Reality TV, documentaries or specials on the very rich and famous and even your neighborhood gym are all sporting the new trend in plastic surgery.  From your garden variety face lift, to your re-do nose job, to liposuction, to breast lifts or breast augmentations to collagen injections to permanent eye makeup, plastic surgery is rivalling luxury cars as the number one gift item requested by many high school graduates around the country. 

And no wonder…..plastic surgery is everywhere!  Plastic surgery is no longer just for the celebrities or for the super-rich.  Now young adults who want to get ahead in the fashion, entertainment or even business world are paying thousands of dollars to fix their crooked nose, straighten their teeth or even make their “assets” more noticeable.

Whatever the case may be, ask yourself these 5 simple questions before embarking on the road to plastic surgery….because for some people…once you start on the road of plastic surgery and begin changing this feature or trying to fix that flaw, you’ll literally find innumerable ways to spend more money and more time under the knife to create that image of the perfect you. 

So before making that appointment to see the plastic surgery ask yourself these 5 simple questions:

1.  Do I know why I want to get plastic surgery?  It’s okay to give a selfish answer.  In reality a purely selfish answer is usually the most honest one.  You may want to get rid of that ugly reminder that you’ve gained and lost over 60 pounds during the course of your pregnancies and want to get rid of that lower abdominal pouch that just won’t go away no matter how many situps or crunches you do.  Or it may be to correct that awful nasal bridge that’s been broken so many times during practice or competition.  Be honest and really think about why you want to change the way you look.

2.  Can I afford to have this procedure done?  Most insurance companies do not cover cosmetic plastic surgery.  If you’re in an accident and sustained an injury or you’ve undergone a surgical procedure to remove a tumor or an infected area of your body that’ll require the expertise of a plastic surgeon…like a skin graft, reconstructive surgery after a mastectomy for breast cancer or an amputation or excision for an infection…then your insurance company will likely cover this procedure.  But for the elective rhinoplasty (nose job), liposuction, etc….the expense is all yours.  So before taking out a second mortgage on the house….find out how much the procedure…and recovery…will take.

3.  Is my plastic surgeon Board Certified in Plastic Surgery?  Do your research.  Find out if the plastic surgeon doing your procedure is Board Certified.  In order to be Board Certified in any specialty recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialities your doctor must pass a vigorous series of examinations and demonstate a high proficiency in performing certain standard surgical procedures.  It takes years of hard training and dedication to get Board Certified and to remain Board Certified.  And the next question to ask yourself is….

4.  Have I spoken to any satisfied patients….friends, colleagues or family members….who recommend my plastic surgeon?  Get references.  Ask your doctor if he or she has any patients that you could talk to about their experiences.  Talk to other patients while in the waiting room to get a better feel about their experiences.  Don’t be afraid to ask questions.  Find a plastic surgeon that will be open with you about the risks of the procedure, what you can expect in terms of any pain or discomfort after the procedure and discuss with your doctor your concerns. 

And lastly, ask yourself:

5.  Do I fully understand the risks involved with the procedure and still want to go ahead?  Understand the informed consent.  Before giving your consent for any procedure know….and I mean really know…all the risks involved.  From the risk of general anesthesia, infection, bleeding to your complication risk….truly understand that any surgical procedure no matter how minor it appears or seems, still has some risk involved.  So be an informed consumer and customer. 

Once you’ve answered YES to all 5 questions, then you’re ready to take that next step.  But it’s okay if you never get to this point.  If you’re content with what you have, with what you’re able to change with diet and exercise then I congratulate you.  But if you want more, if you want fast results, then take the time to ask these 5 simple but important questions so you’ll have a pleasant experience….and avoid being on the next primetime news special entitled “Plastic Surgery Gone Wrong.”

To your wellness,

The Health and Wellness Queen

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 7th, 2007 at 11:16 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.