12 Common Myths about Cosmetic Surgery
Cosmetic surgery is not something to be taken lightly, nor is it something that should be done on impulse or on a whim. If you are considering cosmetic surgery, make sure you put the time and effort needed into researching and believing 100% that the work you want done is for you.
However, whilst cosmetic surgery does require a lot of thought and pre-planning, this isn’t necessarily because there are a multitude of risks involved; in fact, in most cases there aren’t. The planning and research stage is to make sure that you are completely comfortable with the changes that will occur and to have absolute confidence in the cosmetic surgeon who will perform your chosen procedure. After all, you will be altering the way you look, possibly forever.
So we’ve put together 12 of the top cosmetic surgery myths, and dispelled them all!
- Any surgeon can perform cosmetic surgery if they want to!
Well, yes, this is technically true – but would you rather a general surgeon perform your procedure or one that is a specialist consultant. According to Dr Jeremy Hunt, an experienced and qualified plastic surgeon based in Sydney, it’s legal for many medical practitioners, including nurses, to administer Botox. However, he comments that qualified and experienced surgeons are much better placed to give you the results you want.
- Having breast implants means I can’t breast feed my baby!
Entirely false. While it’s possible for tiny parts of silicone to leak into your breast milk, according to top research, it’s nowhere near enough to cause any harm to your baby. According to the Institute of Medicine, it’s so safe that they actively encourage women with breast implants to breast feed their babies.
- Botox stops you from smiling, frowning, or using any facial muscles!
This is only correct if too much Botox is administered, and so long as you do your research and visit a cosmetic surgeon with excellent reviews, education and professional knowledge, this won’t happen. Botox is designed to smooth wrinkles and fine lines by partially freezing facial muscles, without compromising any show of emotions. Too much Botox can temporarily freeze the muscles completely. However, this is very, very rare.
- Okay, so Botox is fine, but what about fillers?
Permanent fillers are usually a no-go, they do not age well with a patient and have a ‘good looking’ life span of 1-2 years. Temporary fillers that need topping up every so often are far more effective, healthier and easier as you can simply stop getting them when the ageing process eventually catches up with you!
- I want to lose weight but don’t want to go to the gym or diet. I’ll just get liposuction!
A cosmetic surgeon will ask you to lose as much weight as you physically can before performing liposuction. The reason for this is because the results will be so much better, the healthier and fitter you are. So no, cosmetic surgeons do not perform liposuctions as a quick fix for patients who have no desire to exercise or diet; health and safety always come first.
- But I’m a man. Cosmetic surgery is for women!
Actually, in a recent survey, 83% of men said that their personal appearance has a big part to play in socialising, relationships and their career. Therefore, more men than ever are having cosmetic surgery – it’s not just for women!
- Cosmetic surgery is something reserved for celebrities and rich people
It’s never been easier – or cheaper – to get cosmetic surgery than it is today. Most cosmetic surgery clinics will offer you a finance plan based on the procedure you want. Conversely, many clinics also offer what has become widely known as ‘lunchtime lifts’ – face lifts or quick treatments that can be carried out during your lunch break. These treatments are quick, affordable and easily accessible, and although every cosmetic surgery procedure has a recovery time, they’re generally a lot shorter than some of the other, more time consuming procedures.
- Cosmetic surgery is incredibly vain; nobody likes an over-confident self-lover!
People want to feel good about themselves, to feel attractive and confident, to give them the self-esteem they need to go wherever they want to go in life. Sometimes nature, age and genetics intervene creating overly wrinkled skin due to excessive exposure to the sun or age, or you may have a larger nose than you would like, problems that without cosmetic surgery, are otherwise irreversible. Only a cosmetic surgeon has the skill to turn back time as we age. Vanity is not the main driving force behind the popularity of aesthetic plastic surgery since many people rely on how they look to enhance their self-confidence, and cosmetic surgery can help with that.
- Cosmetic surgeons will work on anyone as long as they get money for it
Cosmetic surgeons, just like any other surgeons, have a duty to provide care and only to do what is right for the patient. A cosmetic surgeon will have no problem turning a patient away if they are unhealthy or do not fit the strict criteria for cosmetic surgery. Surgeons also need to be sure that patients will abide by pre and post-surgery rules, so all patients must be mature and capable of handling and knowing the risks, healing times and outcomes of the surgery. Cosmetic surgeons will not operate if they don’t believe the patient can handle all aspects of it.
- Cosmetic surgery speeds up the ageing process, so what’s the point?
Well, actually, it doesn’t. For example, after a face lift, the skin will continue to age naturally at a normal rate. This is why some people have multiple face lifts, because they get to have a youthful, vibrant appearance all over again.
- I don’t want unsightly scars all over my body!
Cosmetic surgery has become so advanced over recent years that nowadays, surgeons can perform most procedures without creating huge scars. Surgeons will, where possible, make an entry point for surgery somewhere that can’t be seen or can be easily covered up. Scars are usually quite small and not noticeable after the healing process.
- But surely people will notice I’ve had cosmetic surgery?
The whole concept of cosmetic surgery is to change something aesthetically about yourself without anyone else knowing. An ‘over-operated’ look is not pretty, and not something we want to strive for when it comes to our appearance. Nobody should be able to tell you’ve had surgery unless you tell them.
Cosmetic surgery is not something to be taken lightly, but if you are considering it, be sure you research, research, research – it really cannot be stressed enough. These top 12 myths should have given you a little more insight into the world of cosmetic surgery but if you need help, do not hesitate to ask a potential cosmetic surgeon all the questions you can think of before making a decision about any procedure – yes, even the silly questions!
This feature was written by Hannah Matthews, specialist health and beauty writer, from Sydney.
