People who choose to get plastic surgery do so for many different reasons. You might decide to undergo a facelift to shave a few years off of your appearance, for example, or you might decide to get liposuction to put the finishing touches on your body after weight loss. Whatever your reasons for surgery, it’s essential that you have realistic expectations for the before and after results, notes board certified plastic surgeon Dr. Ary Krau.
Reasons for Surgery
There are right reasons to get plastic surgery and there are not so right reasons. If you decide to undergo surgery because you hope to please someone else, you are most likely doing it for the wrong reasons and won't be happy with the results. Plastic surgery is about making physical changes to your body to help boost your self esteem.
If there are deeper underlying issues, such as you want to get your ex back, you might not be satisfied with your results, no matter how well the procedure turns out. Talk to your surgeon about what to realistically expect from the surgery before you decide to commit to it.
Dr. Krau’s surgical assistant, Nora Boerner, is here to talk about what you can expect pre-operatively, as well as post-operatively:
Healing Period
It is important to remember that there is a healing period after every plastic surgery. You won't wake up from the surgery and immediately look fantastic. For example, it is common for there to be swelling and bruising in the facial area after a facelift. It can take several days or even up to 20 days for the swelling to go down enough for you to feel comfortable going out in public.
Bruising is also common after a rhinoplasty, or nose job procedure. Swelling can last for a few weeks after a nose reshaping too. The healing process after a rhinoplasty can take a long time. In some cases, you might not see the final results for up to a year.
Common Results
In the end, most patients report being satisfied or happy with the results they get from a plastic surgery procedure. According to a 2013 study from the Ruhr Universität and the University of Basel, just 12 percent of the 550 patients surveyed reported that they weren't happy with their results. The majority of the patients reported that they felt more attractive overall, had improved self-esteem, and felt healthier in general.