Plastic and aesthetic surgery are a means of recovering self-confidence, feeling at one with our inner selves and the image we portray, a gift we offer ourselves that can help improve our quality of life.
It can correct one or several defects we have been putting up with for a long time without daring to take the plunge. Some people are very serene about a potential procedure, others are more anxious. Discover these fears and how to make a decision safely… with total peace of mind.
Fear of being judged
The fear of being judged, of not being accepted as you are, and being treated as superficial, fear that others will detect our complexes and therefore our weaknesses, bothered by or ashamed of lying by omission when we appeal to a man or a woman and we don’t tell them everything… The society we live in perniciously nurtures these inner paradoxes: we must accept ourselves as we are but we are permanently surrounded by false, modified, touched-up images.
Indeed, both women and men are often scared of being judged by the people around them, their companion, their family, their children, their colleagues or their friends.
This fear of being judged finally leads us to the question: do we have to divulge our aesthetic surgery operations? This is an extremely personal question that is very difficult to answer. However, one thing is sure, from the moment you undergo a procedure for yourself and you feel at ease with yourself, transparency or silence are both perfectly legitimate. After all, you must be honest with yourself.
Fear of pain
This is very common but finally relatively unjustified. Today, with the progress in terms of anaesthesia, very few procedures are considered major and painful. Most aesthetic surgery procedures are performed as day surgery or only require one night in the clinic. Moreover, the pain is easily alleviated even eliminated with the right analgesics. However, it is necessary to consider the pain threshold of each individual.
Pain also depends on the area operated on and the procedure. Pain is more intense when a muscle is involved, which means that an abdominoplasty but also a Body Lift or a retromuscular breast augmentation are quite painful operations as they are more complicated.
Any advice? Talk openly with your surgeon.
The fear of it going wrong
Firstly, botches and complications in aesthetic surgery are rare. Then, how can you be sure that the result will be natural as the objective is to rectify a flaw but without the procedure being visible? If your request is reasonable, natural is always possible. Furthermore, surgeons in France are staunch advocates of the French Touch, a customized approach that respects the morphology and personality of each patient to obtain subtle, harmonious results.
And what about scars? Again, considerable progress has been made and most operations leave very inconspicuous even invisible scars, often hidden under the natural folds of the skin. However, potential scarring depends on the capacity of each patient to heal and major procedures that involve tightening the skin – following considerable weight loss – leave more visible scars.
As for botched procedures, strictly speaking, they are extremely rare and most of the time are due to a lack of skills on the part of the surgeon, so beware of operations carried out abroad but also doctors who stake everything on the price with « cheap » procedures.
The best way of avoiding pitfalls is above all to choose your surgeon carefully and ask them as many questions as possible beforehand and, in this particular case, bring up the possibility of touch-ups and whether they are included.
You are not sure because the problem… is elsewhere
If you feel that you are undergoing this procedure to resolve all your problems or for someone else, be careful! Aesthetic surgery, even if it will considerably improve your self-image, is not the key to solving all your problems, far from it.
Consequently, the task of the surgeon is to ask questions to determine if the patient is in a good psychological state to go through with their project. It is during the consultation that they will spot any contra-indications such as body dysmorphia, depression, or a difficult period (divorce, bereavement, etc.), which are not always very favourable for an aesthetic procedure.
It is sometimes preferable to consult a psychologist to see more clearly.
Find a skilled surgeon who reassures you and instils trust.
This is where it is decided! This is the decisive point! But how?
Firstly, it is necessary to check they are a registered member of the National Board of Physicians and in the SOFCPRE directory where you can find a list of all the qualified surgeons.
Then, trust in word of mouth! If you know someone who was delighted with their operation, preferably the same as you would like to undergo, then make an appointment.
The consultation will enable you to check if the chemistry is right, if the surgeon instils confidence: it is essential, as you will be letting them correct your appearance!
Finally, ask for a second opinion to compare the approach, the advice, the quote and… your sentiment.