Pinning back ears, removing birthmarks and repairing harelips are among the few types of plastic surgery that have long been considered socially acceptable, even a ''public service'' - performed to address an obvious need. But now a Sydney plastic surgeon has returned from the United States with two new procedures that also have a definite target market - lip repositioning and lowering of the hairline.
Lip positioning involves manipulating the muscles and moving the top lip downwards to reduce an excessively gummy smile. Lowering of the hairline involves moving the entire frontal hairline forward on the scalp to reduce the look of an excessively high forehead.
Dr Warwick Nettle will be the first to offer these procedures in Australia and, according to one of the American plastic surgeons he trained with, there is a great demand for them. ''This (hairline) procedure is not widely offered but is very popular,'' Dr Sheldon Kabaker said. ''I have been seeing patients from Australia for years.''
Do you think these types of surgery come under the ''corrective'' or the ''vanity'' banner? Is a gummy smile disfiguring or merely displeasing? Is a high forehead an issue or something that could (should?) be lived with?
Is our technology fixing problems that don’t exist? Are they creating problems that really aren’t problems? Instead of enhancing our life are they diminishing self esteem – something that’s vital for a healthy life!
Or again, is our technology merely facilitating such behaviour... not creating it?
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