3D-printing keeps evolving more + more with the rise of various prints including jewelry, musical instruments, a race car, a bicycle + a rocket, but nothing has blurred the lines of sci-fi like these 3D-printed nose + ear replacements. Created for accident victims + people with facial disfigurements, unfortunately, it’ll take a year before they become available. According to Fripp Design + Research, normally, a hand-made prosthetic takes about ten weeks, whereas a 3D-printed nose or ear can take a mere 48hours. So I started to think how it’s just a matter of time before cosmetic surgery begins to resort to 3D-printed parts to satisfy society’s incessant need for instant gratification on looking more beautiful, if not, more perfect.
Being exhibited as part of the 3D Printshow Hospital at London’s 3D Printshow, each custom prosthesis printed with bio-compatible starch + silicone, will match the wearer’s skin color + take less than two days to produce. Fripp believes the tricky part will be getting health services on-board, but once perfected, I bet cosmetic surgeons will corner that market with a huge price tag. Can you imagine, checking out red carpet pics of celebs + checking to see which nose they accessorized their designer look with?
Soon, you’ll be able to have your 3D-printed self sitting in for you at your desk on Mondays, instead of just calling in sick.
(via dezeen)