Swiss have to ask if they’re beautiful enough

by SUSAN VOGEL-MISICKA

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. This age-old saying is less true than ever, if one considers the growth of the beauty industry. The sector that includes everything from cosmetics to plastic surgery profits from engrained notions of good looks.

It is estimated that every day, the Swiss population works its way through 64 tonnes of cosmetics and hair products – all in the name of looking better. For facial products alone, the Swiss spend SFr400 million ($428 million) per year.

In Bern, two museums have collaborated on an exhibition called “Bin ich schön? / J’suis beau?” (Am I beautiful?). It’s an important question in a country where it is common practice for prospective employees to include a photo with their CVs.

“Originally, the exhibition title was ‘What is beautiful?’ but we changed it because we wanted to approach the visitors directly with a personal question,” Kurt Stadelmann, curator of the Museum of Communication, told swissinfo.ch. His museum hosts the bulk of the show, with the neighbouring Museum of Natural History housing the rest.

“It’s a bit provocative, asking visitors to ask themselves if they’re beautiful. And we hope they get some answers in the exhibition,” Stadelmann said, pointing out that there are no mirrors on display. Instead, he hopes that people will find their inner beauty while looking at animals, dolls, magazine covers and other cultural references – such as a statue of the Virgin Mary and a Nazi propaganda film showing the “perfect” male athlete.

World’s top cosmetic procedures
The International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery compiled a list of the world’s most commonly performed cosmetic surgical procedures in 2010.

1 Lipoplasty/liposuction: 2,174,803
2 Breast augmentation: 1,506,475
3 Blepharoplasty (eyelid): 1,085,153
4 Rhinoplasty (nose): 985,325
5 Abdominoplasty: 681,344
6 Breast reduction (women): 549,994
7 Breast lift: 543,848
8 Facelift: 421,029
9 Otoplasty (ear): 242,271
10 Breast reduction (male): 235,947

Nip and tuck
The exhibition taps into the zeitgeist. In Switzerland, the number of plastic surgeons – whether reconstructive or aesthetic – has grown steadily over the years. Whereas in 1980, there were 24 plastic surgeons operating in the country and 44 ten years later, there are around 135 today.

swissinfo.ch asked plastic surgeon Daniel Knutti why people wanted to alter their appearances in the first place.

“They don’t necessarily want to change – they just want to look better or more beautiful. Or they want to enhance the beautiful parts of their body – basically to feel better,” answered Knutti, who opened his own practice in Biel in 1988.

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