February 3, 2015
By Richard A. Baxter, M.D.
ThePlasticSurgeryChannel.com
Whether you are considering a facelift, breast augmentation, or Botox, you probably want a natural appearing result. Some assume that Botox always results in the frozen face, or that we need to accept our wrinkles as a badge of graceful aging; others may think that breast implants are always big and obvious, or that facelifts are easy to spot because they appear overly pulled and tight. But the truth is, as it has always been, that the best work looks natural. Some people seem to have a knack for finding this balance between too much and not enough, just as Goldilocks was able to find the porridge of just the right temperature and the bed that wasn’t too soft or too hard (even if she couldn’t comprehend the subtleties of trespassing and burglary.) The best way to get natural results is based on a balanced and individualized approach.
The Key to Balanced Results
Techniques to achieve the more balanced look are becoming ever more sophisticated. With facelifts, for example, there is more emphasis on 3D shaping than on pulling, so as to avoid the dreaded ‘wind tunnel’ look. These improvements may be hard to discern with all the attention given to the extreme cases, though you may not be seeing it because the whole idea is to keep it under the radar. I know of several husbands who are oblivious to their spouse’s secret Botox habit (Does she or doesn’t she? Only your plastic surgeon knows for sure, and I’ll never tell.)
Another example is breast augmentation where there is a wide array of implant shapes and sizes so that a selection matching the individual situation can be optimized. Customized analysis and individualizing the approach is the key to achieving the balanced result. (Meanwhile, franchise operations based on cookie cutter techniques are cropping up across the country like so many fast food joints.)
Making the Right Choices
Finally, a big part of making good choices is knowing what your goals are. Be honest about your expectations when discussing them with your plastic surgeon. Be involved with the choices, especially decisions about implant size for breast augmentation. Be wary of claims that seem too good to be true, like laser lipo as an alternative to tummy tuck; sometimes the bigger operation actually gives the more refined result. And that’s no fairy tale.
