Popular Culture Review Vol. 12, No. 2, August 2001 | Page 36
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Popular Culture Review
and that I have thought about the procedure for several years. I rated myself as a
perfectionist, but one with high self-esteem. Overall, the “Cosmetic Surgery Deci
sion-Maker” implicitly recommended cosmetic surgery as appropriate for me. The
advice was largely based on the opinions of a female plastic surgeon who was
interviewed by Women.com. In regard to my age, Women.com advised me:
People in this age group [26-39] commonly pursue rhinoplasty,
breast reduction surgery, and liposuction. San Francisco plas
tic surgeon Katherine Young claims that many patients who
desire liposuction, for example, are careful about exercise and
have healthy diets, but still may have stubborn fat deposits.. ..As
always, it is important to consider the reasons for cosmetic
changes. If you are in your 20’s or 30’s, you may want to look
ahead and ask yourself honestly whether you may want repeat
or additional cosmetic surgery procedures down the line, as
numerous procedures can take their toll on your skin.
The “Decision-Maker” was happy with my apparently modest aim for
only one procedure, suggesting that this “usually reflects a well thought-out, fo
cused decision and a patient with realistic expectations,” and was unconcerned
with my admission of perfectionism:
According to [plastic surgeon] Katherine Young, people with
this tendency are not necessarily “bad” patients. However, those
with a perfectionist persona