By Lubna Abdel-Aziz Throughout the ages, the spotlight has always been on beauty of body, mind and spirit -- but mostly of body. The pursuit of beauty by both sexes collectively includes youthfulness, fitness and vigour. When nature robs you of one or more of beauty's traits, cosmetic surgery hastens to the rescue, often with exceptional results. The practice of cosmetic surgery may be rampant today, but its history goes back as far as the eighth century BC. The great Indian surgeon Sustrutha describes in detail rhinpolasty and otoplasty utilising skin grafts, in his work Sushrustha Samhita. The Romans performed simple techniques, such as repairing ears, since the first century BC. In mid-15th century Europe, Heinrich von Pfolspeundt developed a process "to make a new nose for one who lacks it entirely and the dogs have devoured it," by removing skin from the back of the arms, suturing it in place. Those ideas and procedures, nameless then, are now known as reconstructive and cosmetic surgery. With our endless desire for longevity and youth, and our tireless pursuit of beauty, cosmetic surgery has now become the most progressive and profitable field of medicine. Sir Harold Gillies of New Zealand is known as the father of modern plastic surgery. He developed many of the modern techniques for soldiers who suffered facial injuries in the Great War (WWI). His work was expanded upon and enhanced during WWII. No longer the domain of disfigured soldiers on the battlefield, plastic surgery is now sought after by millions of women -- and men worldwide, and for good reasons. It helps increase individual self-esteem; what can be of greater value? In some cases one's livelihood may depend on personal appearance, or photogenicity. Consider our film stars, adored and admired by millions, how often do they submit to the surgeon's knife in order to maintain our adulation and affection. More damaging is the pain of children with abnormal features leaving them scarred for life. The consensus therefore is that plastic surgery is beneficial and its rewards are priceless. With the festive season upon us, starting with the holy month of Ramadan and ending with the new year, our original body frame will certainly undergo some transformation. An insatiable desire descends upon us to gulp and guzzle astronomic amounts of stuffed fowl and plum puddings, and all things cooked, baked, boiled, broiled or roasted, inevitably resulting in ungainly lumps and clumps on our anatomy. How do we regain our sinewy silhouette? Millions will knock on the plastic surgeon's door. Women -- and men too -- are in and out of beauty clinics for a nip here and a tuck there, hanging on with all their might to dear life and that ever elusive youthful look. The good news is that to achieve that lift, one need not shed blood as sacrifice to the god of beauty. Non-invasive surgery is now very common, very popular, and very effective, widely known as Botox. The "King of Botox" is a Vancouver-based dermatologist who is considered primarily an artist whose canvas is the human face. He is Alistair Carruthers, the principal user of injectable fillers. Carruthers has devised ways of combining fillers like Botox (derived from Clostridium botulinum toxin), Restylane (hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring substance in the human body) or collagen for different areas, even differentiating between lower lip and upper lip areas. Ageing is inevitable! It shows mostly on the largest human organ, the skin. Laxity of facial features, frown lines, drooping soft tissue. as the skin on the face loses its support and is victim to gravity. A little filler here and a little Botox there can improve your facial and professional image, not to mention you own self-esteem. The ability to improve the quality of life can be as beneficial as a surgical procedure is to a grave illness. The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) reports an annual increase of seven per cent in surgical and non-surgical procedures performed in the US in 2006. The ASAPS is considered the most comprehensive data source available on plastic surgery worldwide. Females lead with breast augmentation, while men lead with breast reduction. Botox is the number one non-invasive procedure for both sexes. The Brits, owners of that famous "stiff upper lip" seek to make it a permanent fixture, also by injectable fillers, preferably collagen. Two thirds of Brits wish to change their looks with cosmetic surgery. Their female ideal is Jennifer Lopez, the male, Brad Pitt (sorry Angelina!). One in ten Brits, an astounding number, has already gone under the knife. The recognition of beauty can change over time. Compare the beauty of her age Grace Kelly who possessed very thin delicate lips. Lip reductions were a standard procedure in the 1960s and 70s. Women wanted smaller, more elegant, more refined lips. Forty years ago, today's beauty Miss Angelina Jolie would have needed a lip reduction. Yet now Miss Jolie's beautiful full lips are just what the doctor ordered. Would Miss Kelly have tried lip augmentation today? What constitutes beauty is more than skin deep. Would not Rubens' famous women, the ideal female form of the 17th century, pink and rounded, have benefited from extensive liposuction today? Otherwise how else could they fit in those skin-tight jeans and mini-skirts? The best news for beauty seekers comes from a very controversial, albeit miraculous source -- stem cells. In case you still do not know, stem cells are, simply put "cells which have not decided what they want to be when they grow up"' They are widely considered one of science's most promising tools for developing cures for many diseases. A new research from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine harvested stem cells from fat removed during liposuction. "We're trying to make fat do good things," says Dr J Peter Rubin MD. There is about 150,000 gallons of liposuction fat discarded annually. Hundreds of millions of cells can be obtained from one liposuction patient. Imagine replacing silicone breasts implants with tissues derived from one's own stem cells? This can happen within a decade, so for women seeking breast implants -- hang in there! The future looks rosy all around. Apart from the gazillion dollar business of cosmetics, creams, oils, and gels, Botox, Restylene, and all the rest of beauty aids like teas, pills, herbs, massages, gyms and other miraculous products, it is befitting to remind ourselves that without beauty within, there can be little beauty without, no matter how long, how hard, or how much we pay for it. A black and angry heart erases all signs, features, and expressions of beauty. "A thing of beauty is a joy...." -- but not forever. A heart of beauty lasts and lasts till death and beyond! There is no cosmetic for beauty like happiness Lady Blessington (1789-1849)
