A Plastic Surgeon’s Perspective on Stereotyping and the Perception of Beauty

Abstract

In the world of plastic surgery, misconceptions may lead to irrational requests or outcomes not appreciated by patients. Those who manage aesthetics should always listen and recognize the variability of cultural identities, desires, attitudes, anxieties and uncertainties of the patient. Emerging from a diversity of cultures and its transforming trends, the scope of cosmetic surgery and its practice reflect not only the individual's personality, but also the culture as a whole. When counseling an individual, one has to recognize that even in groups of seemingly identical social or cultural standards; there are subtle differences in expectations. To illustrate the potential for inaccuracy of ethnic profiling in the field of plastic surgery authors quote their own work on Asian subjects and facial beauty and resort to experience of others. To reaffirm their opinion and to exemplify how sometimes "fine" differences in the perception of beauty exist, an original study that evaluates the preferences among selected groups of Latina women in respect to buttock aesthetics has been included. This dissertation will focus on how cultural factors influence beauty perception; strengthen the fact that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and how variable differences exist even between small subgroups.

Difficult Conversations

“…16 Patient autonomy is a driving force particularly in plastic surgery, where conversations often revolve around a nuanced and highly personalized idea of beauty, which may not always align with the physician's personal values or best medical judgment. [17][18][19] Physicians are now responsible for holding honest, open communication that integrates the viewpoints of patients and their families into the care team. 20 There are other factors at play that can also contribute to a difficult conversation, including low health literacy, information overload, and increasing diversity of the patient population.…”

“…16 Patient autonomy is a driving force particularly in plastic surgery, where conversations often revolve around a nuanced and highly personalized idea of beauty, which may not always align with the physician’s personal values or best medical judgment. 17–19 Physicians are now responsible for holding honest, open communication that integrates the viewpoints of patients and their families into the care team. 20…”

How Should Surgeons Balance Transplantation Innovation With Acceptance of a Trauma Survivor's Appearance?

“…If Dr P agrees with Dan about the impact of his appearance on his prospects for a romantic partner, she might be guided by the principle of beneficence and favor surgery. Indeed, plastic surgeons are vulnerable to the same biases about people with disfigurements as others 3 and might be more susceptible to assuming they understand a patient's goals about having an "ideal" appearance, given the frequent conversations they have with patients about treatment goals. However, if Dr P is unsure whether Dan is viewing potential benefits of a face transplant realistically, given his belief that his appearance causes his singleness, the principle of nonmaleficence could guide her to counsel Dan against surgery.…”

The Beauty Industry in Kazakhstan and the Attitude of Kazakh Citizens Toward Plastic Surgery

“…Rather, an individual's interpretation of external beauty is transformed to align with what society considers fashionable trends of attractiveness. The ever-evolving concept of beauty impacts societies all over the world, and the desire to feel beautiful extends to people of all races, ages, genders, and nationalities (D'Agostino & Dobke, 2017).…”