Realistic Expectations for Plastic Surgery ╴Yes, It Matters
Going under the knife is a serious decision. Having unrealistic expectations can lead to disappointment or the desire for costly revision surgeries.
Whether you want to go up a cup size, achieve a slimmer waistline, or reduce the signs of aging on your face — you need to have realistic expectations about your procedure and results. Plastic surgery can be life-changing, but there are limitations based on your unique anatomy and physiology. The goal should be to enhance your natural appearance, not meet an unrealistic standard of perfection.
An informed patient will be the most content patient. Here, we discuss the importance of having realistic goals.
Cosmetic Procedures and Areas for Realistic Consideration
We encourage you to maintain realistic expectations about the following:
1. Recovery Time
Most plastic surgery procedures require downtime. For breast augmentation, breast lifts, tummy tucks, rhinoplasty, and facelifts, you need to take a week or two off work. Complete recovery can take several months as incisions heal, swelling goes down, scars fade, and your results become more apparent. It’s crucial to limit strenuous activity during this period.
Further reading:
- 7 Ways to Optimize Your Plastic Surgery Recovery
- Exercise After Breast Augmentation: Guide to 1–12 Weeks Post-Op
2. Limitations
Understand the limits of your desired procedure. The human body can only be altered so much before results appear unnatural. For example, too big or oversized implants on a small physique can look disproportionate and unnatural, compromising aesthetic harmony. It’s important to consider body proportions for a more balanced and natural-looking outcome.
During your initial consultation, discuss what’s realistic based on your anatomy and health. Try to focus on meaningful enhancements rather than unrealistic ideals.
Further reading:
3. Risks and Complications
No surgery is without risks. For example, although breast augmentation is safer than ever and techniques have advanced significantly through the years, complications like implant rupturing or capsular contracture remain a possibility.
Choosing a specialist surgeon over a generalist can reduce risks and complications. Specialized surgeons possess in-depth knowledge and expertise in their field, ensuring a more focused and precise approach.
Further reading:
4. Final Results
Do not expect to see the final results immediately. It can take three months or longer for the full effects of procedures like breast augmentation to become visible. Your body needs time to heal and adjust to the changes. Be patient through the process.
5. Psychological Impact
Plastic surgery cannot solve mental health problems, although it may help improve self-esteem in others. In many cases, patients who undergo surgery to please a romantic partner or appease a psychologically entwined body image issue end up facing immense regret and disappointment.
Have plastic surgery for yourself, not to meet someone else’s expectations. Moreover, address any underlying psychological motivations beforehand for regret-proof satisfaction.
6. Side Effects
Having realistic expectations about side effects like swelling, bruising, and temporary changes in sensation or function will help avoid feelings of regret or disappointment. Discuss postoperative pain management, downtime from work and physical activities, and recovery stages in detail with your surgeon.
7. Possible Revisions
Secondary procedures may sometimes be necessary to achieve the best results or make minor adjustments. Talk about the possibility of revisions with your surgeon ahead of time and plan for additional expenses. Revisions are often done within months after the initial procedure.
How to Set and Meet Plastic Surgery Expectations
When considering plastic surgery, you must establish realistic expectations about all of the above. Here’s how:
1. Do Your Research
Carefully researching the procedure, recovery, risks, and limitations will help you set appropriate expectations. Understand that plastic surgery cannot produce a perfect or ideal outcome, only an improved appearance based on your unique body. Outcomes also depend on factors like your skin elasticity, bone structure, overall health, lifestyle, and ability to follow postoperative instructions.
2. Seek Gradual Enhancements
Focus on specific concerns and set incremental improvement goals rather than aiming for an unrealistic ideal. For example, if you are concerned about lines around your eyes or mouth, set a goal to soften crow’s feet or nasolabial folds by a certain percentage. Consider options for a conservative approach with gradual improvements over multiple procedures at once, especially if you are a first-time patient. Your surgeon can show you before and after photos of their actual patients to help determine realistic outcomes.
3. Stay Healthy
Maintain a healthy lifestyle and stable weight before and after a body contouring procedure. Significant weight changes can alter your appearance and diminish the benefits of a tummy tuck or liposuction. Staying fit and avoiding unhealthy habits, like smoking and excessive tanning, will promote healing and longevity of outcomes.
4. Be Specific About Your Motivations
Know your motivations for pursuing plastic surgery. In particular, discuss any body image issues you have, areas you wish to enhance or change, and other concerns you hope to address. Your surgeon can then determine if your expectations are realistic and achievable.
On the one hand, if your motivations involve extreme body image disturbances (e.g., depression and anxiety, body dysmorphic disorder, and eating disorders), we recommend reaching out to a mental health professional instead. Concealing these issues and proceeding with surgery can do more harm than good.
Further reading:
5. Share Examples of Desired Outcomes
Bring visual examples to help your plastic surgeon determine whether your aesthetic goals are achievable via your preferred procedure. For instance, if you want a boob job, go through your surgeon’s before-and-after gallery and pick a few that you find aesthetically pleasing. Print them out or save the links on your phone, and then show them to your surgeon during your consultation. These visuals will convey your preferences more accurately than verbal descriptions. If your goals are unrealistic or may compromise your health, your surgeon may suggest slight modifications or offer alternative procedures.
What to Keep in Mind
By maintaining realistic expectations and following our expectations-setting guide above, you can prevent feelings of regret and be more at ease during your transformation. Also, remember to approach plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures as a means of enhancement, never as a quick-fix solution. Last but not least, with open communication and collaboration based on realistic expectations, you and your board-certified plastic surgeon can work together to accomplish the best possible results.
Contact Guerra Plastic Surgery now to meet some of the best plastic surgeons in Scottsdale and Phoenix, Arizona.