There is little doubt that people's appearances affect their self-perception. And, because the culture promotes youth as indicative of new ideas, vibrancy, and attention to changing values, many people wish to appear young and not lose their attractiveness, along with their voice in society. In contrast to the Asian cultures that revere older people as having attained wisdom, many young and middle-aged people in America assume that older adults are too slow, possessive of old-fashioned ideas and unknowledgeable about the workings of thee world, newer inventions, games and social modes. For those who react negatively toward people who show some age, their perception becomes a reality for them.
The appearances of people do affect how others react towards them, as well as how individuals feel about themselves. For these reasons, along with the youth-orientated culture and the advances made with cosmetic surgery, many people have elected to have cosmetic and plastic surgery after recognizing on themselves the signs of aging or features that seem out of proportion. In a culture that idealizes beauty and associates vibrancy, quick-thinking, originality, and creativity with youth, it is understandable that older people who are still vibrant, intelligent, and capable may elect to appear younger. They, then, can compete in the job market and a world where appearance is interpreted as reality. In other words, older job applicants may wish to appear younger to defeat social prejudices. And, they may want to appear younger because the way people look does, indeed, affect how they feel about themselves. Such surgery can also reduce anxiety about aging.
Another element that factors into the increase in plastic surgery and cosmetic surgery is that during the pandemic, many companies and individuals have made use of video technology. By using this technology, people have seen how others perceive them. Also, as people have worked remotely, this situation has allowed them to have more time for cosmetic procedures or plastic surgery operations that restore function and form, such as burn surgery and breast, ear, nose and other reconstructions. Further, people also have the privacy of a recovery from the operation.
