Task 2 model answer 28: Medical purposes for cosmetic purposes should not be allowed

There is a rising tendency for people of all ages to have surgery to improve their appearance, although there are a number of arguments against this as will now be examined.

The main reason that such procedures should be discouraged is that people should be more confident in themselves, and not be swayed by images in the media. People are constantly bombarded with pictures of people looking glamorous, but these photos have often been digitally altered for the best effect. Many young people, however, suffer from low self esteem and feel that through operations they could look like the celebrities they see.

Another argument against cosmetic procedures is that this diverts resources from more necessary surgeries, which in turn causes longer delays for those in desperate need. Even though such procedures may be done privately, it still requires the attendance of medical staff that would perhaps otherwise be available to the public health system. This can be seen in the waiting lists in the UK, for example, where it can take several months or longer to have a hip replacement operation.

However, there are situations when cosmetic surgery can vastly improve the patient's quality of life, such as those who have suffered significant burns or other disfigurements. There are many examples of people for whom surgical work has allowed them to rebuild their life in ways which would have been exceptionally difficult or impossible otherwise.

To conclude, it would perhaps be better if cosmetic surgery was discouraged unless it offered significant improvements to the patient's quality of life, and should perhaps also be limited to people between a certain age.