Today’s society is awash with beauty myths and misconceptions, many of which come from Hollywood and the magazine industry, says plastic surgeon and author Dr. Robert Tornambe. In a recent Huffington Post article, he argues that everyone has a different perception of beauty, and it’s part of his job to dispel myths that claim otherwise.
What is beauty? Most Americans would usually describe pretty faces, expressive eyes, and nice curves as strong indicators that someone is beautiful, but Tornambe says that everyone has different opinions about various aspects of human appearance. Do blondes really have more fun than brunettes? What is the best shape for a woman’s curves?
Tornambe says that the American understanding of beauty is dominated by a few people, the “beauty authorities,” such as movie makers, fashion designers, and style experts. This coterie has distorted our ideas about beauty beyond all recognition:
The standards and criteria of beauty set by our society have been manipulated and bastardized and are wrong, absurd and unrealistic. Our role models have become 20-something starlets and fashion models whose photographs have been carefully orchestrated, airbrushed, Photoshopped and drastically altered. In person, these people do not look like their photos!
Many women feel dismayed that they can’t live up to these fictionalized ideals, Tornambe says. “We must change our perception of beauty and choose realistic role models.” He says that women must identify and accentuate those physical aspects that reveal their true, unique beauty. Common plastic surgeries such as the facelift and breast augmentation must be customized for the unique needs and appearances of American women.
Plastic surgeons across the country support women’s individual and unique beauty. Indeed, with a recent rise in specialized services for ethnic groups in large cities like New York, it seems that more minority women are choosing procedures that suit their unique appearances and styles, instead of trying to reach the cookie-cutter stereotypes of Hollywood and the magazine industry. Individual ideals of beauty are becoming more popular and more visible than ever before.
