Aesthetic procedures and the quest for beauty.

Abstract

Recent years have seen an increase in the number of young Singaporean women seeking aesthetic treatments and procedures. The primary interest of this study lies in exploring the social and cultural dimensions which could possibly account for the growing popularity of aesthetic procedures among young local women. Drawing upon in-depth interview data, findings show that the mass media operates as the dominant source of influence in shaping beauty ideals and consumer behaviour of women. Social media occupies a part of this media landscape, and interplay between social and traditional forms of media serve to continually reinforce hegemonic beauty ideals and norms. Aesthetic procedures emerge as one of the many practices that young women engage in, either to maintain or to enhance their beauty, in accordance with such beauty representations.