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Overcoming Apprehensions: Don’t let common anxieties about cosmetic surgery hinder your pursuit of the aesthetic enhancements you’ve always desired.
Have you contemplated a cosmetic or plastic surgery procedure, like liposuction, to eliminate stubborn fat from areas such as your abdomen, hips, or thighs? As we embark on a new year, it’s common for individuals to focus on self-improvement, setting ambitious goals in various areas of life, including physical, emotional, educational, and social aspects. This could involve physical enhancement, rebalancing, beautification, or even correcting a scar or a congenital deformity. Fortunately, today, you have a plethora of options at your disposal, much more than what previous generations had. So, whether you desire to restore your body shape after childbirth or significantly lose weight or wish to minimise the signs of ageing on your breasts, body, or face, we are here to assist. However, like many others, you may have reservations about undergoing cosmetic surgery. Rest assured, you are not alone in this.
People in the UK often grapple with feelings of apprehension and fear when considering surgical procedures, injections, or even minor treatments. This is despite the fact that these processes are usually not associated with significant pain. For instance, cosmetic injections are often much less uncomfortable than most people expect.
The majority of individuals manage their fears about cosmetic surgery and alleviate surgery-related anxiety by employing various strategies:
- Engaging in conversations with previous patients and conducting thorough research about their chosen Specialist Surgeons’ credentials to ensure they are highly qualified and leading cosmetic plastic surgeons in their field.
- Selecting a Surgeon with whom they feel confident and comfortable conversing. It’s important to feel at ease asking your Surgeon any and all questions. A Cosmetic Specialist Plastic Surgeon who listens attentively and communicates effectively is ideal for patients who are particularly anxious and inclined to ask numerous questions.
- Acquiring detailed knowledge about the procedure and associated risks. This equips you to have informed discussions about your surgery options.
- Understanding how to optimise their chances of a successful recovery and desirable surgical outcomes, and how to mitigate unnecessary surgical risks. This could involve abstaining from smoking, meticulously following the Plastic Surgeon’s post-operative instructions, and wearing appropriate compression garments after the surgery.
- Maintaining a balanced perspective on risks. All surgeries carry certain risks, including scars. However, selecting the safest surgical facility and the most competent Surgeon can significantly reduce these usual surgical risks. Thankfully, most complications tend to be minor in nature. Nonetheless, it’s crucial to fully comprehend all the risks by conducting thorough research before consenting to a cosmetic surgery procedure.
- Resist the temptation of discounted surgeries offered by unknown doctors or overseas surgical organisations that may not comply with UK safety standards for patient care and post-operative follow-ups. Numerous accounts in the media have been about ‘botched cosmetic surgeries‘ performed by overseas discount surgery groups. Remember, some complications may be irreversible.
Are you dealing with significant anxiety or fear about undergoing cosmetic or plastic surgery?
Some individuals harbour intense apprehensions about cosmetic surgery or undergoing general anaesthesia, to the extent that these fears might verge on being phobic reactions towards injections, hospitals, doctors, or surgeons. Mild anxiety is not uncommon, and it’s completely normal to examine and understand the associated risks before making a decision. However, if your desire for a procedure is hindered by fear, there are strategies available to help you manage and overcome these excessive worries. Importantly, you should never proceed with a procedure if you feel it’s not right for you or if you do not fully comprehend and accept the inherent risks. All surgeries are serious undertakings and carry risks. Yet, if your desire for surgery is strong and you’re striving to overcome anxiety or intense fears about the process, injections, or general anaesthesia, there are ways to alleviate your anxiety with the correct information and a supportive surgical team.
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Fear, in and of itself, is not detrimental unless it becomes so overwhelming that it prevents you from pursuing what you truly desire, such as surgery that is generally considered safe for healthy individuals. A reasonable amount of fear can be beneficial, particularly when it comes to cosmetic or plastic surgery. This is because fear can actually prompt you to be judicious in your choice of surgeon, encouraging you to verify their qualifications as a fully certified Specialist Plastic Surgeon (for procedures like facelifts, nose reshaping, eye or body surgeries) or an Oculoplastic Surgeon (for eyelid or brow surgeries).
RELATED: Choosing Your Surgeon
Your Cosmetic Plastic Surgeon selection should be a meticulous process involving comprehensive research, word-of-mouth investigations, and an intuitive sense of whether the surgeon is the right fit for you. Trust your instincts and consider the experiences of other patients. However, be sure to choose a fully qualified Plastic Surgeon. Look for membership in one of the surgical royal colleges and affiliations with organizations like BAAPS, BAPRAS, or their international equivalents, as these are markers of a credentialed Plastic Surgeon. Remember, while any doctor can claim to be a ‘cosmetic surgeon’, the medical title of Plastic Surgeon is legally protected by the General Medical Council (GMC).
RELATED: Plastic Surgeon vs. Cosmetic Surgeon – Which Should I Choose?
Communicate with your Plastic Surgeon about your intense apprehension regarding cosmetic surgery.
Don’t hesitate to ask all the questions you need to feel at ease. Your understanding of the process is vital to your comfort and overall experience.
