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(256 words) 

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 IELTS
 JOURNAL 
 
111 
Sample essay 54: 
Medical procedures for cosmetic purposes should not be allowed. 
Do you agree or disagree? 
There is a rising tendency for people of all ages to have surgery to improve their 
appearance, although there are a number of arguments against this as will now be 
examined. 
The main reason that such procedures should be discouraged is that people should be more 
confident in themselves, and not be swayed by images in the media. People are constantly 
bombarded with pictures of people looking glamorous, but these photos have often been 
digitally altered for the best effect. Many young people, however, suffer from low self- 
esteem and feel that through operations they could look like the celebrities they see. 
Another argument against cosmetic procedures is that this diverts resources from more 
necessary surgeries, which in turn causes longer delays for those in desperate need. Even 
though such procedures may be done privately, it still requires the attendance of medical 
staff that would perhaps otherwise be available to the public health system. This can be 
seen in the waiting lists in the UK, for example, where it can take several months or longer 
to have a hip replacement operation. 
However, there are situations when cosmetic surgery can vastly improve the patient's 
quality of life, such as those who have suffered significant burns or other disfigurements. 
There are many examples of people for whom surgical work has allowed them to rebuild 
their life in ways which would have been exceptionally difficult or impossible otherwise. 
To conclude, it would perhaps be better if cosmetic surgery was discouraged unless it 
offered significant improvements to the patient's quality of life, and should perhaps also be 
limited to people between a certain age.