ABSTRACT
Underlying the various calls for the ban of advertising for cosmetic procedures is the assumption that cosmetic procedures and beauty products/services constitute different categories. Moreover, throughout this book, I allude to the existence – and blurring – of a boundary between cosmetic procedures and (other) beauty products/services. Related to some of the observations in previous chapters, this chapter explores how, on the one hand, cosmetic procedures are aligned with beauty products/services in terms of advertising format, placement, and content and how, on the other, advertising for (other) beauty products/services draws on themes and visuals prevalent in the discourse surrounding cosmetic procedures. Fundamental to these discussions is the question whether it is valid to assume a boundary between cosmetic procedures and (other) beauty products/services, or whether it may be more accurate to view both types of beautification practices and products as belonging to some form of continuum, especially in light of the increasing pervasiveness of non-invasive procedures. Crucially, the question of what constitutes a ‘boundary’ is explored here.
