Essay On Body Alteration

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Women and Beauty: Has the modern woman become obsessed with body alteration in hope to attain societal beauty standards in Singapore?

Introduction
The pursuit of beauty is prevailing in contemporary Singapore. From the trend of more Singaporean women opting to go for plastic surgery (Soh, 2013), to the changing attitudes towards plastic surgery (Soh, 2012), to more youths pursuing plastic surgery (Xiong, 2011) and Singapore being chosen as one of the world’s best destinations for plastic surgery procedures (Link, n.d.); it is evident that our society is obsessed with beauty, and uses body alteration as a form of this pursue. Women seek this pursue as they believe that with plastic surgery, they “gain control over their body and looks” (Luo, 2012), allowing them to better manage their lives. This obsession is a problem as it could lead to people being addicted to plastic surgery, a condition known as Body Dysmorphic Disorder, where they are never really satisfied with how they look, and undergo multiple surgeries (Lifespan, 2010). This is significant as it questions the impact of beauty standards …show more content…

Up till the mid of the 20th century, plastic surgeries were used to treat birth defects and automobile and industrial accidents as well as injured war soldiers such as the connecting of the severed hand back to the arm. (Gilman, 1999) This suggest that plastic surgery was of a medical and functional value, to enable the normal human day-to-day functions rather than for aesthetic purposes. It is only with the American eugenics movement, coupled with the “advent of motion pictures and television” (Donohoe, 2006) that help propel plastic surgery into cosmetic

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