By some accounts, the first plastic surgeries were performed some time from 3000 to 2500 B.C., and British surgeons were performing basic rhinoplasties in 1794. As technology improved, so did the results of these reconstructive procedures.
Eventually, people were consulting plastic surgeons to change their natural features, and elective surgeries have become a lucrative business. Some surgeries are surprising and strange, but the field continues to grow with surgeries like these:
1. Eyebrow transplants are effective…but extremely weird.
Of course, there’s a drawback. Your hair follicles don’t realize that they’re now on the front of your face, so they’ll resume growing normally. That means that you’ll have to spend more time trimming your eyebrows.
While we’re on the subject, beard transplants are also a thing. So, if you can’t quite grow a big, manly beard on your own, you can take hair from some other part of your body. We’d recommend trying the natural method first.
2. You can get a six-pack through surgery.
Hate going to the gym? Get your six-pack the semi-easy way. The process is called liposculpture, and it’s exactly what it sounds like: Surgeons suck out the fat from around your abdominal muscles, leaving you with a gleaming six-pack.
There are caveats, of course. You must have “no more than 1-2 centimeters” of fat in the designated area, so you’ll have to be in pretty good shape anyways. At that point, why not just stay at the gym for an extra couple of minutes each day?
3. You can have the color of your irises changed.
Iris implants are made of medical-grade silicone and “colorants,” and they’re completely safe; in fact, they’re often used as a treatment for heterochromia, albinism, and related issues (although if you’ve got heterochromatic eyes, you’re probably better off starting a rock band).
In any case, you don’t need a medical issue to change the color of your eyes. The procedure is available for purely cosmetic reasons, although as with any surgery, there are possible risks, including infections and photophobia (sensitivity to light). The good news is that if you ever get tired of your new eye color, the implants can be easily removed by your surgeon.
4. You can have your ears turned into elf ears.
This service is available at some body modification clinics, and it’s called “elfing.” The patient’s ears are reshaped into a point, which takes their Dungeons & Dragons game to the next level.
Obviously, the procedure doesn’t give you magical hearing abilities, but it can make $2,500 to $7,500 shift from your wallet into a plastic surgeon’s pocket. Body modification clinics will charge much less ($600-$1,000 per ear), but they’re not legally allowed to use anesthesia. Ouch.