While plastic surgery is a common medical option these days, the amount of information patients have about these surgeries is not always the “complete picture” about the history of some of the most popular cosmetic surgery procedures.
In order to help patients understand the world of cosmetic treatments and surgeries, here is a closer look at what patients don’t know about the world of plastic surgery.
The idea for enhancing and enlarging the breasts started in 1895. A German surgeon, Vincenz Czerny, took a tumor from a patient’s back and placed it in the breast area in order to increase their size. His work on the breasts included paraffin injections which resulted in blindness and ulcers as well as other procedures that led to breast amputation for survival. A number of experimental implants followed that ranged from glass to ox cartilage. In 1961, Frank Gerow and Thomas Cronin introduced silicone implants. The 1960s also included saline (salt water) implants.
In 1991, following reports of breast implant ruptures, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) introduced a legal requirement requiring safety tests for silicone breast implants. The number of breast implant surgeries continued to grow throughout the 2000s.
However, there now seems to be a pause in the popularity of breast augmentation among patients. Many doctors are saying that patients are asking for a more modest breast enlargement so they can achieve a more natural shape rather than a large increase in volume. Thanks to the growing body positivity movement, large breast augmentation that looks unnatural is not in style anymore.
A syphilis epidemic in the late 16th century triggered a surge in nose jobs because the disease left holes in the middle of the face due to decaying. The 1920s saw returning war veterans having surgery to reconstruct their wounded faces and rebuild their noses. The evolution of beauty standards, and the celebration of diversity, has created a dip in the popularity of rhinoplasty AKA nose jobs. In addition, the rise of fillers has also impacted the amount of surgical rhinoplasty being performed. Temporary fillers can be injected into the nose to smooth bumps as well as enhance or adjust the size and shape of the nose. Patients enjoy having fillers as the results are temporary so they can see if they like the results before undergoing permanent surgical changes.
Unlike the procedures above, the earliest lip fillers did not come into existence until the 1970s. They were made of ox collagen and were called Zyderm and Zplast. However, the swelling was very obvious and the results were not long lasting. In 2003, a human collagen alternative that lasted a little bit longer was introduced and it was known as Cosmoplast and Cosmoderm. The arrival of hyaluronic acid (HA) a few years later changed lip enhancement for patients. HA is a substance that is naturally found in the human body and the results are both longer-lasting and safer than collagen. Patients like the fact that the results are still temporary since what is considered “in style” changes over the years so they will not be stuck with permanent results that are no longer in fashion after a few years.
The surgery known as a tummy tuck is over 100 years old as it was first performed in the 1890s by a French surgeon. In 1998, liposuction started to change the way people addressed stubborn fat and excess skin on their body. By combing a tummy tuck with liposuction, surgeons were able to provide a more contoured look to the body and give patients a toned appearance without the need to spend hours in the gym on a daily basis.
One of the common reasons for a tummy tuck is the desire to address a post-pregnancy body such as loose skin and stomach muscles that have come apart after birth. These are issues that cannot be addressed by a workout at the gym.
Back in 1969, Dr. RJ Bartels attempted to use Cronin and Gerow’s silicone breast inserts (discussed above), before realizing rounded balloon buttocks did not look natural. One year later, Mario Gonzalez-Ulloa made a prosthetic specifically for the gluteus maximus. It was inserted between the skin and outermost muscle layer but the movement of the butt cheeks area was restricted. Brazilian butt lifts (BBL) came into existence in 1971 and have continued to grow in popularity. They also got a boost in popularity thanks to celebrities such as the Kardashian family and their large behinds that have been achieved through the use of fat grafting during a BBL procedure. In addition, the desire to get a larger backside has been driven by celebrities on the red carpet, social media stars and an acceptance of a larger booty as an ideal feature on the body. It should be noted that some doctors have seen a decrease in the number of BBLs being performed due to allegations of photo manipulation on social media and reports of patient complications and fatalities after undergoing BBL surgery.
Plastic surgery continues to evolve and new techniques are being tested and introduced on a regular basis. Thanks to social media and the amount of instant information available on the Internet, plastic surgery secrets are being revealed to a public that is eager to learn new information about the latest procedures that are available when they visit a cosmetic surgeon. It stands to reason that what is considered to be a “secret” today will likely be common knowledge to the public in a short amount of time.
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