Blog

Myths about plastic surgery are a dime a dozen. Almost everyone can tell you about a friend of a friend of a friend who experienced a nose job gone wrong–but only a medical professional can tell you the real facts about plastic surgery. Let’s start by clearing up these 10 myths about plastic surgery:
1) Only celebrities get plastic surgery.
We’ve all seen Meg Ryan’s nose on the cover of Star magazine. What Star won’t tell you is that twenty million other people got plastic surgery in the same year. Some are regular people who have always wished they had a stronger chin or smaller breasts. And then there are exceptional cases: breast cancer survivors who get implants to restore what cancer took from them, children who undergo surgery to treat a cleft palete that makes them feel uncomfortable among their peers, men who have lost a hundred pounds and need help trimming the excess skin. These are the true faces of plastic surgery!
2) Only women get plastic surgery.
While it’s true that the majority of plastic surgery operations are performed on women, plastic surgery for men is growing in popularity. Society is waking up to the fact that men have beauty ideals and body insecurities too. Anti-aging procedures, like Botox and hair transplants, are particularly popular with men, as are weight loss treatments.
3) Plastic surgery is dangerous.
All surgeries come with a risk, but plastic surgery is actually on the low-end of the danger scale. Most plastic surgery procedures are superficial; they don’t involve exposing or manipulating critical internal organs. Many procedures, like Botox, SlimLipo, Coolsculpting, and laser hair removal, don’t even require general anesthesia.
4) Plastic surgery makes you look like a Barbie doll.
Many patients are worried that the results of their surgery will be unrealistic, or, to use a common phrase, “Everyone will know I’ve had work done!” Not so. Plastic surgeons are trained to see your body as a unique work of art. Any change that a surgeon makes will be designed to fit the natural proportions of your body and to flatter your best features.
5) The results of plastic surgery are instantaneous.
Unfortunately, you won’t wake up from plastic surgery looking picture perfect. Even the most immediate of operations (like liposuction, which literally vacuums fat out of your body) might not show up the same day, since you might experience swelling during your recovery from surgery. Then there are some procedures, like Coolsculpting and medical dermatology, that take time to affect your body. Always ask your surgeon how much time you should set aside for recovery and delayed effects before you make plans to show off your new body!
6) Plastic surgery is forever.
Your body changes with time. That’s true before and after plastic surgery. Liposuction won’t last long if you follow it up with a diet of junk food, and getting a face lift when you’re fifty doesn’t mean you will be wrinkle-free at eighty. However, your surgeon will give you recommendations to extend the results of your surgery. If you follow these guidelines, you can look forward to years of improvement.
7) Only lazy people use plastic surgery for weight loss.
Not true at all. Most patients have already worked hard to lose massive amounts of weight before they visit the plastic surgeon’s office. Operations like liposuction and body contouring usually target small, stubborn fat deposits like love handles or “mom arms,” while more serious procedures, like a tummy tuck, are usually performed on people who have already lost weight and need help getting rid of the excess skin.
8) Plastic surgery leaves ugly scars.
Plastic surgeons are trained to make their incisions as small as possible and to place them in discrete areas, behind the ear or under the panty line, for example. While radical surgeries will leave some scars, the scars will be placed so that they’re never seen in public!
9) Women who have breast implants can’t breastfeed.
During the breast augmentation procedure, your surgeon will be careful not to damage your milk ducts and to arrange them around the implant so that breastfeeding is still easy and natural. Few women have problems breastfeeding after breast augmentation.
10) Plastic surgery will break the bank.
With the advance of technology, costs associated with plastic surgery have actually been declining in recent years. Today, minor procedures like Botox or laser hair removal may cost you less than a new cell phone!
If you’re considering plastic surgery, don’t let myths get in the way of your body goals. Call one of our professionals at Associated Plastic Surgeons. We’re always here to listen and share our knowledge with you.