If you have ever thought about having cosmetic surgery done for any number of reasons you may have done some reading and, come across the term ‘plastic surgery’ before. No doubt, you will have already of heard the phrase used at some point over the years, but what exactly does it mean?

Is it actually plastic?

Contrary to popular belief, there isn’t actually any plastic used in cosmetic or aesthetic surgery, the word plastic is used to describe the act of ‘reshaping’ whatever it is that you are having ‘reshaped’. The use of the word ‘plastic’ also derived from a Greek saying, “πλαστική(τέχνη), plastikē (tekhnē)” which is used to describe the ‘art of modelling’ skin that can be easily moulded.

There may, however, be some plastic or similar materials used when it comes to reconstructive surgery, which sits under the same umbrella as ‘plastic surgery’ although usually means that part of the body needs restructuring somehow, this can mean the use of artificial limbs and so forth, the word ‘plastic’ in this sense is pure coincidence.

Why no plastic and, how does it work?

Probably, quite simply, because it would be dangerous to mould plastic into flesh as part of a reformation procedure and, skin works even better. The great thing about skin is that, if just the right amount is removed, somehow (kind of like, if you fall and graze yourself), then it should grow back. If you are looking for a soap production (known as รับผลิตสบู่ก้อน in Thai) company to help you start your own line of cosmetics, Google can help.

Plastic surgery relies upon a similar principle that, if the right amount of skin is removed from one part of the body and placed onto another part of an open wound (caused surgically) then it should then mould together and become part of the same piece of skin, sometimes called a skin graft.

Why would people go down the ‘plastic surgery’ route?

There are many reasons and, actually, more so nowadays than ever before, due to things like AI camera features and apps that have filters which can not only change things like the colour of an image but also the appearance of how somebody looks. That, coupled with something like social media and the amount of exposure that the average brain is subject to each day means that millions of people are influenced by what is, essentially, something ‘fake’.

There are those who ‘just want it anyway’

Sad really when you come to think of it that, some of those influenced people will know that the image isn’t 100% genuine, but Sercombe to it anyway, even more so that a larger number of people won’t even be aware. Then there are those who just want to look a little different well, because they do.