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Sparkle (1)
We all want to be fiscally responsible, but there are some things that we should not bargain-shop for. Plastic surgery is one such thing.
The conversation surrounding plastic surgery today is a heated one, the negative aspects of it largely fed by images of surgery-obsessed celebrities in the media and demeaning programs like Bridalplasty, where brides-to-be compete against one another with different procedures as the prize, and which seriously transgress against the American Society of Plastic Surgeons’ code of ethics (§2.I.K: “The member participates in a charity raffle, fund raising event, contest or other promotion in which the prize is any procedure”).
Plastic surgery is much more than these images; beyond the cosmetic, plastic surgery assists with the reconstruction of lost or missing tissue and the treatment of congenital malformations. While many may draw a line between acceptable forms of plastic surgery (reconstructive, for instance, over surgeries performed purely for the purpose of enhancement), citing a growing national preoccupation with an impossible beauty ideal as the result of the availability of cosmetic enhancement procedures, the fact remains that many of us will consider at least one of the 9,336,814 plastic procedures available today.
According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons’ Report of the 2010 Plastic Surgery Statistics, more than 18 million plastic surgery procedures were performed last year. The top five surgical cosmetic procedures were breast augmentation (296,203 performed in 2010), nose jobs (252,261), eyelid surgery (208,764), liposuction (203,106), and tummy tucks (116,352). The top five non-invasive procedures were Botox (5,379,360), soft tissue fillers (Restylane, collagen, fat, etc.; 1,773,328), chemical peel (1,144,865), laser hair removal (937,602), and microdermabrasion (824,706).
I am one of them. I don’t believe striving to look my best makes me shallow. I am a complete, multi-faceted person, a full package -– and my body is a part of that. In the same way that I feel the upkeep of my apartment is a reflection of my mental state, so too is the way I look a reflection of my attitude toward myself -- and in that sense, I don’t see a cosmetic procedure as being that different from a diet or a workout routine.
What does concern me -– as it does with diets and workouts -– is the lack of understanding of the effects procedures may have on the body. It is very important to do research about the procedure you wish to have and educate yourself about potential risks. This is why I am concerned about the incidence of parties where injectibles are made readily available to attendees, where it is easy to get caught up in the moment without taking the time to consider the procedure carefully, or get to know the provider dispensing it.
This is the second most important thing to consider when you’re thinking about any cosmetic procedure: It’s not enough to be well-versed in the procedure, you need to pay attention to who your doctor is, as well. A consultation is excellent, but if you do not know the doctor, it is not a bad idea to ask or browse around to make sure that they regularly achieve good results performing the procedure that you want.
In order to get a few pointers from the other side on what to look for in a doctor, I contacted my surgeon, Dr. Simon Ourian, owner of the cosmetic plastic surgery practice Epione in Beverly Hills, California.
“Plastic surgery is not only technical skill and science,” Ourian told me. “It’s art. Anyone can become educated about products, procedures, treatments and theory –- and many doctors can legally perform many cosmetic procedures –- but in order to be a great cosmetic surgeon, you need an aesthetic understanding of the human body and practice, practice, practice. You need to find someone who achieves a consistent result with the procedure that you want. ”
He warns that often, people interested in cosmetic procedures think with their wallets more often than with their heads.
“It’s natural and smart to think about the financial burden of any procedure,” he said. “But this is risky if the financial concern causes a person to overlook a physician’s experience or track record. Choosing an inexperienced physician could end up costing you more in the long run if the procedure results in damage that needs to be corrected.”
I found Ourian a few years ago through friends whose opinions I trust and who had had similar procedures to the ones
