Health Matters: Why People Choose Plastic Surgery - Guest Post By Brigitte Evans

In 2015, cosmetic surgery in the United Kingdom went through quite a boom. However, in the year that followed, the number of people deciding for such procedures was at its lowest in this decade. There could be various reasons behind this, including economic uncertainty and the increased popularity of non-invasive treatments. One thing is still clear, while not as present as the year before, plastic surgery is still an important branch of medicine, and many people still decide to change their looks, whether for health or purely for aesthetics. So, let us see what drives people to go “under the knife”.

Reconstruction

One of the most frequent reasons for people choosing cosmetic surgery is returning certain features that were compromised. Reconstruction is usually done after accidents that have a serious impact on the patient’s face or body, or as a follow-up to another procedure. Common example of the latter situation is breast reconstruction after a mastectomy. Reconstructive surgery is not exclusively used on the face or physical assets. The procedure can be applied on joints too, or other areas of the body that pose health problems.

Improving health

Plastic surgery is often condemned as too “skin-deep” and mostly unnecessary, but that is not always the case. Many of these procedures are sometimes medically necessary to treat injuries or birth defects and improve the health or body function of the patient. Here are some procedures that can be prescribed due to health reasons:

●        Craniofacial surgery treats children born with facial anomalies.

●        Correction of a deviated septum is done to help people born with this problem breathe more easily and prevent sinus infections and heavy snoring.

●        Breast reduction is done when a person’s breast size isn’t proportionate to her body, which causes physical strain to her back and results in serious back and neck problems.

●        Eyelid procedures, such as blepharoplasty, are often medically necessary because they treat the skin that is hanging too low, preventing the person from seeing well.

Post-partum changes

Centuries ago mothers would have their babies and hope for the best when it comes to their body. Decades ago mothers would try to use some “miracle-working” products for stretch marks, saggy breasts and post-partum belly, and turn to exercising for a solution. While some of these “old ways” work in some cases, often they don’t, and there are some things, like sagging skin, that can’t be dealt with naturally. An effective solution is found in a combination of procedures called mummy makeover, which usually includes breast lift and/or augmentation and tummy tuck.

Enhancement

A lot of people choose to undergo plastic surgery to enhnce some of their existing features that, for some reason, can’t or are difficult to be corrected naturally. Usually that includes smaller changes, such as liposuction or removing excess skin after weight loss. Plastic surgery can also be used to remove some tiny scars, pump up one’s lips, raise cheekbones, or enhance some other part of body or facial feature the patient deems to be “not satisfactory enough”.

Self-confidence

The number of people suffering from low self-esteem these days is overwhelming. This can be attributed to body shaming, unrealistic body standards for both men and women in the media, or simply the ever-lasting desire of people to look better than they do. Plastic surgery is, in those cases, seen as a means to boost people’s confidence through altering their physical attributes. However, in these situations, there is a trap of surgery being misinterpreted as a sure road to increased self-confidence, when in fact it does not guarantee such results. When a patient is going “under the knife” with the goal of boosting their self-confidence, it is imperative to consult this decision with a psychologists and first get to the bottom of their low self-esteem.

Restoring youth

Time can be merciless and it often deprives us of what we love about ourselves. Before we stop and smell the roses, we catch our face full of wrinkles and age spots. Since it is impossible to stop it or go back, people turn to plastic surgery to turn back the hands of time, even if just a little bit. With that purpose, people can opt for a number of rejuvenating procedures.

There is no way of labelling plastic surgery as exclusively good or bad. When it is chosen for the right reasons and when the patient is mentally stable, it can definitely be good. 

Brigitte Evans is a Cosmetic Skin Care Consultant and a writer from Australia, with a sweet tooth for makeup and everything sparkly. When she is not drooling over the next big thing in the beauty industry, she is reading mystery novels and making plans for her next trip. She is a proud aunt of Sophie, age 2 who rounded her Chanel lipstick but loves her anyway. Twitter/Facebook

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