DIY plastic surgery, extreme makeovers, plastic surgery for better selfies, and even hand lifts for brides-to-be to show off their engagement sparklers – plastic surgery and aesthetic enhancement is in the news constantly. Cosmetic surgery is rapidly becoming an accepted and common part of our modern culture along with non-surgical wrinkle reducers like BOTOX® Cosmetic and dermal fillers such as Juvéderm®. Teenage girls ask their parents for breast enhancement as a graduation gift or plan summer vacations that include a nose job. Your fat can even be transferred from one area of your body where you don’t want it to areas of your body or face where you need a little padding to enhance or rejuvenate.
And then there are the apps (Skinee Pix, Perfect365 and Facetune, among others) for helping you put your best digital silhouette forward. Yes, selfies can be a girl’s worst friend when the angle and the lighting are unflattering. With the right app, your Gravatar can have flawless skin and doesn’t look a day over 24. A great profile pic on your LinkedIn page can help you land that new job you’re competing for. L.A. talent manager Triana Lavey spent $15K on plastic surgery procedures to improve her selfie image on social media. She further enhances her online image using the Perfect365 app to “touch up” the photos she posts.
What does all of this say about our culture? Are we becoming obsessed with appearance and devaluing what is really important about a person? Attributes like integrity, honesty, compassion, and love. And are the plastic surgeons who perform these procedures only in the business to make money from patients who want to look better or get ahead in life? After all, a desire to help others was the passion that birthed the art and science of plastic surgery. Doctors horrified by the catastrophic facial injuries suffered by soldiers in World War II were inspired to develop new methods of skin and bone grafting to restore functionality and appearance as well as some human dignity.
The good news is that there definitely are plastic surgeons out there who truly care about doing the best for their patients and have irreproachable ethics, like Dr. Grewal. But with the fast-growing popularity of cosmetic procedures, never has it been more important to carefully consider your choice of a surgeon. Research in every way you can. Use all of that great technology you have at your fingertips to look at before and after photos, check out review sites, look for board certification credentials, and perhaps most importantly, seek out real stories from actual patients. Most plastic surgeons have such testimonials available on their websites, but many may be able and willing to put you in touch with one or more of their patients who can tell you what their experience was like.
One of our patients who had suffered several unsuccessful cosmetic procedures sent our office this note of heartfelt thanks for Dr. Grewal’s care. We feel honored to help him and hope that hearing a bit of his story helps you in your cosmetic surgery journey.
“… none of the dozens of other surgeons I have consulted had anything to offer… The truth is, believe it or not, that Dr. Grewal recommended and did exactly what I have always felt needed to be done: redo the whole thing, and get it right this time. I was actually dumbfounded when the words came out of his mouth… I finally met a surgeon who DOES know what he’s doing, and I have the results to prove it… I needed a competent surgeon. Turns out I found more that that. I found a Rockstar. Please thank Dr. Grewal for giving me my life back.”
Yes, plastic surgery changes lives.