With such a large pool of young people, it's no wonder that surgeons like Dr. Summer Daiza of the Plastic Surgery Center of Scottsdale, located at 10900 N. Scottsdale Road, are advertising directly to ASU students.

Daiza ran an advertisement for 10 percent off breast augmentation, liposuction, tummy tucks, chemical peels, skin care and other cosmetic procedures in ASU's Camptoons promotion map.

The Camptoons promotion features a cartoon map of ASU in the center of a large flyer with advertisements and coupons around the edges. The map is distributed free to students on campus at the start of each semester. An advertisement on the map costs $495 for one semester or $790 for two semesters.

Daiza says an advertising program at ASU called her and asked if she would like to place an ad on the map. This was her first time advertising the Plastic Surgery Center at ASU.

So far, Daiza says several students have responded to the ad, although she would not give an exact number. She hasn't performed surgery on any of the students. They are mostly waiting for winter break, she says.

These most popular procedures reflect those most frequently performed nationally. According to ASAPS, the top five surgical procedures in 2005 were liposuction, breast augmentation, cosmetic eye surgery, nose reshaping and tummy tucks.

Deborah Sullivan, an ASU sociology professor and author of the book "Cosmetic Surgery: The Cutting Edge of Commercial Medicine in America," says breast augmentation is particularly popular among students.

"Appearance is highly rated in our society," she says. "More attractive children get more attention from their parents. More attractive young adults date more, mate more and marry more. And they're more likely to get hired and get higher pay."

This is well known among young people today, she says. "Certainly by the time you're a young adult, you've figured out that an attractive appearance has an enormously strong halo that shines over you."

"But I remember another actress - Barbara Streisand - who had a big nose, and people said, 'Why doesn't she get a nose job?'" Sullivan adds. "That says a lot about the shift in public opinion."

Society wasn't always focused on standardized beauty. For example, in the 1800s, when TV and movie stars did not exist, Sullivan says beauty was based on real people in real communities.

"I don't think that's true anymore," she adds. "Our standards are based on what we see in the media and in entertainment. Because a lot of people who are in the public eye have a fair amount of cosmetic surgery, our standard of appearance isn't a natural standard of appearance.

"The whole notion of advertising is to create demand." she says. "And the same way that fast food industries' advertisements dangle something in front of your eyes, so does any physician who advertises cosmetic surgery. It increases the rapid epidemic of cosmetic surgery."

Advertising cosmetic surgery only makes it worse, Sullivan says. "When you advertise it, you're tapping into the angst of young adults who feel perhaps they're not perfect. It's a time of insecurity about appearance. [Advertising] promotes this."

But Daiza says students who are 18 and older can make their own decisions. And national regulations prevent surgeons from performing aesthetic cosmetic surgery on anyone younger than age 18.

"Looks change all the time," she says. "I think a lot of people change their appearance because of trends. That's just totally wrong. If you're going to do it, you should do it to be more comfortable with who you are."

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