Pretty privilege, surgery stigma and the cosmetic procedure paradox
4/25/202630 min
Cosmetic procedures aren't reserved for celebrities anymore - they're becoming more and more accessible for every day people.
So if we're able to alter our looks or avoid the appearance of aging altogether, what impact does this have on our psychology?
Today, we examine how changing our faces might change how we see each other.
Please note, this episode includes some discussion of body image and mental health issues such as body dysmorphic disorder. Take care while listening.
Guests:
Professor Gemma SharpClinical psychologist and researcherAdelaide University
Dr Sarah BonellResearch FellowBolton Clarke Research Institute
Credits:
- Presenter/producer: Sana Qadar
- Reporter/producer: Rose Kerr
- Senior producer: James Bullen
- Sound engineer: Roi Huberman
More information:
What's the connection between cosmetic procedures and mental health?
Under the knife: Unfavorable perceptions of women who seek plastic surgery
New AHPRA Guidelines Require Psychological Screening for Non-Surgical Cosmetic Procedures
Cheaper, easier and less taboo: Why more gen Zs are getting cosmetic injectables such as botox
Support:
Butterfly foundation 1800 33 4673
You can catch up on more episodes of the All in the Mind podcast with journalist and presenter Sana Qadar, exploring the psychology of topics like stress, memory, communication and relationships on ABC Listen or wherever you get your podcasts.
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsSarah Burnell· Guest0:00
[upbeat music] ABC Listen, podcasts, radio, news, music, and more [classical music] I'm David Marr, host of Late Night Live on Radio National Very suave, erudite kind of guy We're here to surprise, delight, and maybe enrage you from time to time.
David Marr0:18
We go where our curiosity leads Let's talk crazy.
Sana Qadar· Host0:22
Let's act crazy. Let's be crazy, because then the enemy doesn't know what you're thinking Late Night Live, four new shows a week on ABC Listen or wherever you get your podcasts [upbeat music] If you've been on social media at all recently, you might have noticed something unsettling We used to be able to differentiate people's ages a little bit more easily, and now it's, it's quite homogenous [upbeat music] From big-name celebrities to your friends from high school, people are looking increasingly ageless. They're smoother, they're a bit more plump, more perfect. You might have also heard the term Instagram face, coined in 2019 to describe the homogenous beauty standards populating our online feeds. Obviously, we've got access to filters and photo editing, but there is something else on the rise, too, and that's cosmetic procedures And even during times like the pandemic, it was an industry that was not hit.
Gemma Sharp· Guest1:23
In fact, [laughs] it, it actually flourished So in a world where we can change our faces and bodies easier than ever,