Introduction

Abstract

Everyone who opens this book will have a view about cosmetic surgery and anyone who watches television or reads women’s magazines can not fail to notice the growth in the number of programs and articles dedicated to cosmetic surgery. Whatever we think about cosmetic surgery, it is becoming increasingly common and accessible. While some evidence suggests that men are becoming increasingly interested in cosmetic surgery, it is women who are the main recipients of cosmetic surgery and of the media’s attention. Because of this, this book only deals with women and cosmetic surgery and it unashamedly situates cosmetic surgery as a gendered practice. That is, women are over-represented as cosmetic surgery patients and men are over-represented as cosmetic surgery practitioners. This book tells of the cosmetic surgery experiences of both women and their doctors. It describes an empirical study that seeks to unpick these experiences and make sense of the process of cosmetic surgery. It does not pretend to be a theoretical précis, but it does critique past theorising in this area and attempts to move the theoretical debate beyond the duality of women as victims and women as agents towards an understanding of the complex interactions within cosmetic surgery and the pivotal role the doctor plays in the outcomes of cosmetic surgery.