
Cosmetic surgery receives much media attention in the Netherlands. Several television programs such as ‘Extreme makeover’ and ‘Make me beautiful’ show the successful results of cosmetic treatments. In the Netherlands, more than forty private clinics for cosmetic surgery exist, which is six times the number of clinics ten years ago (Koudijs, 2003). Examples of cosmetic operations are facelifts, breast augmentations (or reductions), eyelid reconstructions, rhinoplastics (nose corrections) and liposuction. Ninety percent of these operations are performed on women.
