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ÆSTHETIC PLASTIC SURGERY DEVELOPMENT AND PLACE IN MEDICAL PRACTICE
Author(s) -
Reich Julien
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1972.tb116612.x
Subject(s) - psychosocial , plastic surgery , quality (philosophy) , psychology , expression (computer science) , aesthetics , medicine , social psychology , surgery , psychotherapist , epistemology , computer science , art , philosophy , programming language
The evolution of æsthetic plastic surgery from its parent speciality of plastic and reconstructive surgery is traced. æsthetic plastic surgery aims at an improvement in the quality of a patient's life by attempting to correct his inability to accept how he sees himself. The effects of the social changes since the Second World War in increasing the demand for a surgical improvement in appearance are traced. It is concluded that the three main factors are an emphasis on youthfulness, as synonymous with capability in industry and commerce, a trend towards greater exposure of the body, and an increased realization that something can be done for those whose quest for an improved appearance is motivated by underlying psychological or psychosocial factors. The æsthetic aspects of appearance are discussed and the effects of expression and posture noted. The psychological factors underlying an individual's attitude to his appearance are reviewed and the attitude of his daily contacts, including those of his medical advisers, is discussed.