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What Are Your Standards of Beauty?


July 27, 2023

Haruka Miki


Different countries and individuals have different standards of beauty. Some people strive for beauty, while others have an inferiority complex about their appearance. Sometimes beauty can change one's life. It has that much power. What is the standard of beauty for you?



Trends in Cosmetic Surgery


Today, more and more people are choosing cosmetic surgery as a means to achieve their ideal body. In Japan, according to the "Summary of Static/Dynamic Surveys of Medical Institutions and Hospital Report" by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the number of plastic cosmetic facilities was 108 in 2008, and it had increased to 122 in 2020.


According to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, in 2020, influenced by COVID-19, total surgical procedures worldwide were down slightly. Still, in 2021, total procedures (non-surgical and surgical) went up, which showed cosmetic surgery business demand was growing. It suggests a change of trends, and cosmetic surgery is getting more accepted.


Ethics of Intact Beauty


However, traditionally, there are many Japanese who are sensitive to natural beauty with modesty and calmness, and this sensitivity still be kept today by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Many people have a negative view of hair dyeing, tattoos, and piercings. From elementary to high school, there are rules banning any change of appearance, including hair dyeing, piercing, and even makeup.


According to a survey by ISAPS, in 2022, about 18,857,311 of total procedures performed worldwide were non-surgical procedures. On the other hand, about 14,986,982 were surgical procedures. Therefore, about 56% of all procedures were non-surgical in the world. However, in Japan, 2,100,169 out of a total of 2,459,326 procedures were non-surgical, accounting for approximately 85% of the total. This suggests that there is hesitation to significantly change one's own body, even though the number of surgery cases itself is increasing probably because people are becoming more conscious of beauty due to the increase in the use of SNS.


A History of Gaining Beauty


When did cosmetic surgery begin? There are records as far back as the ancient Indian and Roman periods indicating that plastic surgery has been practiced for quite some time. At first, it was criticized that since Gods, Kings, and parents gave the body, it was wrong for individuals to alter it without permission from them, according to Naho Tanimoto, a sociologist. In Japan, the first double eyelids operation was performed by an ophthalmologist in 1896. Apart from plastic surgery, there is also a history of person trying to gain youth by bathing in blood, as exemplified by Elisabeth Bartley in the 16th century. Ethnic minorities have a variety of traditional ways to keep beauties that have been handed down from generation to generation.


from now on


Even though beauty standards differ from country to country, it has always been the human nature to be obsessed with beauty. Self-confidence in beauty increases self-esteem proportion to it, which gives us a great advantage. It needs an environment where everyone can be who they want to be. However, too much obsession with beauty makes life difficult because of comparing yourself with others. Someday we might have to admit to yourself. The beauty standards we have now are strongly influenced and formed by the community we belong to. Therefore, once we take a broader insight around us, we realize that there is more than one standard of beauty, and a way to commit to diversity. What will be the beauty standard for you in the future?


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