Plastic Surgery: Is There Right or Wrong Reasons?

People have LOTS of reasons for getting plastic surgery. Maybe they want to erase a deformity that can cause emotional upset, or perhaps fix an appearance after massive weight loss. Whatever the reason, it varies from patient to patient. But, there can be right and not so right reasons for seeking a change through a cosmetic procedure.

The end result should always be about making the patient feel better with a natural, more youthful look.

I Feel Young and I Want to Look Young

The start of a new year can be the best time to opt for a change. Last year, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), the number of plastic surgery procedures increased by 2%. Nearly six million cosmetic procedures were performed, with breast augmentation topping the list. Experts say leading the “reason why” is a feeling people have about wanting to look as young as they feel.

“Often people come in and they have a feeling of vitality in their soul and they see that changing over time in the mirror,” says Dr. Steven Camp, a board certified plastic surgeon in Fort Worth. “They look at themselves in the mirror and they go, ‘that’s not me, that’s not the person I remember. I feel different than this.'”

Acceptable Reasons For Surgery

There is privacy surrounding plastic surgery for a reason – patients don’t want to be judged about what procedure they are picking and why. It’s no one’s business but your own what surgery you have nor if you should have it, as long as your surgeon is on the same page and agrees.

Most reputable plastic surgeons agree there are lines that shouldn’t be crossed when it comes to saying yes or no to a patient. It may be difficult to turn down a request, but a doctor may deny a procedure if it is deemed improper or even dangerous. Let’s run through just a couple of reasons for getting a procedure and if it’s acceptable.

You want to remove a birthmark from somewhere on your body that makes you unconscious. Yes, that is acceptable. Marks can make a person self-conscious and removing a birthmark can be very liberating.

Breast Augmentation for a teenager? This is not acceptable, according to most experts. There are some surgeons, under some circumstances who will perform this, but it has to be the right situation, with the right teenager. If it’s for an extreme deformity or breast reduction, these can be acceptable procedures.

Make a former boyfriend or husband jealous? This is never a good idea. Most experts say a patient usually doesn’t end up happy, because looking different and better was never the goal or the motivation. “I’ve had a couple of patients who came to see me, for plastic surgery thinking they will save their marriage,” said Dr. Ned Snyder, a board certified plastic surgeon in Austin.

Snyder says trying to impress someone else is never a good reason for plastic surgery. “In the case with the married woman, she didn’t do it for herself, so she was crazy if she thought it would save her marriage. In the end she didn’t want bigger breasts, so she had plastic surgery for the wrong reason.”

Doctor Approved

Plastic surgery should be 100% about the patient and making the patient feel better. Ultimately, a cosmetic procedure should never create any NEW problems and that means a surgeon may have to say NO. “If their expectations don’t match their body, or their mindset is wrong, we won’t help them,” says Dr. Robert Whitfield, also of Austin. “It’s just not in anyone’s best interest to do the surgery.”