ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the overall fall in the circulation of lifestyle magazines and the decrease in the number of adverts – particularly those for cosmetic procedures – in lifestyle magazines. Related to this decline, the shift in the placement of adverts for cosmetic procedures must be addressed; whereas the majority of these adverts were previously placed in classified sections at the back of the magazines, several cosmetic surgery brands now publish marketing materials in a more central position between the magazines’ editorial content. Alongside this change in placement, the format of the adverts has also evolved (e.g. a rise in advertorials). In addition to a focus on advertising, this chapter also provides an account of the portrayal of cosmetic procedures in the articles published in the magazines. The conflicting editorial content regarding cosmetic procedures is of particular interest; on the one hand, procedures are constructed as having a positive influence on a person’s self-confidence, whereas, on the other hand, they are portrayed as dangerous and perhaps unnecessary undertakings.
