A group of women at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver recently completed a survey of cosmetic surgery coverage in popular women’s magazines. They studied articles published between 2002 and 2006 in publications such as Cosmopolitan, Prevention, Flare and The Oprah Magazine.

The procedures most often written about were:

  • Breast augmentation
  • Liposuction
  • Facelifts and
  • Specific facial surgeries such as rhinoplasty and facial implants.

The researchers found that 59 percent of the articles made a specific link between pre- and post-surgery emotional health. They used such language as “restoring lost youth” and referred to aging as “a problem that needs to be fixed”. The message they were trying to send was that cosmetic surgery will make you young again and that new youth will endow you with sexiness, personal confidence, more friends, a better job, and more prosperity.

What Are the Facts?

It’s true that cosmetic surgery can rejuvenate the skin and enhance body contours and facial features. And it’s often true that after such physical improvements a person has increased social and/or professional confidence. But looking more like a movie star will not transform your life into that of a movie star.

There’s a fine line that is often overstepped by journalists. Cosmetic physical enhancements do not change who you are. They cannot necessarily get you a higher-paid job or more friends or a new spouse. They do not automatically overhaul your entire life. Certainly you might overhaul your entire life by working at it and being courageous and honest with yourself — and some cosmetic surgery might help you in that endeavor.

It is a mistake however, to expect any specific cosmetic surgery to make a magical change to your entire being. If you would like to change some of your old habits or find new friends or a new job, those are separate goals requiring different kinds of work on your part.

As an example, if you lose your extra weight, Dr. Rai can then help you fine-tune your new attractive appearance with perhaps an arm lift or a thigh lift. But he cannot remove the extra weight for you. Having realistic expectations are part of being a good candidate for any cosmetic surgery procedure.

But by all means include some cosmetic surgery in your life-improvement work, and Dr. Rai and his team will be happy to help you with that. The first step would be to contact Cosmetic Surgical Center to schedule a personal consultation.