Something that really interested me was the lesson from class Tuesday. The importance of beauty in Venezuela and how prevalent the need to have it is.
Plastic surgery is third in the country where the money is mostly spent. The value in beauty truly means more to the majority of the population. With the constant increase in females from age 16 and above getting breast enhancements to the cheap pricing in botox. As of 2017, the average pricing of a single botox session is $17.06.
Regardless of the difficulties within Venezuela's economy– the plastic surgery market is thriving. Venezuela is the only country to have back-to-back Miss Universes and Miss Worlds. Their society's standards are much higher than any of us have experienced.
In October 2019, it was reported in the New York Times that after a 15-minute ceremony in the Augusto D'Aubeterre Lyceum school located in Boca de Uchire that five children fainted and two were taken by an ambulance. These were victims of the hunger crisis that is occurring right now in Venezuela. Their children are suffering but the beauty market is off the charts.
The average pricing of something as small as mascara is $1,643.6 (2017). This is what the title of my blog means: beauty outstands intelligence. Schools have less and less attendance. People are more aware of how somebody looks like rather who they actually are. Yes, that seems like something that everyone goes through everywhere but not on a level this extreme.
Not to mention the shortage of medical supplies. In an article by CGTN America, a model, Yanuaria Verde, explains that not even the "quadruple-digit inflation" will stop her from getting plastic surgery. Just as there is a hunger crisis– there is a medical crisis.
At the beginning of the article, it says that there is a shortage of prescription drugs and basic medical supplies. Verde was able to get tummy tuck liposuction in her arms and legs for under $2,000. As the model explained, the problem is not what occurs in the operating room but rather the treatment afterward. The model didn't have any form of medication after her last three surgeries.
There are many things going on in Venezuela, but it has yet to affect the beauty market. It has shined through every crisis and event in the last several years.
Sources:
https://www.statista.com/statistics/788169/venezuela-prices-plastic-surgery-procedures/
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/30/world/americas/venezuela-students-hunger.html
https://www.statista.com/statistics/788177/venezuela-prices-cosmetics-beauty-products/
https://america.cgtn.com/2018/04/15/cosmetic-plastic-surgery-venezuela-medicine-crisis
It's interesting to me that your research indicated a medical crisis with all the supplies being used to do plastic surgery and therefore causing a shortage. I was also shocked by the priority Venezuela put on beauty. Especially, when women as young as 16 were having plastic surgery done! Even hearing Dr. A says her mother thinks she should have plastic surgery is wild to me especially because in the US, that's almost seen as being a bad mom. In America there is more of a focus on different types of beauty and that's why Leonardo's telenovela was so important to bring to this media of a telenovela that already had the attention of the Venezuela general pubic.
ReplyDeleteIt's so fascinating that you found this research and related it back to the beauty industry. It's so crazy to see how priorities and standards differ from country to country. The customs in the United States are so different from the ones in Venezuela and you captured that perfectly. The addition of prices was a good thing to mention as it puts into perspective how the beauty industry comes into play with Venezuela.
ReplyDeleteEs muy interesante para mi que hiciste una investigación sobre la cirugía plástica en Venezuela, especialmente leyéndolo en la era de covid19. Es *baffling para mi saber que chicas tan jóvenes están teniendo cirugía plástica para poder sentirse mas hermosas- yo se que mi mama me hubiera matado si pidiera tener cirugía.
ReplyDeleteTambién lo encontre interesante que ellos no tienen suficientes recursos para poder completar estas cirugías, porque me hace pensar en que estarán haciendo ahora.