Cosmetic Surgery - Know the Pros and Cons Before Committing

It's easy to get excited about cosmetic surgery if you have problem areas you would like to improve. On the other hand, it's easy to get caught up reading horror stories and talk yourself out of a procedure that could have had some positive effects. To make an informed decision, you need a balance of viewpoints. Your doctor, no matter how competent and experience he is, has a conflict of interest. He doesn't make money by talking you out of it. Those who made bad decisions about their procedures may downplay their own role in the horror stories they tell. What you need is unbiased information. Here are the pros and cons you need to consider.

The Risks

Any operation comes with risks, even as rare as they may be. Still, when it comes to cosmetic surgery, you're not dealing with risks because the alternative would be to die from a degenerative condition. You're not dealing with them because you would have to live in pain otherwise. You're dealing with risks because you want to look better. Is that an appropriate reason to take a risk of this magnitude? Obviously, millions of people have answered that question in the affirmative. For you, the answer may be yes or no, but you should at least know the risks before making a decision either way, as well as what you can do to mitigate them.

Emotional Results

When considering cosmetic surgery, of course, you aren't looking for results that will improve your health (for the most part). You are looking for results that will make you feel better about yourself. If a person has heart surgery and everything goes as planned, they will have little reason to feel emotionally poor because of it. If a person gets breast implants and later laments the way it makes people react around her, it could engender depression. That said, studies have shown that most patients feel much better about themselves after having enhancement. Those with negative feelings typically had unrealistic expectations about the outcome.

Downtime

There are few forms of cosmetic surgery that don't come with at least some amount of downtime. This is something you must prepare for when making an appointment. Some of the more invasive procedures can take up to a month or more for the patient to heal sufficiently well to return to work. Others may be mostly healed within a week's time. Talk to your doctor about this downtime and make sure it won't have any effect on your ability to keep your job.