Plastic Surgery: The Five Biggest Misconceptions

Roughly 11 million cosmetic plastic surgery procedures were performed in the United States last year, up seven percent from 2005. And while minimally invasive procedures -- injections of Botox and wrinkle-fillers such as Restylane, for example -- are behind much of that increase, surgeries were also up. This is due in large part to the demand from 40-somethings who are finding that surgical procedures deliver more of the results they want.

According to Eleanor Barone, MD, an aesthetic plastic surgeon at Advanced Dermatology and The Center for Laser and Cosmetic Surgery in NY and Long Island, women ages 35 to 69 want their faces to look 13 years younger. They want to get rid of wrinkles and sagging skin.

If you're one of those women considering going under the knife, here are the five most common misconceptions about plastic surgery.

1. You won't get scars. In any type of surgery, Dr. Barone says, scarring takes place -- period. "When a surgeon cuts through the skin, the body will create scar tissue in that spot as it heals." Of course, scarring varies widely, depending on the procedure as well as the patient's skin type. It also can be affected by the way the patient takes care of her skin post-op. "Your doctor can give you specific advice on how to minimize scarring," Dr. Barone says. "But anyone who tells you that you won't get any scar at all after a surgical procedure isn't telling you the truth."

2. After plastic surgery, your face will look perfect. Realistically, you can expect a cosmetic surgery procedure to make you look younger. But you can't ask your surgeon to make you look like a completely different person. "We caution patients against looking for huge changes," says Dr. Barone. "You certainly can expect improvements, and those improvements can do a lot for your self-confidence," she says. "But plastic surgery can't restore your youth or turn you into a movie star."

3. The correction will last forever. Again, results vary among different procedures -- and different patients, Dr. Barone says. But the truth is that your face and body will continue to age after you have plastic surgery, just as it did before you saw your surgeon. "No operation can stop the aging process," says Dr. Barone. But what it can do, essentially, is to 'turn back the clock' by improving the most visible signs of aging. For example, a facelift involves removing excess skin, tightening the underlying muscles and fat, and repositioning the skin of your face and neck to resemble the way it looked when you were younger.

Today's facelift procedures produce even better results that a few years ago, she adds. In fact, there's new evidence that facial aging is not uniform, the simple result of gravity, as was earlier believed. "A study that was published this year found that the human face is made up of distinct fat compartments around our eyes, cheeks and forehead, each of which change individually to affect the way our faces age." These compartments gain and lose fat at different rates, she explains, creating sagging and wrinkling.

4. A "mini" facelift gives the same results as full facelift. Sorry -- this one is also untrue, says Dr. Barone. "Some people might tell you that you can achieve the results of a facelift -- technically called rhytidectomy surgery -- with a "mini facelift" or S-Lift (which describes the type of incision that is used). "A mini facelift rejuvenates the lower third of the face, including the jowls and neck, and can be appropriate for some patients. But it can't do as much for drooping skin as a full facelift can," Dr. Barone explains. Full facelifts also provide more lasting results, she says.

5. All aesthetic or cosmetic surgeons are plastic surgeons. Not true, says Dr. Barone.

I want to add one more thing.  Very few plastic surgeons are willing to tell you is just how painful the surgery can be.  Be sure to ask how long it will take to feel well.  Remember this is surgery and it takes time for your body to recover.

Comments

[Lois W. Stern]

Dr. Barone makes an important point in saying that any licensed physician, regardless of training, can legally perform plastic surgery and call himself a plastic or cosmetic surgeon. When I speak to women’s groups about cosmetic surgery, I often will read the following quote directly from my book:
“Would you want a board certified gynecologist or allergist to perform your cosmetic surgery? Of course not! But although only a handful of the twenty-four medical specialties recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) include any surgical training, legally any board certified physician is permitted to perform your cosmetic surgery.”
Can you guess why this is so? Read on:
“Managed care has ushered in some undesirable changes to the practice of medicine, including the rush of physicians from diverse specialties to suddenly transform themselves into plastic surgeons. Their motivation is clear: to bypass the managed care system and deal directly with the patient and her checkbook. Make no mistake about it, plastic surgery is a surgical specialty. Treat it as such. Don’t call in a plumber to fix your electrical wiring!”
Do your homework!
Lois W. Stern
Author of SEX, LIES AND COSMETIC SURGERY
http://www.sexliesandcosmeticsurgery.com