Whether or not you’re considering a cosmetic procedure like Botox, breast implants, or CoolSculpting, it’s part of our culture enough that most of us have some thoughts. But are your opinions—good or bad, “I’ll never” or “I’m signing up!”—based on reality? See what experts have to say about some of the most common misconceptions about cosmetic and plastic surgery.
Myth 1: You can say when someone had fillers or botox
The truth: Not if it’s done well. Ideally, all injectables should be used evenly and conservatively, in a way that only you would notice, says plastic surgeon David Shafer, MD, Shafer Clinic in New York City. The gradual approach is especially important when you are first starting out. You could try a small amount of filler to see if you like the result, she says Konstantin Vasyukevich, MD, a facial plastic surgeon in New York. If you want more, you can get them in a future session. With neurotoxin treatments like Botox and Dysport, which paralyze muscles to smooth out wrinkles, your goal should be “relaxing the muscles as opposed to freezing all movement,” he adds. It is best to choose a board-certified physician or nurse practitioner with deep experience in cosmetic injections. Also, avoid offices that offer non-medical treatments like pedicures or haircuts, or that seem disorganized or rushed. “When patients come into the clinic, I like to assess them by having a normal conversation,” says Dr. Shafer. “I pay attention to facial expressions and their nuances. This helps ensure the most natural result.”
Myth 2: Breast implants can fix the broken breasts
The truth: Breast implants can change the size and shape of your breasts, but they cannot correct the severe decline. In fact, they can worsen sagging by adding weight. So the best way to get a breast lift is with a breast lift (aka mastopexia), says Dr. Shafer. This procedure lifts the breasts by removing excess skin and tightening the remaining tissue. Also keep in mind that a lift will not change the size of the breast, so if you want to get fuller or smaller breasts along with correcting the droop, you should combine a mastopexy with a breast augmentation or reduction for best results. American Society of Plastic Surgeons says.
Myth 3: Breast implants increase the risk Breast cancer
The truth: There is no connection between breast implants and a higher risk of breast cancer, research shows. However, it is important to tell your doctor if you notice symptoms such as swelling, pain, lumps or changes in the skin on or near the breast, because these can be a sign of rare breast implant-related cancers. the FDA reports. These include breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) and breast implant-associated squamous cell carcinoma (BIA-SCC). They are not breast cancers per se. probably it is specific types of ALCL and SCC cancers found in the scar tissue around breast implants. Don’t worry more than warranted, though: The FDA estimates that the risk of BIA-ALCL in women with breast implants is somewhere in between 1 in 30,000 and 1 in 4,000 or so.
Myth 4: Liposuction and CoolSculpting are good ways to I am losing weight
The truth: Not really. On average, people lose just two to five pounds of fat with liposuctionAccording to American Society of Plastic Surgeons. The the same applies for CoolSculpting, a non-surgical fat cell freezing procedure. These procedures also will not correct sagging skin, stretch marks or stubborn cellulite. They can improve your body shape, making you look slimmer and possibly fitter, says plastic surgeon Thomas Su, MD, of ArtLipo Plastic Surgery in Tampa. Keep in mind that liposuction can only get rid of superficial fat, known as subcutaneous fat. Dangerous visceral fat— the deep belly fat that increases the risk of diabetes and heart disease — can only be eliminated through a healthy diet, exercise and stress relief.
Myth 5: You can’t win back weight afterwards liposuction or CoolSculpting
The truth: Once certain fat cells are gonethey are gone forever, but as long as you have fat cells in your body, you can gain weight. When we add pounds to our frame, existing fat cells expand and our body can create new ones. “If you gain weight after treatment, the fat will be restored first in untreated areas,” says Dr. Shafer. For example, if you received treatment on your abdomen and gain significant weight, you may notice it elsewhere on your body, such as your arms or back. And neither liposuction nor CoolSculpting removes all the fat cells in a treated area, so weight gain is still possible there, although much more difficult. “Treated areas will not regain fat to the same extent because there are reduced fat cells in those areas,” says Dr. Shafer.
Kate Rockwood is a freelance writer based in New York.
