Redefining the perfect woman

The new plastic surgery ideal has shifted from bombshell blonde to a more ethnic look

Published September 25, 2012 8:37PM (EDT)

      (Luis Louro)
(Luis Louro)

According to Los Angeles Magazine, 91 percent of all cosmetic procedures in the U.S. are performed on women. In L.A., this used to mean more big-busted, classic blonde pin-ups walking around--but that's changing. The current issue reports that "the demand for cosmetic procedures now crosses every ethnic group, altering the de rigueur body shape." In other words, Pamela Anderson might not be the ideal body type anymore.

A spread in the magazine outlines some of the common procedures, including breast augmentations and rhinoplasty:

Augmentation has been one of the most frequently requestesd cosmetic procedures in the country since 2006, but the preference in L.A., surgeons say, is a more natural looking breast size that balances an hourglass shape.

Rhinoplasty is one of the top five most popular cosmetic procedures in the United States. According to L.A. surgeons, the trend in Hispanic, Middle Eastern, and African American patients is to refine, not alter, overall shape.

As the entertainment industry has become more diverse, so have the trends in plastic surgery. But it's also true that this new image,  a cross between Sofia Vergara, Angelina Jolie, and Kim Kardashian, is a hardly a less impossible standard --just a different one.

 


By Prachi Gupta

Prachi Gupta is an Assistant News Editor for Salon, focusing on pop culture. Follow her on Twitter at @prachigu or email her at pgupta@salon.com.

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