Cosmetic Surgery Popular Myths

Myth: A surgeon is a surgeon, so shop around for the cheapest one you can find.

This would be risky. There’s no mandated training for a general surgeon to hang out his shingle as a cosmetic surgeon. It would be wise to do some homework. Interview several and choose one who has credentials and certification by The American Board of Plastic Surgery.

When considering expense, remember:
A surgeon asking a low fee may well be offering less care or service
Your good health and appearance are precious, so why would you toss them into the hands of an unqualified person?
Acquiring and maintaining a high quality surgical facility is expensive, as is using the best anesthetics and instruments. These costs have to be figured into the surgical fees charged. You surely want the best for yourself.

Myth: All surgeries leave nasty scars.

Not true any more. Because of recent developments and inventions, incisions can be very small and placed in hard-to-see locations. The resulting scars are often virtually invisible.

Keep these points in mind too:
Scars take up to a year to fully heal
Different individuals have different scarring responses, partly dependent on genetics
A scar which heals up in a faulty way can often be corrected by follow-up surgery

Myth: Cosmetic surgery is for rich people, vain people, movie people.

Not true any more. With the recent proliferation of techniques and reduction of costs, many people can afford cosmetic surgery. Many plastic surgeons offer financing plans and that’s a question to ask potential cosmetic surgeons when you’re shopping around for one.

Myth: The latest cosmetic surgery technique must be the best one.

Not necessarily true. Innovations are constantly being tried, but to determine which technique is best, studies must be done over a period of time, on enough patients, then peer-reviewed and published in reputable journals. Publication leads to more surgeons trying it out, which leads to more results that can be further studied and in this way we arrive at more certain knowledge of which techniques work the best, and for which purposes.

Myth: Liposuction is an easy way to lose weight.

Not true. Any reputable surgeon will ask you to lose as much weight as you can first, so as to improve your overall health. That’s because all surgery brings some risk, and the better your health is to start with, the better the results will be.