If you sense that your practitioner is rushing you during your appointments, consider it a red flag. It might be time to seek another practice. Feeling comfortable with both the surgeon and the office staff is an integral part of managing your anxiety. The staff can equip you with helpful strategies to alleviate your fears before and during the procedure. In some cases, they might even prescribe medication to help manage your anxiety.
You should find a cosmetic plastic surgery clinic that prioritises patient well-being over catering to the patient’s every demand. A ‘less is more’ approach is often beneficial, and there will be times when a specialist surgeon needs to guide you regarding the limitations of breast implant sizes, cosmetic injections, or dermal fillers.
Remember, the most skilled Specialist Surgeons master the art of enhancing natural beauty. Therefore, ensure that the practice you choose aligns with the right values concerning their patients’ appearance, not just for the immediate future, but also for how the surgical results will be maintained over time and with natural ageing. You should be aware that significant life changes or weight fluctuations can affect your surgical results over time.
Pursue Counselling or Alternative Therapies for Anxiety Management
If you’re extremely anxious about undergoing surgery, it might reflect a deeper pattern of anxiety present in other aspects of your life. In such cases, counselling could be beneficial.
There are numerous approaches individuals employ to manage anxiety and fear. Counselling or discussing your fears with your general practitioner is a common route, but there are other strategies that some patients find effective for managing intense fears about surgery, particularly when the procedure generally has high safety ratings if conducted in the appropriate environment, by a competent surgeon, in a well-equipped hospital, and at the right time.
Alternative therapies such as acupressure and acupuncture, massage, yoga, hypnosis, and meditation have all demonstrated efficacy in managing certain types of fear and anxiety. Additionally, studies have shown that engaging in calming activities like listening to soothing music, reading a book, taking a bath, or exercising can help mitigate surgical anxiety.
Journaling about your feelings and fears can also be beneficial. It can help you identify the underlying cause of your anxiety. Alternatively, speaking with other patients who experienced fear but successfully underwent their surgeries can provide reassurance. Hearing about their positive outcomes—be it a reshaped nose through rhinoplasty, an eyelid reduction, enhanced breasts through breast implants, smaller or firmer breasts through a breast reduction or lift, or body contouring after weight loss—can ease your anxiety.
RELATED: The Transformative Effects of Gynecomastia Surgery
Engaging in counselling with a skilled therapist is also a highly effective approach to managing anxiety or fear. It can lead to significant strides towards living a life free of debilitating anxiety. Counselling can be particularly helpful if you’ve previously had a negative surgical experience or have dealt with an insensitive surgeon.
Establish a Robust Plan to Manage Your Anxiety, and Wait Until You Feel Ready
Before you undergo your cosmetic surgery procedure, preferably with a Specialist Plastic Surgeon working from facilities licensed by the UK Care Quality Commission (CQC), it’s critical to establish a comprehensive post-procedure plan. This plan will allow you to concentrate on your recovery, easing your anxiety about what happens after the procedure. It’s not uncommon to experience emotional turmoil during the post-operative phase, and you might even doubt your decision during the early stages of healing. However, these moments are temporary. If you patiently endure this period and effectively manage your fear, you may achieve the desired results you’ve long sought, whether that’s more shapely breasts, a flatter stomach via a tummy tuck or liposuction, or rejuvenated eyelids following blepharoplasty surgery.
RELATED: A Mummy Makeover Patient’s Story
Here are some suggestions for your post-procedure plan:
- Arrange for the recommended period off work and plan for appropriate childcare if necessary. This will allow you to focus solely on your recovery without additional stressors.
- Don’t hesitate to ask for help from friends and family. Remember that your recovery period is also temporary. You’ll be back to your normal routine before you know it!
- Set up a comfortable recovery space with everything you’ll need during your rest and recovery period. This might include plenty of water, tissues, books, magazines, lip balm, and any other items you might need.
- Prepare and freeze meals ahead of time. Having readily available, healthy, home-cooked meals for your family will reduce your workload during recovery and ensure everyone continues to eat well.
RELATED: Post-Surgery Top Tips – Recovery After Cosmetic Procedures
Take Your Next Steps with Centre for Surgery
Are you prepared to embark on the journey towards achieving the nose, facial features, body shape, or contours that you’ve always desired?
Join us at Centre for Surgery and connect with some of our premier Specialist Plastic Surgeons at our clinic on Baker Street. Discuss your cosmetic surgery aspirations in a personal consultation. Our surgeons are not just medical experts, but also excellent communicators who will provide you with comprehensive information and take the time to answer all your questions. They will never pressure you into making a decision. You’ll appreciate their extensive experience in performing specialised cosmetic procedures and their longstanding reputation as Specialist Plastic Surgeons in the UK. These professionals take pride in their reputation, their high standards, their dedication to their patients, and the successful results they deliver.
To take your first step towards the transformation you’ve been dreaming of, please fill out the contact form below or get in touch with our expert patient coordinators at 0207 993 4849 to schedule your in-depth consultation with a Specialist London Plastic Surgeon today. We look forward to helping you realise your aesthetic goals.
