Why you should think twice before having plastic surgery

When I was a teenager, I thought about having a nose job. My ancestors are English, and some of us in my family have noses that are a bit sharp.
 
My family, however, could barely afford braces for our teeth, so cosmetic surgery was out of the question.
 
When I was a junior in college, a woman I knew had a nose job. She had a Roman nose; it was acceptable looking on her brothers, but not her, she thought. The problem with her plastic surgery; her bobbed nose didn’t look right with her chin. That’s when I began to have doubts about cosmetic surgery.
 
When I worked as a correspondent for The Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Wash., I met a woman who worked for one of the courts I visited daily. She was dating a man whose wife had died in a doctor’s office during a nose job. That clinched it for me; I wasn’t going to take the chance on an elective surgery that wasn’t a medical necessity.
 
My advice to boomer consumers about cosmetic surgery: Think twice before you go under the knife.
 
Gather information about what will be done

Do research about the procedure. Make sure you are realistic about what the procedure can do. Prepare a list of questions to ask during the first visit. Take notes carefully or have a friend go with you to write everything down.
 
Consider the costs and recovery time and compare prices. Don’t have cosmetic surgery to meet someone else’s expectations, if your life is stressful, or if you’re depressed.

Find a good surgeon

Select a qualified cosmetic surgeon who is experienced in the procedure and is certified by his or her specialty by an appropriate board recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialists, recommends MayoClinic.com in its Web page “Cosmetic Surgery: What to Know Beforehand.”
  
Ask your general practitioner and your friends for suggestions on surgeons. Get references from the surgeon and call his or her patients to see what they have to say about their procedure and working with the surgeon.
 
You’ll likely be happier with your surgery the more closely you work with your surgeon to establish specific, measurable, and achievable goals before surgery, the article suggests.

Learn about possible side effects

All of the usual surgical risks apply if you have plastic surgery, the article states. You have a higher risk of developing complications such as pneumonia, stroke, heart attack, and blood clots in the legs or lungs, if you have cardiovascular disease or lung disease, or if you’re obese.

The Mayo Clinic article reports other possible surgical complications include:

• Nausea, dizziness, and pain.

• Numbness and tingling.

• An accumulation of clear fluid beneath the wound.

• A collection of blood beneath the closed incision.

• Skin breakdown

• Bleeding requiring a transfusion

• Infection at the site of surgery.

• A drop in body temperature.

Be aware plastic surgery is a growing business

Almost 12 million cosmetic plastic surgery procedures were performed in 2007 – a 7 percent increase from 2006 and a 59 percent increase from 2000, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Also, 5.1 million reconstructive plastic surgery procedures were performed last year.
 
The top five surgical procedures were:

• Breast augmentation – 348,000, up 6 percent.

• Liposuction – 302,000, unchanged.

• Nose reshaping – 285,000, down 7 percent.

• Eyelid surgery – 241,000, up 3 percent.

• Tummy tuck – 148,000, up 1 percent.

Minimally invasive cosmetic procedures rose by nine percent, to nearly 10 million procedures. Hyaluronic acid fillers – Restylane®, Hylaform®, Hylaform Plus®, and JuvedermTM – jumped from fifth most popular in 2006 to second most popular in 2007.

The top five minimally invasive procedures were:

• Botox® – 4.6 million, up 13 percent from 2006.

• Hyaluronic acid fillers – 1.1 million, up 35 percent.

• Chemical peel – 1 million, down 4 percent.

• Laser hair removal – 906,000, up 2 percent.

• Microdermabrasion – 897,000, up 10 percent.

Baby boomers are adding skin and body lift procedures in increasing numbers. Since 2005 for people ages 40 to 54, thigh lifts increased 27 percent, lower body lifts increased 24 percent, upper arm lifts increased 23 percent, thread (face) lifts increased 22 percent, breast lifts increased 11 percent, and tummy tucks increased 7 percent. 

Review these articles for more information

In addition to the Mayo Clinic article, here are resources to review if you're considering cosmetic surgery:

“Think Twice Before Going Under the Knife” – City A.M.
  
“The 15 Worst Celebrity Plastic Surgery Disasters You Will Ever See” – The Top Socialite
  
“Think Twice Before Liposuction” – News-Medical.Net
 
“12 Reasons Not to Have Plastic Surgery” – Plastic Surgery in Los Angeles

“Thinking About Permanent Makeup? Think Twice” – MySkinCareConnection.com

“Higher Risk of Death From Liposuction Than Car Crashes” – Cosmetic Surgery Bible
 
“Donda West Dies Following Plastic Surgery, Had ‘Multiple Procedures,’ Was Refused By One Surgeon” – The Huffington Post
 
“Adventures in Plastic Surgery” – Slate
  
“Finding A Plastic Surgeon” – consumeraffairs.com

Copyright 2008, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Comments

[breast enlargement]

I just turned 50 and was recently divorced. Breast Gain Plus (fomer name of Breast Actives) helped me to make the single life transition and feel good about myself again. My breasts are bigger and firmer than ever and I want to tell every girl out there that Breast Actives made the difference!.
_________________________________
http://www.nice-remedies.com

[Frank]

Ask your general practitioner and your friends for suggestions on surgeons. Get references from the surgeon and call his or her patients to see what they have to say about their procedure and working with the surgeon.

