Beauty Doc Blog

Considering plastic surgery?  Do it for yourself if you wish, but don’t do it for anyone else.

Plastic surgery is an intensely personal thing, and the decision to have, or not have a plastic surgery procedure should be a decision of the client.  Some people find themselves in pursuit of perfection, and opt or attempt to opt for plastic surgery procedures because they believe it will help to keep a spouse, or another member of the opposite sex interested.  Others do it to “keep up with the Jones”. They see that a neighbor or friend has had liposuction, a face lift, rhinoplasty or some other procedure and treat it like a fad, deciding that it is the latest trend and they also need to participate in it.  These are the wrong reasons.

All reputable physicians, and especially surgeons who practice plastic surgery, screen their patients before performing procedures.  All are on the lookout for patients who are simply not good candidates for procedures because they approach it from the wrong perspective.  A good candidate for cosmetic plastic surgery should be someone who is in good health and simply wants improvement in their appearance, but does not see plastic surgery as the be all and end all of their existence.

Take breast augmentation and reduction as an example.  If a woman has breasts that are too large for her frame and is experiencing back and neck pain, her health is at risk. Breast reduction surgery can improve her health and her general outlook on life.  If she is in overall good health and understands the procedure and wishes to help herself, then she is a good candidate.  The woman who has smaller breasts than she would like and wants to improve personal appearance that she is otherwise happy with is a good candidate.

The woman who believes that her husband or boyfriend is unhappy with her appearance and is desperately trying every possible trick at her disposal to keep him is not a good candidate. Neither is the woman she is narcissistic and trying to make herself look twenty years younger than she is.  A good physician can recognize the danger signs of the candidate who is not considering surgery for the proper reasons and can recommend counseling for those who would benefit.

Sometimes people with low self-esteem will take desperate measures to try to do what they perceive will improve their appearance.  They are not people who should have permanent procedures like plastic surgery.