When we look in the mirror and we don’t like what we see, our deepest vulnerabilities rise to the surface. We are embarrassed. Our self-confidence takes a hit. We run to the store and buy the biggest container of Chunky Monkey ice cream we can find and swear to never leave our home again until our stomach magically becomes flat and our breasts are made full and perky again without the help of Victoria Secret. In your heart, you truly believe that there is no one who could possibly understand the anguish you feel.
Fortunately, the isolation you feel is not a reality. Many women feel the same way that you do about their bodies. I think it is safe to say that most women have some hang-up about their body. It is this simple fact that leads a lot of women to seek out a female plastic surgeon. They want someone who has had children and relates to the havoc pregnancy has on a body, or someone who can see past our bravado and sincerely comprehend our fear and grief over the loss of our breasts to cancer.
We understand the struggle. Choosing the right plastic surgeon is a big deal. That is why we wanted to introduce you to our board certified female plastic surgeon: Dr. Sheryl Young!
Dr. Young is one of the top female plastic surgeons in the Kansas City area, although she isn’t originally from the Midwest. Growing up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Dr. Young turned her focus to medicine after a high school science teacher suggested she pursue the profession. Dr. Young took this advice seriously and got to work. She began volunteering at a physical therapy office where she once again received confirmation that medicine would be a great career field for her.
After graduating from the Louisiana State University, she headed to Tulane Medical School, which was one of the Top 15 schools at that time. Tulane offered more advanced studies and she was first introduced to surgery while attending there. During her second year of medical school, Dr. Young was assigned to shadow a plastic surgeon. During that time, she fell in love with plastic surgery and decided to pursue it as a career.
After completing medical school and her general residency at the University of Kansas, Dr. Young attended the University of Texas Health Science Center where she was able to work with surgeons who were credited with designing the first breast implants. During her time at school, and later when she began practicing plastic surgery, Dr. Young was drawn to reconstructive surgery. During her plastic surgery residency, she was able to work with the MD Anderson Cancer Center and get a feel for cancer reconstruction.
As she has evolved over the years, Dr. Young has also found an interest in helping women with the process of aging. She loves to help women look younger and feel better about themselves. She enjoys taking that one thing that is preventing her patient from being their best and changing it for the better. When asked what she loves about plastic surgery, her answer is simple: “I love changing lives.”
This change is more than a flatter stomach or a few erased wrinkles. She explains it this way:
“I hope that after my patients recover, they forget they ever had plastic surgery at all! My hope is that they feel confident about how they look, they know their self-worth and they strive to reach their fullest potential. I hope they realize that they have the power to change their lives and the lives of others.”
Dr. Young is a board certified plastic surgeon and current president of the Kansas City Plastic Surgery Society. In her free time, she enjoys watching LSU football, spending quality time with her two children and volunteering in church ministry and at the KC Care Clinic.
The final message that Dr. Young wants to leave for potential patients is the key to a successful plastic surgery procedure.
“My advice to you is to find a highly trained board certified surgeon who you can communicate with and trust. Have realistic expectations and know that plastic surgery is more than just a chance to change your looks, it is an opportunity to change your life. It’s not all about the surgeon, it is about what the patient wants and how the patient feels.”
Dr. Young and all of her colleagues are board certified surgeons who are dedicated to the success of their patients. If you would like to schedule a consultation with one of our surgeons, please contact us today!