From budget-friendly Botox to luxury facelifts, America is in its heyday of plastic surgery. The pursuit of youth and thinness has never been more ubiquitous — it's no longer the exception, but the rule.
Why it matters: Beauty has always mirrored culture. Today's standards — skinny, ageless and split between hyper-masculine (sharp jaws) and hyper-feminine (tiny waists) — reveal how Americans see status, success and self.
