¿Which body does psychoanalysis speak about?

Abstract

This article is the product of the research project “Cosmetic Surgery: Between Demand and Desire,” which seeks to identify the subjective determinants of cosmetic surgery. The article illustrates the theories that introduce the concept of the body to psychoanalysis, in which the body becomes a psychic reality in the sense that it is constructed: in psychoanalysis the body and the organism are considered to be separate entities. Image is not enough; the introduction of the “significant” is required. It is the “Other” that reserves a place for the subject, and from there the body is affected. I add, the article presents the subjective factors that help determine desires for esthetic surgery on a case-by-case basis. The article assesses an interview conducted during the project with a person who underwent rhinoplasty in order to find out the main subjective elements that determined this decision.