A Short History Of Cosmetic Surgery

The history of cosmetic surgery is almost as old as human civilization is. People have always sought ways to correct what they see as defects in their appearance, or to enhance what nature has given them. Even in the ancient world, from India to Egypt, the Romans to the Greeks, some form of cosmetic surgery has been practiced, to improve the body or to restore damaged or deformed parts.

Ancient India, as early as 2000 BC, was practicing reconstructive cosmetic surgery, to correct birth defects and deformities. Ancient records clearly indicate that the history of cosmetic surgery began with reconstructive surgery like simple rhinoplasty in India. As trade relations with other ancient civilizations spread, so did the art of cosmetic surgery. These medical techniques soon traveled all the way to the Middle East. From there to Europe was but the logical next step.

However India was not the only culture practicing reconstructive surgery back then. Cosmetic surgery, in one form or another, was quite prevalent in Egypt, and Rome. The Egyptians performed basic cosmetic surgery for aesthetic purposes, and the Romans made use of simple cosmetic surgery techniques to repair injuries caused by their incessant wars and conquests. 

From Sushruta and Charak in India, whose books were translated into Arabic, to the Sicilian Branca family and Gaspare Tagliacozzi in Bologna, the early history of cosmetic surgery was more of dissemination than discovery. Soon, British doctors were going to India to see the native methods of cosmetic surgery in action. By 1815, these techniques were being used in Europe. However, because surgery was so dangerous before the advent of anesthesia and antibiotics, that cosmetic surgery techniques and procedures did not become familiar and popular before the 19th century. 

With the advent of better anesthesia techniques, and a far better understanding of sterilization and infections, and the discovery of antibiotics, the history of cosmetic surgery really took off. The wars of the 19th and 20h centuries also did a lot to accelerate the progress of these techniques. The varied, disfiguring and horrific injuries caused by modern wars went a long way in fine tuning the various reconstructive surgery techniques. Before the modern wars, thousands of years, passed without much of a leap in cosmetic surgery. Till then, the only major use of such techniques was for repairing birth defects like cleft palates.

By the time the 20th century rolled around however, the history of cosmetic surgery had taken a decided turn towards the aesthetic aspect. Newer techniques enabled surgeons to restore normal appearance to people disfigured by scars or fire. Techniques were refined and the worldwide medical community slowly accepted reconstructive surgery.

As the press began to hype the huge number of shattered faces successfully restored to normalcy, to raise morale among soldiers, other segments began to realise that the techniques could work for them too. Cosmetic surgery procedures began to be used by surgeons to enhance beauty, rather than to simply restore form and function. Today, cosmetic surgery procedures vary from face lifts, body contouring like breast augmentation, to liposuction, and tummy tucks, all useful ways to improve on nature.

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