Timely launch for nip and tuck book

By Mick Roberts

With debate raging over teenage cosmetic surgery, the release of a new book dissecting the rise of the makeover culture, has had a timely launch in Sydney.
Sydney academic, Dr Meredith Jones’ fascination with cosmetic surgery and its connection to media and to 21st Century cultural changes drove her to writing, Skintight: An Anatomy of Cosmetic Surgery.
The release of Dr Jones’ book has coincided with community debate on whether teenagers should be banned from having breast implants and other cosmetic surgery.
The Australian Medical Association (AMA) has backed plans by the NSW Government to restrict under 18s from going under the knife.
Following a total ban on under 18s cosmetic surgery in Queensland, the NSW Government will introduce legislation in July forcing teenagers to observe a three-month cooling-off period – a move it says is aimed at curtailing unnecessary surgery.
In contrast to the Bligh Government though, the Iemma Government said it had no immediate plan for a total ban.
Dr Jones’, who says she is far from being ‘anti-cosmetic surgery’, and has had a little ‘work’ done herself, agrees with the teenage crackdown.
‘I’ve had laser treatment on a broken vein on my face. I don’t think I’d have anything that required a general anaesthetic or a scalpel. I’d definitely never have botox, because I don’t like the way it looks, and liposuction is something I wouldn’t dream of – way too dangerous,’ she said.
Dr Jones said people under 18 are immature physically and emotionally, and having cosmetic surgery is a decision that could affect them for the rest of their lives.
‘Cosmetic surgery is something that always needs careful thought and preparation and should never be rushed into. We need time to get used to our bodies – what we hate about our bodies when we’re 15 we might be perfectly happy with when we’re 25,’ she said.
Echoing calls by the AMA for NSW to join Queensland in banning cosmetic surgery for under 18s, Dr Jones said Australia as a whole should look carefully at legislation regarding teenage make-overs.
From her University of Technology tower base in Broadway, Dr Jones says she has had the opportunity to connect to industry and the professions, with a strong research focus.
‘Physically, I love how the UTS city campus weaves its way through various buildings from Broadway to Haymarket – I always enjoy the walk I take to the UTS library, past the ABC and along the edge of Chinatown,’ she said.
Dr Jones said she had noticed through both personal and professional experiences that cosmetic surgery had undergone dramatic cultural shifts in the past decade.
‘Some of my friends had cosmetic surgery and I wanted to think more about what was behind it from a cultural rather than a psychological perspective,’ she told The City News.
“It’s everywhere now. We are surrounded by altered, enhanced, skinny and stretched celebrities, in a hyped media culture that focuses increasingly on the body beautiful,” she said.
“Once only associated with the rich and famous, cosmetic surgery is now widely available, advertised in magazines, doctors’ surgeries, and even on television. In some parts of the world it has become an aesthetic and cultural norm, yet remains deeply troubling for many,’ she said.
Dr Jones said her book Skintight argues that cosmetic surgery is the most provocative and controversial aspect of a new ‘makeover culture.’
“Skintight takes a feminist cultural studies approach but is far from being an anti-cosmetic surgery text. It acknowledges that cosmetic surgery is no longer an anathema to many people and that indeed many of its recipients are our neighbours, our friends and even ourselves,’ she said.
The book is a detailed cultural analysis of cosmetic surgery, focusing on media, celebrities, globalisation, and first-hand interviews with patients and surgeons.
Dr Jones said the book reveals how cosmetic surgery affects all of our lives, even those of us who choose not to have it.
‘It tells lots of fascinating stories about both Australian women who have had ‘normal’ cosmetic surgery and international celebrities like Michael Jackson and Lolo Ferrari who have had more extreme procedures. It shows how cosmetic surgery is as much a cultural phenomenon as it is a personal decision.’
The UTS academic has had cosmetic surgery work published in international journals and is currently editing a volume of feminist responses to cosmetic surgery while researching a new book about cosmetic surgery tourism.
Skintight: An Anatomy of Cosmetic Surgery was launched last month at Gleebooks.