When you are researching cosmetic surgery, it can often be difficult to decipher what facts and myths are. One website will tell you one thing; the next will tell you the opposite. We’ve decided to look at the biggest myths surrounding cosmetic surgery.
1. Cosmetic surgery and plastic surgery are the same
MYTH.
Most people who do not work in the medical industry will have a general understanding of what you mean when you say cosmetic or plastic surgery. As a result of this, it often seems fine to use these terms interchangeably. However, they mean different things. Cosmetic surgery relates to enhancing your aesthetic appearance. Meanwhile, plastic surgery relates to the reconstruction or restoration of a body area.
2. Cosmetic surgery is only for women
MYTH.
Cosmetic surgery is actually becoming an increasingly popular choice for men. In fact, in 2017 men accounted for 9% of the cosmetic surgery market. At Centre for Surgery, procedures that are popular with men include gynecomastia, male pectoral implants, hair transplants, rhinophyma reduction, liposuction or rhinoplasty.
RELATED: Plastic Surgery For Men In London
3. Liposuction is a good option for weight loss
MYTH.
It is often thought that you can have liposuction instead of losing weight. However, liposuction was not designed to be an alternative treatment.
Instead, liposuction is more suitable for those who have a BMI under 30 and are looking to remove fatty cells. Those who have a BMI over 30 will be unable to undergo liposuction. Liposuction is a suitable procedure for those who have been trying to lose weight through a healthy diet and exercise but have been unable to lose fat from certain stubborn areas.
RELATED: How to Prevent Weight Gain after Liposuction – Top Tips to Maintain a Stable Weight
4. Breast implants will last forever
MYTH.
Breast implants are not designed to last your whole life. There is no set time limit for how long breast implants will last. Some may require replacing sooner than others, or the patient may decide they wish to have implants of different sizes and require them to be altered. If you are considering having implants, you will need to know that sooner or later, you will need to have them replaced. Fortunately, if there are any rare complications, such as implant rupture, you are generally covered under a breast augmentation warranty.
RELATED: How Long Do Breast Implants Last?
5. Cosmetic surgery is only for those who are rich
MYTH.
Gone are the days when cosmetic surgery was only an option for the exceptionally wealthy. Many cosmetic surgery clinics—including the Centre for Surgery—offer finance options, where you can pay a deposit and apply for a loan. This means you do not have to pay the entire cost upfront. Cosmetic surgery is now available to ordinary people, not just the rich.
RELATED: Your Financing Options
However, when you are looking at costs, you will need to be wary of those who are offering prices that seem too cheap. Often if something is too good to be true, it is, and this is certainly the case for cosmetic surgery. If the price is too low, you may not receive the same quality of surgery or aftercare.
6. Anti-ageing injectables will freeze your face and leave it emotionless
MYTH.
While anti-ageing injectables will remove wrinkles and lines from your face, your face will not be emotionless.
RELATED: Dermal Fillers
The surgeons at Centre for Surgery take care to give you natural-looking results. This is done by not giving you too many injections or using too much filler. Only having small doses will ensure the muscle balance is still there. You will be able to look younger while still being able to make the same expressions as you could previously.
7. Breast implants are only for those who want large breasts
MYTH.
This is a misconception. While some women do wish to have breasts that are much larger than their natural breasts, this is not the case all of the time. In fact, the new trend is for smaller, more natural-looking breasts that are about a B or a C cup.
RELATED: Mini Boob Job (Mini Breast Augmentation)
Those who want to have breast augmentation and want large implants need to consider a few factors before settling on the size. Women who have a small frame, are thin or have small breasts may be unsuitable for particularly large implants. Not only may they cause issues such as back pain, but the edges may also be visible if the implants are too big. At Centre for Surgery, you will be able to try on a bra as well as a sample implant to ensure you get the best size implant for you.
8. You cannot breastfeed after breast surgery
MYTH.
Most women will still be able to breastfeed after having breast surgery. Those who have breast augmentation or a breast lift should not experience any problems with breastfeeding in the future. If this is something you are worried about, we recommend waiting until after you have finished having children to undergo any breast or nipple surgeries.
However, those who have surgeries such as a breast reduction or inverted nipple correction may experience difficulties breastfeeding or will be unable to breastfeed. This will depend on the method used during the procedure. This will be heavily discussed with your surgeon during your consultation. If you would still like to have the ability to breastfeed after having surgery, make sure to raise this with the surgeon, and the correct method will be used during surgery.
9. You will not have scars after cosmetic surgery
This one all depends on which surgery you undertake. Any surgery that involves an incision – such as liposuction, breast augmentation or blepharoplasty, to name a few – will return in a scar.
RELATED: What Do Blepharoplasty Scars Look Like?
When possible, the scar will be made discreetly and in the natural folds of the skin. A tummy tuck is one of the few surgeries which will leave you with a noticeable scar. This scar will look worse directly after surgery, but with time, the swelling will fade, and the scar will change in colour and size, making it look less noticeable. Non-surgical cosmetic procedures, such as anti-wrinkle injections, do not involve any incisions and will not leave any scars.
10. Fat will return after liposuction
This is unlikely. However, it mostly depends on your lifestyle following the liposuction. During liposuction, the fat cells will be removed from a certain area, such as the thighs, hips, abdomen, buttocks, chin, knees or bra line. The fat cells will not return to the area which has had liposuction. However, fat cells will still exist in the areas in which you have not had liposuction. Therefore, if you do not follow a healthy diet and exercise regime, you may find that you gain weight again. This weight will not necessarily be in the area where you had liposuction; instead, it will be stored in the other areas of the body. If you are interested in having liposuction, it is important to make sure you follow a healthy lifestyle in order to prolong the results.
Interested in any of our cosmetic surgeries? Contact Centre for Surgery today to talk to our patient consultants or to book a consultation with one of our surgeons.
