Plastic surgery – whether cosmetic or reconstructive – encourages and promotes a strong, positive self-image. Evan a small change on the outside can create an extraordinary change on the inside, allowing an individual’s self-confidence to flourish.
Because the changes resulting from plastic surgery are often dramatic and permanent, it’s important that you have a clear understanding of how surgery might make you feel – long before a procedure is scheduled.
If you are considering plastic surgery, you must be honest with yourself. Exactly why do you want surgery? And, what are your goals for surgery – what do you expect plastic surgery to do for you?
There are two categories of patients who are good candidates for surgery. The first includes patients with a strong self-image, who are bothered by a physical characteristic that they’d like to improve or change. After surgery, these patients feel good about the results and maintain a positive image about themelves.
The second category includes patients who have a physical defect or cosmetic flaw that has diminished their self-esteem over time. These patients may adjust rather slowly after surgery, as rebuilding confidence take tie. However, as they adjust, these patients’ self image is strengthened, sometimes dramatically.
Not everyone is an appropriate candidate for plastic surgery, despite physical indications which are ideal for any given procedure. Experienced plastic surgeons can usually identify troubled patients during a consultation. Sometimes, plastic surgeons will decline to operate on these individuals. Other times, they may recommend psychological counseling to ensure that the patient’s desire for an appearance change isn’t part of an emotional problem that no amount of surgery can fix. If your plastic surgeon recommends counseling for you, feel free to ask your surgeon how he or she expects the sessions to help you.