Cosmetic Surgery: The Concept of Beauty

Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder

Since the dawn of history, men and women have attempted to modify their appearance to comply with the cultural standards of the era.

There are many philosophical theories to explain this concept but it doesn’t take a genius to work out that a physically attractive man and woman are more likely to get married or find a partner (as they are more sought after by the opposite sex), get better jobs and generally be more confident and successful.

Although it is not possible to define beauty easily — it varies with different cultures and is dependent on the eye of the beholder — there are certain physical characteristics that are significant for the overall ideal concept of beauty.

It is commonly said that the ‘ideal woman’ has a small chin, delicate jaw, large lips, small nose, prominent cheekbones, large and widely spaced eyes and a waist-to-hip ratio of 0.7. The ‘ideal man’ is tall, has rugged macho features — rectangular face and chin, deep-set eyes, heavy brow, large straight nose in proportion to the size of the face — and a waist-to-hip ratio of 0.9.

It is common for men and women to try to accentuate the differences between them. For instance, women are generally less hairy than men, so go to a lot of trouble to make sure that they are even less so. They also have softer skin than men and there is a huge industry devoted to selling women’s products that will soften the skin and protect it from becoming weather beaten and therefore more ‘masculine’.

Interestingly, sexual attractiveness and the concept of beauty are not necessarily the same thing. Attractiveness for a woman usually means that she looks healthy and is of a fertile age. When a man says a woman is attractive and ‘sexy’ he is observing the signs of possible fertility. Every ‘Miss World’ who has ever won the contest has had the waist-to-hip ratio of 0.7. Research has shown that women who have this ratio are more fertile than those that don’t.

When a woman finds a young man attractive she is often seeing the signs caused by testosterone, the hormone that makes a man masculine (and more fertile). If she finds an older man attractive, she is (possibly subconsciously) seeing a man who may be able to provide for her and any children she might have.

Detailed and accurate measurements of facial features and angles have tried to add a more scientific element to the concept of beauty. When these measurements are analysed and applied to different ethnic groups, those considered to be good looking or beautiful comply with universal scientific concepts of beauty. Thus, in the main, a particular ethnic beauty will still be considered attractive by the majority of any other ethnic group.

Many studies have stressed the importance of facial symmetry. No human face is exactly symmetrical, but marked asymmetry – beyond what is considered normal – is not usually considered to be beautiful. This is probably because of the association of good symmetry with good health.

Asymmetry is sometimes caused by sleeping on one side more than the other. Most people prefer to sleep on one particular side, a pattern that is established early in life. Babies tend to sleep a lot and grow while they are asleep; the side that is on the pillow doesn’t grow as much as the uppermost side. This means that, when an adult has one side of their face that is smaller than the other, it is possible to guess on which side they prefer to sleep.

At the same time it must be stressed that although facial appearance is a very important parameter when considering the concept of beauty, other bodily features are also important. These will include height, shape, amount of fat distribution on the body, breast size and shape, skin quality and so forth. A man or woman may not be particularly facially attractive but have a near perfect figure, and vice versa.

Of course, you have to add a person’s personality, or ‘inner beauty’ into the equation. Plenty of beautiful people get married, only to separate soon after. Physical attractiveness does not necessarily guarantee a long-term relationship, and in some ways can even detract from it.

Whatever may be analysed by philosophers and experts regarding the concept of beauty – and much has been said and written on the subject - the truth remains that many people are never satisfied with what Nature gave them in terms of their physical appearance.