Plastic surgery is just like any other surgery. However, it mainly aims to improve the aesthetics of the different parts of the face and body. And that can have a positive impact on the overall physical and emotional health of individuals.
No matter the kind of plastic surgery that you’ve decided to undergo, it’s important to make sure that you’re doing it for yourself. And you need to have realistic expectations. That way, you can reap the benefits of plastic surgery.
What Are The Benefits of Plastic Surgery?
Following are some of the benefits of plastic surgery that you can take into consideration if you’ve been planning to go under the knife.
Increases Self-Esteem & Confidence
If you feel conscious about a part of your body, you might not feel confident in your skin. This can also result in low self-esteem. And this is something that can affect both men and women at different stages of their lives. A study published in the Journal of Paediatric Psychology even indicated that low self-esteem due to physical appearance could make people turn to more harmful behaviours like smoking.
This may be their way of coping with their low self-esteem. So, if something is bothering you about your appearance, it can affect your life in different ways. For these or many other reasons, people decide to seek plastic surgery. A literature review published in the Medical Journal of Australia showed that after getting cosmetic surgery, many people felt “better about themselves.”
Once plastic surgery has fixed a particular problem, it can make you feel more confident, outgoing, and comfortable in different situations. For instance, those who have had their breast tissue removed as a result of cancer can undergo breast reconstruction surgery with implants or body fat for improvements in their self-esteem and sexual life.
Improves Physical Health
While “cosmetic” is the first thing that many people think of when they hear the word “plastic surgery”, it also has been serving a “reconstructive” purpose for a long time. It can help people who’re born with deformities or have injured a part of their body as a result of burns, trauma or accident.
Women who have large breasts can experience various aches and pains, and skin problems. These problems can be resolved through breast reduction surgery. Similarly, if you’re not able to breathe properly due to a deviated septum, you can get a nose job.
If any hanging skin flaps are making movements difficult and discouraging a healthy lifestyle, there’s a panniculectomy or tummy tuck that can help resolve the problem. These improvements in physical health can also have a direct impact on your emotional health.
Encourages Healthy Lifestyle
The increase in confidence and self-esteem following plastic surgery can result in positive changes in your lifestyle. It is one of the more subtle benefits of plastic surgery. You might be more encouraged and motivated to maintain your new look, for which you’re likely to exercise and have a healthy diet.
For instance, someone who has liposuction to get rid of stubborn fat pockets from the body will want to have a healthy lifestyle so that the fat isn’t stored in the same place again. In contrast, if someone feels embarrassed or ashamed of being seen in public because of their “flapping” skin or bulges in different parts of the body, they may feel discouraged to exercise and not pursue a healthy lifestyle.
Improves Social Life
It is true that people who are more physically attractive get preferential treatment. Attractive individuals are perceived as friendly, approachable, and intelligent. These biases can positively impact the personal and professional life of an individual. As far as career advancement is concerned, you’re likely to get more job interviews, better evaluation, promotions, and, of course, salary.
However, many don’t find this to be their reality, and to improve the different aspects of their social life, they seek cosmetic treatments. They may consider changing the shape of their face and breasts or getting rid of any signs of ageing in order to look more attractive.
And it should be noted that this isn’t something that ordinary folks do. You’ll hear about celebs getting cosmetic treatments about every other day. And for many, the reason they get it is that it can help advance their career i.e., get them better roles for a long period of time. Many celebs have admitted it so. So, just like celebs, you can also reap the benefits of plastic surgery.
Enhances Quality of Life
People who are not happy with how they look may also have low satisfaction with their life. It is certainly possible because how you appear can spill into all areas of your life, affecting many things.
Therefore, if you’re not happy with a certain part of yourself and have been recommended plastic surgery to fix that problem, it can have the benefit of improving the overall quality of your life. One research published in the Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery showed that plastic surgery could improve the quality of life, especially health and appearance.
Lets You Become The Best Version of Yourself
One of the benefits of plastic surgery is that it can help you close the gap between your desired and natural appearance. Therefore, it can help you become the best version of yourself. This, in turn, can have many positive effects on your life, some of which are mentioned above.
Many people get plastic surgery because they feel like their face doesn’t look like how they actually feel on the inside. For instance, the drooping and sagging of the skin, especially on the upper eyelids, can make you look angry, tired and sad even if you’re not feeling that way. However, eyelid surgery or facelift can fix this problem and help you convey your actual emotions through facial expressions.
Body Dysmorphic Disorder And Plastic Surgery
It is important to note that those who have body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) may not be satisfied even after receiving multiple cosmetic treatments. People with BDD can become excessively anxious about a perceived or slight flaw in their appearance.
If this is how you feel about your own appearance, so much so that it’s affecting your normal functioning, you should consider getting mental health support before proceeding with plastic surgery. That’s because if you have BDD, undergoing plastic surgery would not resolve the underlying symptoms of the mental illness. And you’ll end up unhappy with the results every time.
Concluding Remarks
There are many benefits of plastic surgery. It can boost your confidence and self-esteem and bring improvements to your social life, even life in general. Also, it’s an effective solution for fixing cosmetic and even functional health problems, making you feel happy with your health and looks. However, it is also important to keep in mind that plastic surgery is not a solution to life’s problems. If you’re suffering from a mental health problem, it is important that you first get psychiatric support, as the surgery won’t help you in the long run.
There are many many people who have been happy with their decision to get plastic surgery, but it’s because they had realistic expectations in mind. Also, doing the research to find the right surgeon is important here so that a botched procedure doesn’t cause emotional distress. If you have decided to get plastic surgery, make sure to talk to a licensed and experienced plastic surgeon who can recommend you a suitable treatment plan. You need to do your due diligence to reap the various benefits of plastic surgery.
