Deciding to have plastic surgery is an enormous step, and not one to be taken lightly. They key to optimal results is deciding on the right procedure for you, making sure you are an appropriate candidate for it, having realistic expectations from the very start, and being aware of the recovery period and correct after-care needed to make the most of your experience.
Too many people decide to have cosmetic or plastic surgery for the wrong reasons: to make someone else (such as a husband or boss) happier, change them into a radically different person altogether, to solve domestic problems, give in to peer pressure or heal grief. But plastic surgery is designed with one goal in mind: to change a person’s appearance, hopefully for the better, not as a surgical solution to life’s many problems.
If you are considering having plastic surgery, the world’s your oyster. There are literally hundreds of procedures out there to suit everyone, from breast augmentation to breast reduction, from thigh liposuction to calf implants. Whether you want your nose made smaller, your lips made bigger or your tummy flatter, all you need to do is decide what you want, find a good surgeon, then do it. Just make sure you’re doing it for all the right reasons…
Most Popular Procedures
The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) says that a whopping 10 million surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures were carried out in the US in 2008, raking in $12 billion worth of business. Since 1997 all procedures are up 65 percent, with non-surgical ones topping the charts with a 239 percent increase, thanks mainly due to the popularity of Botox.
Top Five Most Popular Surgical Procedures (according to the ASAPS, for both men and women, in 2008)
1 Breast augmentation (average cost: saline $3,603; silicone $3,885 )
2 Liposuction (average cost: suction-assisted: $2,874; ultrasound-assisted: $2,933 )
3 Eyelid surgery (average cost: $2,921)
4 Rhinoplasty, or nose job (average cost: $4,369)
5 Abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck (average cost: $5,470)
Top Five Most Popular Non- Surgical Procedures
1 Botox (average cost: $443)
2 Laser hair removal (average cost: $326)
3 Hyaluronic acid, including Juvederm, Restylane/Perlane, Hylaform (average cost: $411 - $657)
4 Chemical peel (average cost: $704)
5 Laser skin resurfacing (average cost: $2,094)
Playing It Safe
Now that you have a procedure in mind, you need a decent surgeon. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons lists certain guidelines when it comes to selecting both the right surgeon and the right procedure for you. It recommends asking the following questions when deciding who’s the right man (or woman) for the job:
1. Are you an ASPS Member Surgeon?
2. Are you board-certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery?
3. Do you have hospital privileges to perform this procedure? If so, can you list the hospitals?
4. Is the surgical facility you regularly use an accredited one?
5. Can you tell me how many procedures of this type you have performed in the past?
It also recommends these questions to ask the surgeon you potentially choose, to learn more about their credentials, safety record and experience:
- Am I a good candidate for this procedure? If you want a face lift yet you haven’t yet reached puberty, a good surgeon will refuse.
- What will be expected of me to get optimal results? You may need to lose weight, come off certain medications, stop smoking etc. A good surgeon will make sure you are fit for surgery, not speed the process along to make more money.
- What are the risks involved with my procedure? Risks of any surgical procedure are rare, but they do exist. A good surgeon will make you fully aware of what you are getting into well in advance, even if that means potentially scaring off a few potential patients.
- How long of a recovery period can I expect, and what kind of help will I need during my recovery? Make sure you have the right support network you need and that you are fully aware of all after-care procedures for best results.
- Will I need to take time off work? If so, how long? It’s no use having surgery and then getting an infection straight afterwards because you jumped back into work too soon.
You should also ask your surgeon about their revision policy, in case something goes horribly wrong. Do they waive the fee, or offer a cut-price rate? Even if they do waive it, would you still have to shell out for hospital fees and anesthesia? Or do you want to spend the rest of your life with one nostril noticeably larger than the other, or with debilitating pain and even paralysis following a course of botched liposuction?
Risks vs Rewards
Having plastic surgery is a much more complicated decision than deciding which restaurant to visit for dinner or where to go on your next vacation. Before you decide on such a monumental, life-changing course of action, make sure you explore all the many facets such a huge step will entail, physically, emotionally and (oh yes) financially. In fact, after thinking long and hard about it, you may decide that going under the knife for purely cosmetic reasons isn’t really for you after all.
“If you want to get cosmetic surgery, get real with yourself first. Get in touch with your authentic self so that you know who you truly are and what you truly want,” says Dr Phil on his website.
“The only person who can give you what you want is you. Nobody else can give you the self-esteem you need to have a healthy body image. A surgeon can’t. The only thing that can ‘fix’ you for you comes from the inside — not the outside.
“There is no reality, only perception. If your self-esteem is so low that you view yourself through a filter of self-rejection (’I'm ugly’ or ‘I’m fat’), all the surgery in the world isn’t going to make a difference. If you don’t change the filter through which you look when you see yourself in the mirror, you’ll never be happy.”
The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your health care provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care an appropriate health care provider.
If you are considering plastic surgery, check out the following links to find specialists in your area:
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