Common cosmetic and plastic surgery questions answered

There are certain myths which surround cosmetic surgery of the face which should be dispelled. When performed by an experienced, well trained surgeon, cosmetic surgery can restore the face to a more youthful, natural appearance. Unfortunately, facial cosmetic surgery can also change a person’s identity and cause significant harm. There are myths surrounding facial cosmetic surgery which must be dispelled.

I will look different after a facelift surgery.

When performed correctly, face lift procedures will create a more youthful appearing face. It will correct the sagging and loss of facial fat which occurs with age. Though any incision made in the skin will leave a scar, appropriately placed incisions with minimal tension will not leave identifiable scars. Patients will be able to return to normal activities and friends and colleagues will be non the wiser.

I will look pulled or stretched after face lift surgery.

Absolutely not. If performed correctly, it is nearly impossible to create a pulled or stretched – ‘windblown’ – look after face lift surgery. The goal of surgery is to reposition tissue which has fallen with time and the effects of gravity. Unfortunately, if attention is not paid to the deeper tissues as well as the skin, a pulled or stretched look can be obtained. A knowledgeable surgeon should be able to easily avoid an unnatural appearance.

My eyes will not look like my culture.

While it is true that certain ethnicities have certain eyelid features, an experienced surgeon should be able to identify those features and preserve them after surgery. Again, it is important to talk with a surgeon who is able to identify those issues before surgery and has the knowledge and training to deal with them during surgery.

If I have a nose job (rhinoplasty) I can get someone else’s nose.

It is important to understand that a rhinoplasty result is always limited by the underlying anatomy of the person.  While you may think that a prominent actor or actress’s nose would look good on you, remember that you still need to breathe through your nose after surgery.  Again, it is important that you and your physician talk extensively before surgery about the goals for the operation and the physician is able to demonstrate that function as well as beauty are goals for after the operation. You can create the prettiest nose in the world, but if you can’t breathe out of it, it is useless.

If a plastic surgeon does my surgery there won’t be a scar.

This is probably one of the biggest misconceptions that is faced on a daily basis. Unfortunately any time that the skin is cut, a scar will form. The advantage that the surgeon trained in plastic surgery has is that they know where incisions can be made to hide the scar and how to close incisions so that scars are minimized. A good facial plastic surgeon can perform surgery on any part of the face and hide scars in such a way that even a patient’s hair stylist will have difficulty telling that they had surgery.

For more information about facial plastic and cosmetic surgery, visit Dr. Verret on the web or call for a consultation at 972.608.0100.