Conversation on the ethics of seeking aesthetic perfection
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2An independent researcher named Brett Lunceford recently published the results of his investigation on a book called “Global Issues and Ethical Considerations in Human Enhancement Technologies” and his conclusions are quite interesting! Lunceford examines 4 parameters regarding aesthetic improvement:
- The consumers that opt for a cosmetic procedure
- Cosmetic professionals who promote and perform
- Media that advertise the methods
- Public who accept/approve/dissapprove such procedures and their results!
First of all Lunceford notices that there is a quite strong tradition to judge women (who opt for the 87% of the cosmetic procedures, according to ISAPS) according to whether they reach or not “the mould of generally accepted beauty” which is the most important influence of the public to the cosmetic industry! At the same moment advertising media take advantage of the the really crucial matter of sexuality and ply possible costumers with hundreds of advertisements increasing their need to look “sexy” or “attractive”. All these tricks with ad motos like “Reveal your true shape” showing a woman with a really attractive body puts possible costumers in a state of mind where they don’t feel attractive enough while cosmetic surgery can give a solution!
On the other hand Lunceford denies that media is the only reason for this cataclystic rise in cosmetic surgery! He claims “I would resist saying that film or ads, or anything else is the cause,” and adds “There is no single vector”. Surgeons, for example, play a crucial role in this game and noone can doubt that! Brett claims that surgeon promote “a culture that pathologises the body”! It’s not a rare occasion that a patient departs of a clinic after carrying out procedures that weren’t even thought of before visiting a cosmetic professional! It’s quite common that a surgeon spreads propaganda creating several fake needs and desires to unlucky patients! As Lunceford notices: “The surgeon has a financial interest in the patient believing that there is something wrong with their body, even if it is within normal range,” and adds “There is nothing ‘wrong’ with a B cup breast”!
It becomes quite clear that there such a complexed situation that forces people to cosmetic surgery! Here at LipoAdvisor we want to break all these illusions related to cosmetic procedures, so as to help people choose responsibly according to their real needs! Hopefully this will help towards this direction!
