Plastic Surgery

Outline of Academic Essay

Introduction

How a person looks is often not for others, rather it is a reflection of how he/she feels and wants to look like. The idea that people dress and look a certain way for others is extremely misleading, majority of the people do it to feel good about themselves and their body. Now there are somethings that cannot be changed about the human body, for instance the shape of the nose or the size of an arm, this can be altered using cosmetic plastic surgery.

Plastic surgery is often misunderstood for something only people to look better and be accepted in society, this thesis will prove how plastic surgery is good for everyone involved. At the same time, it needs to be understood that plastic surgery falls into two categories, “reconstructive surgery” and “cosmetic surgery.” Most of the stigma is associated with cosmetic surgery. Having a better understanding of the rational of the people and what exactly plastic surgery is will result in reduction of the stigma when it comes to plastic surgery.

In this thesis we will be discussing that plastic surgery is a good thing, whether it is cosmetic or reconstructive. Plastic surgery is the avenue which people can use to fix the scars/burns, severe injuries or even flaws they think they have, making them happier and even improving their life.

Body Paragraph 1

First and foremost, one of the most common medical use of plastic surgery is to fix scars/burns that people might have. The idea of smooth flawless skin is the most common used idea that almost every beauty product uses. Humans have always appreciated and to a certain extent based the beauty of the person based on their skin. This only justifies why most people would want some manner of surgery to cover up their scars that they got due to an accident.

One of the techniques used is called a ‘skin graft,’ this is achieved when a healthy piece of skin from a certain part of the body is moved to another part of the body to cover up the scar or any mark. This technique is used in various scenarios. Such as;

• Extensive wounding or trauma
• Burns
• Areas of extensive skin loss due to infection such as necrotizing fasciitis or purpura fulminans
• Specific surgeries that may require skin grafts for healing to occur - most commonly removal of skin cancers

A more specific example can be an acid burn, it is one of the deadliest burns as it can burn the skin and muscle all the way to the bone potentially being fatal. In the absence of reconstructive plastic surgery, the victim would most likely have to live the scars. There is even a possibility where the wound could not have been treated and the doctor would be forced to amputate or just mitigate the pain rather than eliminate it completely.

This example clearly indicates how the use of plastic surgery technique not only helps on a physical level but on a psychological level as well. As the victim of the acid burn would always be reminded of the horrific event after looking at the scar, using skin grafts that scar can completely be healed allowing the victim to move on and improving his/her quality of life.

Body Paragraph 2

Other than fixing scars/burns on just a skin level, reconstructive plastic surgery has allowed doctors to treat either congenital or physical abnormality cause due to a major accident. The purpose of plastic surgery is not just aesthetic, rather it is trying to recreate the functionality that existed or was meant to exist, or even strengthen a certain function that has weakened over time or due to trauma.

To illustrate this, a common example would be someone getting their hand ran over, completely removing the functionality of the hand. Doctors now have the ability to completely recreate the hand and restore functionality of it, if not completely at least to the point where the individual can perform daily tasks with ease. It needs to be understood that such a complex and vital procedure is considered as plastic surgery, which most people are unaware of.

A process which prevented the victim from becoming a cripple and allowing him/her to go back to their normal life. It needs to be understood, the significance and importance of such a procedure for the victim, as this has a very tangible effect on the individual’s life. Which can be seen and felt.