[Rita]

Thank you for your suggestions on how to pick out a plastic surgeon.

Rita

[ontario dermatologists]

Thank you so much for bringing up this i will apply those tips for sure.

sphin

[Rita]

Yes, it's a great idea to "look before you leap" in thinking about plastic surgery.

Here are the statistics for plastic surgery for 2008 from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

Men and Women of All Ages Nipped and Tucked Less in 2008

Overall, women had 92 percent of cosmetic procedures in 2008. The number of surgical and nonsurgical procedures performed on women was more than 9.3 million, a decrease of 11 percent from 2007. Surgical procedures performed on women decreased by 15 percent in 2008, while nonsurgical procedures decreased by 11 percent.

Men had approximately eight percent of cosmetic procedures in 2008, with the number of total procedures (both surgical and nonsurgical) decreasing by more than 22 percent from 2007.

People aged 35 to 50 underwent the most cosmetic work in 2008: 4.6 million procedures, or 45 percent of the total procedures performed. The top surgical procedure in this age group? Liposuction. The top nonsurgical procedure? Botox injections.

People aged 51 to 64 had 26 percent of the cosmetic surgery procedures in 2008. The most popular surgical procedure in this group? Eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty). The most popular nonsurgical procedure? Botox injections.

People aged 19 to 34 had 22 percent of the cosmetic surgery procedures in 2008. The most popular surgical procedure in this group? Breast augmentation. The most popular nonsurgical procedure? Laser hair removal

Senior citizens aged 65 and older had six percent of cosmetic surgery procedures in 2008.

Teens aged 18 or younger had less than two percent of the cosmetic surgery procedures in 2008.

Among the teen set, the two most popular procedures were laser hair removal and nose job (rhinoplasty).

Traditional racial and ethnic minorities accounted for 20 percent of all cosmetic procedures in 2008. Hispanics had eight percent of the procedures, followed by African-Americans (six percent), Asians (four percent) and other non-Caucasians (two percent).

See http://www.yourplasticsurgeryguide.com/trends/charts-graphs-2008.htm for details.

Rita

[permanent make up]

These are great tips. Often times people just jump into plastic surgery without really doing the research.

[Casey Johns]

What, exactly, is a "bobbed nose"?
Can anyone share a reference? ...preferably to a source with photographs or sketches.
I ask, because I can find no references, in paper libraries or on the internet. Well, nothing except the following, which is obviously satire.
http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Katherine_Harris
Or the following, which hints that a bobbed nose is attractive, but gives no reason why.
http://www.nytimes.com/1990/12/13/garden/parent-child.html?pagewanted=1
Further, I vaguely remember the news media discussing a fad, back in the 1960s, for women to get cosmetic surgery, to acquire a bobbed nose.
Casey

[Rita]

Hi Casey,

I think a bobbed nose is a general term from the 1950s and 60s that meant having plastic surgery on your nose to make it smaller.

Rita

[Jack]

IMHO, as a man, those breast implants are so fake looking that they are completely unattractive. I'd rather that women go with soft and natural, as mother nature intended. Of course, if it makes a woman feel better, it should be her decision to go ahead and get the implants. But I gotta wonder why so many women think that their natural shape is unattractive cuz it is not as firm and symmetric as their bra cups. Ladies... it is the bra cup that is unnatural and unattractive. Bras are intentionally designed for the purpose of showing a modest and bland appearance, with none of that fascinating droop, jiggle, or bounce. Makes you look like a sexless space alien girl. LOL! Of course, in a business, professional, or religious situation, modesty is good! But in other more personal and intimate settings, those abnormally firm and symmetric shapes are... well... positively alien-ating.

[Terry Bayer]

Hmm, the woman in your story probably doesn't get a true surgeon. It is really important to have a good specialist to touch your body. True enough, thinking twice should be done in finalizing your decision. That's why you should do your research. You can also ask a surgeon on the appropriate procedure to do. Have the decision well-done. Good luck! :)

[Christina L]

It is highly recommended to select a qualified cosmetic surgeon who is experienced in the procedure and is certified by his or her specialty by an appropriate board recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialists.
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http://www.cosmeticspecialist.ca