Once a taboo, cosmetic surgery has become a regular topic of conversation.
The number of young adults and teenagers opting for cosmetic surgeries has increased in recent years. Between 2022 and 2023, the percentage of rhinoplasties performed in the U.S. increased by 6%, with women aged 18-25 accounting for 26% of all rhinoplasties, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
Ava Heiman, a junior integrated marketing communications major from Dallas, has received two rhinoplasties to help her self esteem.
“When I was younger, I always hated my nose,” Heiman said. “Even my mom was like, ‘If you really want this done we can fix it.’”
Heiman underwent the first surgery to transform her nose into a “cute button nose.” Later, she decided to get a septoplasty because her right nostril collapsed, causing a severely deviated septum. After the second surgery, Heiman felt her face was complete.
“I felt 10 times more confident. I didn’t have to cover my side profile, (and) I felt like I could focus on being myself rather than hiding my nose,” Heiman said.
While her mother was supportive of the surgery, her brother was not. Heiman said he felt that it was ‘wrong to change what God has made,’ and three years later, he still judges her for her decision.
“People are always judgy about this sort of thing,” Heiman said. “My brother was so rude about it. He doesn’t believe in changing your face, but I think it was more of a religious thing for him.”
A survey conducted by Pew Research in 2016 found that 65% of Americans in major religious groups see cosmetic surgery as “taking technology too far.”
Aside from her brother, most of Heiman’s friends and family have accepted her procedures.
“Cosmetic surgery has always been around, but now people post about it, and it’s not a secret any more. When I went into the (doctor’s) office the first thing they asked me was, ‘Did you hear about us on TikTok?’” Heiman said. “I feel like you could look at anyone nowadays — like the Kardashians or Dove Cameron — and they definitely have (cosmetic surgery), and that’s okay.”
For Lauren Heenan, a senior allied health major, receiving a rhinoplasty when she was 17 years old changed the trajectory of her life.
“I was severely bullied all throughout school for how my face looked compared to my nose, and I just didn’t want to go to college like that,” Heenan said. “I needed a fresh start and a fresh nose.”
While many of Heenan’s friends and family members were supportive, her father and grandparents were against her having the procedure. However, after they saw how happy she felt after the procedure, they were much more accepting of her decision.
“Just seeing how I felt beautiful for the first time looking in that mirror. … If I had to pay full price for it, I totally would have,” Heenan said.
According to Dr. Adair Blackledge, a facial cosmetic surgeon with over two decades of experience in Jackson, Miss., this shift in the perceptions surrounding cosmetic surgery was inevitable.
“I just don’t think the stigma is there anymore. It’s not something to hide,” Blackledge said. “I think the biggest thing is that patients are willing to share their stories more. I had one girl on TikTok a couple weeks ago that posted the entire story of her nose job.”
Beauty content views on TikTok have increased by 78% with engagement rates boosted by 58% from 2022 to 2023, according to Professional Beauty Magazine, which cited a report from marketing platform Traacker.
Blackledge also utilizes social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and Facebook to educate patients. Blackledge said it was not a form of advertisement but rather the patients’ own choice to spread awareness.
“The more educated patients are, the more able they are to make an informed choice,” Blackledge said.
While the increase in cosmetic procedures is dramatic nationally, regional differences play a significant role in shaping attitudes.
The South Atlantic Region makes up 25% of all procedures done in the United States, but unlike patients in surgery hotspots like New York and Los Angeles, people in the South tend to favor subtlety and refinement, Blackledge shared.
“I think (that style is) more popular here because we’re known for being a little more conservative. … Nobody in the South wants to look like a Kardashian,” Blackledge said.
Jamie Harker, English professor and the director of the Sarah Isom Center for Women and Gender Studies at the University of Mississippi, shared her stance on cosmetic procedures.
“You should be able to do with your body what you want to do with it,” Harker said.
However, Harker expressed concern about how plastic surgery relates to social conformity.
“I just worry about doing stuff to conform to a societal image of what you’re supposed to look like,” Harker said. “I worry about a culture that is so afraid of women aging that we don’t want to see one that looks over 30, even in a movie.”
