Plastic Surgery: 7 Myths Debunked

The internet overflows with myths and misconceptions surrounding plastic surgery.

But it’s important for patients to know the legitimate medical information before you even consider having any of the plastic surgery procedures. This is important now more than ever since millions and millions of people are having at least one plastic surgery procedure every year. 

In this article we will debunk seven of the most common myths and misconceptions about plastic surgery. Our aim is to help know what plastic surgery is and isn’t. 

Without further ado, let’s get straight into it. 

ALSO READ: IDEAL AGE FOR PLASTIC SURGERY

 

1. Plastic surgery is not for kids

False. If plastic surgery procedures were reserved for adults only, then many young people would be still having congenital disabilities. At a young age, people can still have plastic surgery for medical purposes or even for cosmetic reasons too.

However, there are some procedures which require one to be fully developed if the reason behind is to enhance the image. Let’s take Rhinoplasty for example, an ideal candidate for this procedure has to be having a fully developed nose.

This means that adulthood should kick in first. However, the nose job can still be performed on kids for medical reasons.

2. Plastic surgery is not for medical purposes

False. A quick search on Google about plastic surgery will show you thousands of facial pictures of people undergoing plastic surgery. Moreover, this is why plastic surgery procedures are hugely associated with the enhancement of the image.

Yes, plastic surgery does enhance cosmetic appearances, but they can be used for medical purposes too. For instance, the rhinoplasty (nose job) surgery, although it can be used to enhance the appearance of the nose, it can also be used to restore the nasal function to the fullest.

Studies have also shown that most breast augmentation surgeries are performed on breast cancer survivors. Other defects that can be corrected through plastic surgery include back pain, seeing and rebuilding cleft palates.

3. Plastic surgery is risky

False. Every medical procedure is risky when being conducted by inexperienced hands. This is why people considering having plastic surgery are always advised to first ask for the previous results produced by their surgeons.

The media gives much attention to plastic surgery cases gone wrong, and this has cultivated the belief that plastic surgeries are dangerous.  Over a million plastic surgery procedures are being performed year in year out. Chances are that you have never seen a person who has been negatively affected by plastic surgery.

4. Plastic surgery results don’t last

False. Generally, liposuction has always produced the highest patient satisfaction rates. However, there are cases where a patient regains that excess fat a few years after having gone through the liposuction surgery. This then led to the birth of this myth.

Of course, the expertise of the surgeon determines the longevity of any surgery results, but what the patients do after the surgery is also a determinant factor. Liposuction might have removed those fat cells in your body, but you still have to play your part to maintain the results.

Eating healthy and keeping fit should also be part of your lifestyle if you want to enjoy long-lasting results. This formula applies to all the other surgeries.

5. People will always notice if you have plastic surgery

False. Ask any expert surgeon, and they will tell you that if you notice that someone has gone through plastic surgery, the chances are that the surgery wasn't successful. In this realm, it's believed that the mark of an excellent plastic surgery is that you can't even notice if one has had it or not.

The approach is always centered around naturalizing results and minimizing scarring. Every year, millions and millions of people have plastic surgery. Besides the celebrities that you see on tv, how many do you know?

6. Plastic surgery results can be attained through exercising and dieting

False. We all need to keep fit and maintain a healthy lifestyle, right? Good surgeons (yes, we say good because there are bad ones too) actually encourage their patients to watch what they eat and to always workout whenever they can.

However, dieting and exercising are not substitutes for plastic surgery, and plastic surgery cannot replace those two. Plastic surgeries procedures such as liposuction were designed to address that stubborn excess fat that couldn’t go away even after one has gone through a weight-reduction plan.

7. Plastic surgery is not for men

False. It’s true that there is a gender gap in the plastic surgery community since men make up the most numbers of surgeons. But it's deceiving to say that plastic surgery was designed for women.

In fact, there are a number of plastic surgery procedures which are commonly associated with men than women. Talk of chin augmentation, hair transplant, gynecomastia, and otoplasty or ear surgery.

Since the turn of the century, the number of men interested in enhancing their body features has rapidly increased, and it’s still on the rise. Blame it on the selfies!

This content is edited by Flymedi Medical Editors in February 2021.