Addressing Plastic Surgery Questions

Q: It seems like plastic surgery procedures are getting more affordable, while that’s not so for the rest of medicine. Am I correct?

A: As it is with every service you pay for, the cost of cosmetic surgery also increases over time. What has changed is that people are no longer hiding the fact that they are choosing to have elective plastic surgery procedures. The number of cosmetic surgery suppliers is increasing exponentially. You need to be very careful about who will do your procedure and where it will be done. Unusually inexpensive prices may indicate a lack of training and/or board-certification. Cosmetic surgery procedures are still surgery and should be done in a medical facility by a board-certified plastic surgeon. Don’t entrust yourself to anything less.

Q: Do television reality shows truthfully portray plastic surgeons and plastic surgery?

A: Keep in mind that such shows are meant as entertainment, not as educational, or informative. Most plastic surgeons believe that such programs misrepresent the profession and its processionals. Of the greatest concern is that oftentimes procedures, results, and recovery are misrepresented. The message that plastic surgeons would like to impart is “Don’t believe everything you see on TV.” If you have a question about a procedure, ask a plastic surgeon.

Q: Should plastic surgeries, specifically cosmetic surgery be covered by insurance companies, Medicare and Medicaid?

A: Generally speaking, insurance companies cover surgeries that treat a functional problem, but do not cover procedures that are strictly cosmetic. We hope that the psychological component of cosmetic surgery will “convince” insurance companies to cover more such procedures. The distinction between what is cosmetic and what is functional is a grey area. Plastic surgeons continue to “lobby” insurance companies in the hope that the line will be moved to include more procedures. It took years, but most insurance companies are now required by law to cover breast cancer reconstruction.

Q: Who should be the judge of whether, or not a patient has a particular cosmetic surgery procedure, the doctor, or the patient?

A: A highly motivated patient is what helps to make a plastic surgeon comfortable with doing a particular procedure. But, a surgeon must also be certain that the patient also has realistic expectations about results and recovery. Without that understanding on the part of the patient, the outcome will not be a positive one.

Q: In general, are cosmetic surgery procedures “obvious?”

A: A plastic surgeon will probably be able to spot someone who has had cosmetic surgery. For the layperson, procedures should be harder to spot, but even a layperson can tell when someone has gone over-the-top with too many cosmetic procedures. It is, in part, a surgeon’s job to tell a patient when enough is enough.

Q: Are men catching up to women in having cosmetic surgery?

A:. As the job market becomes more and more competitive and “youth” wins over longevity, more men than ever before are turning to cosmetic surgery in order to look younger. The most common procedures amongst men are liposuction of abdomen and love handles, blepharoplasty (eye lift), and facelift. However, because of the way society “sees” men and women differently, it’s doubtful that men will ever have as many procedures as women.

Q: At what age is someone old enough to have cosmetic surgery?

A: Generally speaking, plastic surgeons will opt not to perform cosmetic procedures on someone younger that eighteen. Exceptions are sometimes made for younger patients who have congenital deformities, but for everything else, waiting until maturity is the better option.

Q: What’s worse for causing wrinkles and skin damage, sun exposure in the water, or sunbathing on the beach?

A: Sun exposure in the water is likely to cause more damage, because the skin is hit with more ultraviolet rays due to the reflection off the water. But both are harmful to your skin and should be avoided unless you use the proper protective lotion.

Q: With what cosmetic procedures do you get the biggest bang for your bucks, i.e., the most satisfaction and improvements for the least amount of recovery time and cost?

A: It’s probably Botox for certain wrinkles, because that procedure requires no surgery “down time” and reduces wrinkles for up to four months.