Ancient people performed beauty rituals which seem curious or even downright barbaric to us in the 21st century. We are horrified by accounts of foot binding and ritual scarring. We never think of what future generations might make of our own obsession with beauty and youth.
Demand for cosmetic surgery and other procedures are booming. Any person, regardless of gender, who is not entirely satisfied with his or her appearance, can alter it. Receding hairline? Hair transplant treatment can solve the problem. Wrinkles around the eyes and on the forehead can be treated with Botox and Collagen filler can plump up lips thinning with age. Eyelid surgery can make the eyes seem bigger. Teeth can be straightened at any age and tooth whitening can make one seem years younger. Face lifts take care of sagging facial and neck muscles. If one is not satisfied with the nose nature made, plastic surgery can take care of it. Breast implants and breast augmentation are the most widely performed surgical procedures. Tummy tucks and liposuction can make chubby people svelte.
There are those who are not satisfied with these routine procedures. These people fuel the demand for surgery to remove ribs for a longer and slimmer waist, and foot bones to make the foot thinner and longer. Then there are those who have already been blessed with the perfect body and face by the Gods of Plastic Surgery, but they go under the knife again and again because they are still not happy with the way they look. Even those who are unwilling are forced to endure the procedures by a society in which everyone is young and beautiful. This is of course a temporary solution; any cosmetic work done is subject to the ravages of time and gravity and needs to be redone every 4-5 years.