Is Plastic Surgery for You?

Elective plastic surgery procedures are performed all over the world and on all types of people. Advances in cosmetic surgery have also increased, fueled by continuous, innovative medical research, making cosmetic surgery one of the most progressive and most studied fields in medicine today. This, to a great degree, is due to its widespread acceptance among women and men who openly seek to look their best, no matter what their age.

Magazines are filled with articles on the subject, and the idea of undergoing cosmetic surgery is no longer a topic of secrecy or embarrassment. Society's pressures to look young, thin, and healthy have steadily increased its popularity every year. Thousands of beautiful models influence would-be patients to think seriously about plastic surgery. But in answering the question, "Is plastic surgery for me?" it is important to understand that this kind of surgery is meant to enhance your face and body, and no one else's. Did you see the face or body of your dreams jump out at you from some glossy journal and decide then and there that a plastic surgeon could surely make you look like that? Time for a reality check!

Although photos can certainly help when discussing your goals and expectations with a surgeon, you must also be realistic. The people whose faces and bodies you're coveting in magazines and advertisements were actually born with 80 percent of what you see. The height, bone structure, and weight tendency (although there has been much speculation about the so-called diets of models) are pretty much a genetic gift to these lucky few. So it would be unreasonable to go to a surgeon and say, "I want to look exactly like a supermodel," when one of your thighs is practically the size of both of her hips! Using a photo as a starting point, however, can give the doctor some idea of the look you would like. Only after examining you can the surgeon accurately determine whether your goals are achievable.

One of the most important questions to ask yourself is, "Am I considering cosmetic surgery for me or to please someone else in my life?" It is crucial for a candidate for plastic surgery to understand that it should never be undertaken to please another person—not your husband or wife, boyfriend or girlfriend, employers or co-workers. It should be done for you and you alone. A change in your face, eyes, nose, or body can do much to enhance all aspects of your lifestyle because you have enhanced yourself. Such a positive, personal change can boost your self-confidence and self-esteem, and will greatly affect how you project yourself to the world. Often a patient who has had a breast augmentation finds herself standing up straighter, walking more self-assuredly, and marveling about how great she looks and feels in her clothes. Your significant other, friends, and family will, of course, be the beneficiaries of a happy, refreshed "new" you. But what you have done for yourself and your outlook on life will, hopefully, be the most valuable and valued results. It is important to analyze your reasons for contemplating a change in your appearance.