People usually have pretty strong opinions about plastic surgery. Many assume that it’s purely superficial and that the people who want it only care about the way they look.
While improving your appearance is a legitimate reason to consider plastic surgery and a driving factor for many, it’s only one reason people choose cosmetic enhancement. People’s reasons for having surgery are, like people themselves, complex and varied. Let’s take a look at a few common answers to the question “why plastic surgery?”
Why Plastic Surgery: To Improve Vision
It’s true that a common reason for an eyelid lift is to reduce sagging lids and bags under the eyes, helping people to look more alert and youthful. But for some people, an eyelid lift is a procedure that can have a significant positive impact on their quality of life. For people who have droopy upper eyelids, the excess skin of the lid can cover the eye, obstructing their vision. This can make it challenging to go about daily tasks. In these cases, people often have an eyelid lift to help them see better.
Why Plastic Surgery: To Improve Breathing
Sure, plenty of people choose rhinoplasty to change the shape or size of their nose for cosmetic reasons. But for others, the choice to have rhinoplasty comes down to a quality of life issue. Depending on the structures of the nasal passage, rhinoplasty can help to make it easier to breathe. It can also remove blockages inside the nose that limit the sense of smell or cause other issues within the nasal cavity.
Why Plastic Surgery: To Reduce Back Pain
For every woman out there who wants breast augmentation, there are almost as many who want a reduction. Overly large breasts can really weigh a person down, contributing to back and shoulder pain. In some cases, people decide to have a tummy tuck because the positioning of their abdominal muscles is contributing to back pain as well.
Why Plastic Surgery: To Alleviate Discomfort
After people lose a lot of weight, they are often left with a lot of excess, loose skin. If that skin hangs in folds around the body, it can lead to chafing and irritation. Removing the extra skin through plastic surgery can help a person feel more comfortable in their own body.
Why Plastic Surgery: To Reduce Incontinence
After pregnancy and childbirth, one major change many women notice is that they have trouble controlling their bladder. A bit of laughter can quickly turn into an embarrassing situation. As part of a mommy makeover, a tummy tuck doesn’t only result in a flatter, smoother abdominal area. Tightening the abdominal muscles during the surgery can also help to reduce instances of stress incontinence.
Why Plastic Surgery: To Become More Active
Many people have excuses that keep them from working out regularly. For some people, those excuses are connected to genuine physical limitation. For example, difficulty breathing can make the idea of going for a run seem like an impossibility. Large breasts that can’t be tamed by sports bras also make strenuous activity incredibly unappealing. A breast reduction to reduce breast size or a rhinoplasty to correct breathing issues are two surgeries that can help people live more active and healthy lives.
Why Plastic Surgery: For Improved Self-Esteem
Last, but not least, plastic surgery makes people feel better about themselves. Usually, by the time a person has decided to have surgery, they’ve been living with an issue, such as gynecomastia, a nose they don’t like or excess belly fat for years. The decision to have surgery is one that helps improve their opinions of themselves and one that helps them regain a bit of confidence.
Whatever your reason is for wanting plastic surgery, it’s important to find a surgeon with years of experience, board certification and advanced expertise in the procedure you’re considering. Dr. Paul Vitenas, a board certified plastic surgeon in Houston, Texas, has nearly 30 years of experiencing helping patients get the results they want from surgery. To learn more, call 281-484-0088 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Vitenas today.