Renowned Beverly Hills cosmetic surgeon, Dr. Robert Kotler, not only guides you through the entire decision process -- he also dispels many common myths and misconceptions about face and body surgery. Dr. Kotler reveals: Why some celebrities look so bad after cosmetic surgery. That most surgical fees are negotiable -- and while sky-high fees do not guarantee superior results, low-ball fees may not be a bargain. Why some self-proclaimed "cosmetic surgeons" are poorly trained, unqualified and may be learning-on-you. How some medications, vitamins and herbs can speed healing while others are dangerous, including the 136 you do not want to take. That the "big risk" is not the operation; it's the anesthetic. Why you need to know who's "at the controls..." Book jacket.

Cosmetic surgery is big business. With demand rising, this commercial medical practice has become a modern body custom. To explain the emergence and growth of this demand, Deborah A. Sullivan looks beyond the cultural imperatives of appearance and examines the market dynamics inherent in the business and politics of cosmetic surgery. In so doing, she also considers the effect of commercialization on the medical profession. After reviewing prevailing beauty ideals, Sullivan looks at the social, psychological, and economic rewards and penalties resulting from the way we look. Following a historical overview of the technological advances that made cosmetic surgery possible, she explores the relationship between improved surgical techniques and the resulting increased demand; she also examines the ensuing conflict within the profession over recognition of commercial cosmetic surgery as a specialty. Among the topics covered are sensitive areas such as physician advertising, unregulated practice, and ambulatory surgery, and the consequences of commercialism on medical judgment. Finally, she reveals how physicians and their professional organizations have shaped the ways in which cosmetic surgery is presented in advertisements and women's magazines that would promote patient demand.

In this volume, scholars from philosophy, sociology, history, theology, women’s studies, and law explore the looming ethical and social implications of new biotechnologies that are rapidly making it possible to enhance an individual’s mental and physical attributes in ways previously only imagined. To clarify the issues, the contributors grapple with the central concept of "enhancement" and probe the uses and abuses of the term. Focusing in particular on the moral issues pertaining to cosmetic surgery and cosmetic psychopharmacology (a category which includes Prozac), they also examine notions of identity, authenticity, normality, and complicity. Other essays in this collection address the social ramifications of the new technologies, including the problems of access and fairness.