Part 2 of a 2 part series

 

It wasn’t that long ago that most people felt the need to hide the fact that they had a cosmetic procedure. Fortunately, times have changed and the topic can now be discussed much more openly. In our last blog, we talked about the type of options that are available. In part 2, we want to talk about what you should consider before you decide whether it’s the right solution for you. And we want to provide some resources that can help you make the right decision.

 

Why are you getting cosmetic surgery?

That question may seem fairly obvious and many of you are rolling your eyes right now thinking “well, uh I don’t like the way that I look anymore”. Fair enough. However, if you are doing it because you have other problems in your life that you think will miraculously go away, you are probably going to be disappointed. Unfortunately, no procedure is going to save a failing relationship or completely change your social life. That said, it can give you a boost of confidence and help jumpstart other changes.

 

Be realistic

Look, we have all seen celebrities that claim they just use the right moisturizer and get a good night’s sleep and they have perfect skin as a result! That may be true if they are 25, but at 60 most us need a little more than a good anti-aging cream. However, having a cosmetic procedure isn’t going to roll back the clock completely and it is important to be realistic. The goal is to look like the best version of yourself at your current age. If you want to look like you did at 28, then you may have to use a time machine rather than settle for a cosmetic procedure.

 

Allow time for recovery

Although you often hear the claims that this “won’t hurt at all” and “there is little to no downtime”, that is not necessarily 100% accurate. First of all, Botox, fillers and lasers usually cause some discomfort and surgery is certainly going to have some pain associated with it. It doesn’t mean that you can’t get through it. It just means you probably shouldn’t plan on going on a vacation to the Caribbean or schedule a first date with someone until your body has some time to heal. If you cannot tolerate pain at all, then you might want to rethink whether any of these options are right for you.

 

Do your research

There are lots of medical professionals that can administer fillers and Botox but it doesn’t necessarily mean they have the eye for it. Part of the challenge with getting fillers is that you might be fixing one problem only to be creating another one in the process. It’s important to find someone that looks at you holistically and considers your bone structure and your expressions and is committed to keeping your look as natural as possible. You don’t want to look like a statue because all the movement on your face has been frozen.

 

While aging can be difficult, we are fortunate to live in a time where there are more options than ever to help us look and feel better. It was not that long ago that women were considered “over the hill” after 40. Luckily, that has changed dramatically. Soon, 80 will be the new 40!

 

Resources to help you research your best option:

 

Patient Resources

https://www.webmd.com/beauty/cosmetic-surgery-are-you-good-candidate

https://www.plasticsurgery.org/cosmetic-procedures

https://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/default.htm

 

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