Life Changes and Plastic Surgery
It wasn’t all that long ago that the media reported a significant number of women were seeking cosmetic surgery after a divorce. Of course many stories made the most of the trend, terming it “revenge surgery” and implying that women were intent on getting back at husbands who dumped them.
Ironically, the patient ABC’s Good Morning America centered its prominent story around was not out for revenge at all. The newly single mother—who lost weight and opted for breast augmentation and Botox treatment—said her strategy did not have anything to do with her ex-husband. She simply wanted to feel more comfortable in her own skin, as she put it, after pregnancy and divorce.
That motivation echoes what we often find when patients consult us about plastic surgery in New York City. Even when divorce is a factor, most women (and men) want to fine-tune their appearance to help with a fresh start. In other words, the underlying feelings reflect a positive attitude and a desire for personal improvement instead of a darker, externally focused objective.
Divorce is just one important life change that can prompt a person to consider plastic surgery. One of our popular patients, Mora, scheduled a facelift and neck lift with us several months after her husband passed away. Mora had cared for him through a very difficult illness, committed to making him as comfortable as possible but feeling more wan and haggard as time passed. In a sense, she explained, knowing cosmetic surgery was in her future gave her something to look forward to—a way to mark a new phase in her life. Read more of Mora’s story here.
We also helped a young man, Michael, open up a new world for himself as he began his career in the theater in New York City. Plastic surgery to banish his man boobs was not something he had considered seriously, until he entered what he describes as a field that’s particularly body-conscious. After male breast reduction, Michael told us he felt free to take on other, more important challenges in his life, feeling nothing but optimism as he looked forward.
We’re sure that plastic surgeons generally find what we do in working with our patients: the reasons most people seek cosmetic surgery demonstrate a healthy desire for change, no matter what life event serves as a trigger. We even know of one surgeon’s patient who chose cosmetic surgery after surviving one of the severe Gulf hurricanes of recent years. This woman’s experience convinced her that she should not wait any longer to realize her dream of having smaller breasts that would fit her petite frame. She found that electing breast reduction gave her physical relief, delight in her figure and energy for rebuilding her life.
What are your thoughts about plastic surgery? Are you thinking of turning over a new leaf? Are changes in your life prompting you to consider changes in your appearance? If we can be of help as you think things over, just let us know.
