At the Aesthetic Institute of New York & New Jersey, I will sometimes have to refuse to operate on a patient who is seeking Facelift Surgery. Some individuals are not good candidates for Facelift Surgery if they experiencing any emotional distress or otherwise during the time they have decided they need or want to change their appearance. The following are reasons to not have Plastic Surgery.
1. You are depressed or in some type of crisis. Individuals who are in the process of divorce or mourning the death of a loved one or suffering a mid-life crisis are seeking answers that cannot be provided by changing their personal appearance. Plastic Surgery will not take the place of therapy and provide the necessary support you need during a difficult time. When the situation is resolved, and you feel better, then and only then will it will a good time to ask yourself if you still want to undergo a cosmetic procedure.
2. You want to look like a celebrity. Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie are extremely attractive by current standards, but we need to keep in mind there are realistic expectations to be had from Plastic Surgery and unrealistic expectations. A Facial Plastic Surgeon is not a genie, wizard, or any other kind of Miracle Worker. This kind of fantastic expectation is often a red flag to me and I have been left needing to turn away a candidate with these requests for their own benefit.
3. Someone else has asked/told you to do it. Cosmetic Surgery should never be undertaken because someone else desires you to look different. This kind of surgery should only be done because you want to do it, and no other reason. I will not operate on someone unless the surgery is the decision and choice of the patient; such a decision is nobody else’s concern, and is the responsibility of the patient and no one else.
4. You have serious health concerns. If you have any one or more of the following health problems, I will discuss your options at length with you as well as the steps you will need to take in order to improve your health prior to undergoing any surgical procedure:
- Excessive drinking
- Excessive smoking
- Hemophilia or a bleeding disorder
- Heart Disease
- Obesity
- Lung Disease
5. You’re unhappy. Although it would be wonderful to have a quick fix to change our feelings for the better, changing one’s looks unfortunately will not bring eternal happiness or Peace of Mind.
6. You’re trying to save a relationship. My patients’ health and well-being is my highest priority. I consult with every prospective surgery patient about his or her desires, expectations, physical health and sometimes emotional health when necessary. I will stress the fact that nobody should opt for Plastic Surgery unless he/she honestly doesn’t like what they see in the mirror and wants to change things because they want to change things. If you are thinking about Cosmetic Surgery for someone else’s benefit, please don’t do it. Please take care of yourself and your needs first. Only consider Cosmetic Surgery for yourself, because you want something changed for you.