By :
Johara
Affordable cosmetic surgery options and an increase in plastic surgery specialists around the globe are among the many factors that makes plastic surgery a viable option for a larger part of the population every day. Living in a world obsessed with perfection and physical beauty, it is easy to understand why so many people are choosing to have painful surgeries to alter their appearance. We barely even bat an eyelid any more at the mention of breast augmentation or rhinoplasty; yet funnily enough, we are quick to speak out against ‘barbaric’ practices of the past, such as foot binding and corsetry.
Ever since humankind became civilized, people have been changing their bodies in bizarre and awkward ways in order to adhere to society’s fickle perceptions of beauty. Although beauty is a changeable social construct, it remains a constant ideal – it is in fact its elusive nature that compels us to harness it. Things that seem grotesque and perverse to one culture can be alluring or erotic to another. Some societies covet larger body types while others aspire to willowy thinness. Societies seem to construct these norms as a means of rationalization, as though beauty is something that could be achieved through perseverance and practice.
Take for instance tattooing. Prevalent in many ancient and contemporary ethnic cultures, the art of tattooing can take many different forms. The Maori men of New Zealand decorate their faces, thighs and buttocks with intricate tribal patterns that are first cut into the skin and then filled with ink. These are meant to intimidate their opponents in battle but in the process cause so much infection and swelling that the recipient in many cases can’t eat solid food for days. Irezumi, a Japanese form of tattooing, is also still practised today. Irezumi was an uncompromising beauty convention and an ideal that many young men and women aspired to. It was originally used to mark criminals; conclude business deals, and physically manifest declarations of romantic love. Today it is mainly used to beautify the human form with very intricate, formulaic patterns.
Body modifications did not stop at tattooing though. In Peru, the shape of a baby’s head would be altered by pressing the yielding skull between two boards; while in other parts of Africa this would be achieved by wrapping the head tightly in bandages. In many of these cultures it was common to carry objects on the head. With a deformed skull, it was impossible to do this. Thus, the shape of the head rendered the upper class unable to work and the elongated head shape became a sign of high social status.
Notorious throughout the western world, Chinese foot binding was one of the most uncomfortable cosmetic body alterations ever practised. At a young age, daughters of influential families would have the four little toes of their feet bound with tight bandages which resulted in the foot “folding back” on itself. This reduced the foot to about 30% of its original size and rendered most of the girls cripple, socially weak and entirely dependent on their families and finally their husbands. Once Communism reached the East this practice was forbidden and today only a handful of elderly women sport “golden lotuses”, as bound feet was called.
Back in the western world the corset caused cracked ribs and inspired fainting spells all over the place. The miniscule waist measure maintained by the corset was something every woman on every step of the socioeconomic ladder aspired to and they were willing to damage internal organs and break bones to do so. Despite dire warnings from physicians of the time women (and even some men) proceeded to torture themselves for generations.
Today’s cosmetic surgery procedures will most likely be scoffed at in a similar fashion by coming generations. Just think of the nitty-gritty aspects of liposuction and rhinoplasty for instance – it’s not a pretty sight. Much scraping of tender cartilage and noisy sucking of fat occurs –yuck! Taking this into account it stands to reason that yesteryear’s beauty trends probably weren’t as crazy as we tend to think. At the time it was the norm. So next time you’re in a conversation concerning these ‘ancient barbaric practises’ remember that today’s affordable cosmetic surgery procedures are probably not that different at all.
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