Embedded Files
2003). Nose reshaping is the most common procedure among men, followed by eyelid surgery and liposuction. Among North American women, nose reshaping is the third most common surgery performed with breast augmentation and liposuction being more popular (ASPS; Medicard). Despite increasing participation rates among men, women still significantly outnumber men in all invasive cosmetic procedures. The other popular invasive cosmetic procedures among North American men are hair transplants and breast reduction. 954 The Qualitative Report July 2011 American data for non-invasive surgeries indicates the most common procedure for both men and women is Botox, undertaken by 3.8 million women and 284,000 men in 2006 (ASPS, 2007). Other popular procedures for men and women were chemical peels (98,000 for men and 965,000 for women), microdermabrasion (162,000 for men and 634,000 for women), and laser hair removal (173,000 for men and 714,000 for women) (ASPS; see Table 1). Here, the numbers suggest that both men and women are concerned with the appearance of their skin and excess body hair. Cosmetic surgery, then, is a transformational body technology which, for men, may be both appealing but also confounding given the contested terrain that is the relationship between masculinity and vanity (Gill et al., 2005). In an era of risk awareness and management, the evidence shows that men are, coincidentally, increasingly choosing to have cosmetic surgery. Physical appearance, contemporary constructions of masculinity and self-identity all factor in the decision to undergo cosmetic surgery. Clearly, greater breadth and depth of research on the motivations and experiences of men contemplating cosmetic surgery is warranted. Why do men have cosmetic surgery? How do men feel cosmetic surgery will affect their lives? Are men still meeting resistance as they consider and undergo cosmetic surgery and venture into more traditionally feminine domains? The current study attempts to answer these questions, looking specifically at men who had undergone or were seriously contemplating cosmetic surgery. Based on in-depth interviews, their lived experiences in relation to cosmetic surgery, embodied masculinity, and the role of physical appearance in self-identification were explored. Table 1. Top Five Invasive and Non-Invasive Cosmetic Surgery Participated in by Gender for 20061 Men Women Nose Reshaping (85,000) Breast Augmentation (329,000) Eyelid Surgery (37,000) Liposuction (268,000) Liposuction (35,000) Nose Reshaping (223,000) Hair Transplant (20,000) Eyelid Surgery (196,000) Male Breast Reduction (20,000) Tummy Tuck (140,000) Men Women Botox (284,000) Botox (3.8 million) Laser Hair Removal (173,000) Chemical peels (965,000) Microdermabrasion (162,000) Hyaluronic Acid (714,000) Chemical Peel (98,000) Laser Hair Removal (714,000) Laser Skin Resurfacing (32,000) Microdermabrasion (634,000) Invasive Surgical Procedures Minimally Invasive Cosmetic Procedures 1 As statistics are not available in Canada, these statistics are American, from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, 2006 Gender Quick Facts Rosemary Ricciardelli and Philip White 955 Method Interviews were conducted with 14 Canadian men, from ages 18 to 53, who volunteered to participate in the study. The sample included men who had undergone or were actively considering cosmetic surgery. Recruiting men who met these criteria and were willing to discuss their experiences was difficult, as relatively few men within the sampling frame were willing to openly discuss their experiences. Subsequently, our recruitment methods became multifaceted. Through broadening the data generation process we were able to gain access to information-rich subjects whose experiences illuminated our research questions. Participants were recruited via four strategies. First, business cards advertising the study were distributed in shopping centers and coffee shops in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). These cards were either handed out to people personally by any of four research accomplices or stacks of the cards were placed around coffee houses located in a high-traffic area of Toronto. Second, students from a small suburban Canadian university, where the primary investigator was employed, were invited by e-mail (including a web link to the study) to participate in the study. Third, an advertisement for the study was placed in FAB, a free gay publication distributed in the GTA. Last, snowball or “chain referral” sampling, based on interviewees contacted through the methods above, was used to find additional men that had undergone or were considering cosmetic surgery. If an interviewee mentioned a friend or acquaintance that met the inclusion criteria and might be willing to participate in the study, a business card was either given to the interviewee to pass on to the potential future participant or the person was contacted directly. These different methods of data collection helped in developing trustworthiness in our findings. To further grow our pool of interviewees, participants who completed an on-line survey for another study (Ricciardelli & Clow, 2009) were asked to provide contact information if they were also willing to participate in this interview-based study. Demographic and personal information
Google Sites
Report abuse