Modern cosmetic surgery has thousands of years of medical progress behind it

Many people think of cosmetic and plastic surgery to be a relatively recent phenomenon but its roots can be traced back thousands of years.

Evidence of plastic surgery in ancient times

Wealthy ancient Egyptians placed great importance on appearance, and medical papyruses dating from 1600 BC confirm that cosmetic surgical practices took place. A well-known example, the Edwin Smith Surgical Papyrus, provides detailed case histories of cosmetic procedures.

The first detailed account of cosmetic surgery is generally considered to appear in ancient Indian Sanskrit texts which describe the reconstruction of earlobes and noses using skin from other parts of the face. It is thought that such procedures would have been used to overcome deformities caused by mutilation inflicted as a form of punishment.

In the fourth century, the Byzantine physician Oribasius described numerous reconstructive procedures in his medical encyclopaedia called Synagogue Medicae. His accounts of wound management and facial reconstruction made a significant contribution to the techniques used in cosmetic surgery today.

The birth of modern plastic surgery

Plastic surgery really began to gain popular acceptance in 18th century Europe. The limited number of procedures included rhinoplasty, which was practised by many surgeons. After the introduction of anaesthesia towards the end of the century, plastic surgery procedures became increasingly common. The first aesthetic ‘nose job’ was carried out by the American doctor, John Roe, in 1891.

The years following the outbreak of World War 1 was a pioneering time for reconstructive plastic surgery. The vast number of soldiers suffering from terrible injuries, particularly facial disfigurement, resulted in the reconstruction of noses, ears, lips and other body parts becoming commonplace. Many new techniques were developed as the expertise of the surgeons grew. Archibald McIndoe and New Zealander Harold Gillies developed treatments for severe facial disfigurement involving the staged growth of a blood supply from the recipient area into the grafted tissue, often taking many weeks or months. In 1920, the landmark book, 'Plastic Surgery of the Face' by Harold Gillies set down the principles of plastic surgery that we are familiar with to this day.

The use of plastic surgery continued to expand during World War II. Building on previous advances, surgeons perfected their techniques, improving the speed, precision and accuracy of the procedures. In 1942 Archibald McIndoe performed ground-breaking operations on burnt airmen at The Queen Victoria Hospital.

Cosmetic surgery continues to go from strength to strength, improving the lives of millions of people. Clinics are now present in most areas of the UK, with London's Harley Street remaining a centre for specialist treatments, especially in the Harley Street area.

The future of cosmetic surgery

New techniques are constantly being developed leading to procedures that are less invasive and require shorter recovery times. Procedures that would once have been considered major operations are now carried out as routinely as a visit to the dentist. As for the future, that depends as much on changing fashions and attitudes amongst the public as it does on advances in technology and the skills of the surgeon.

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