Source: medicalnewstoday.com

A person can look thinner, appear younger, or change their shape through various plastic surgeries. Common procedures include breast augmentation, liposuction, facelift, rhinoplasty, and breast lift. These cosmetic surgeries can also influence mental health and how you feel about your body. Consider the relationship between plastic surgery and body image, and talk to a plastic surgeon before you make the commitment.

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How Plastic Surgery Impacts Your Body Image

Source: healthline.com

Body image is recognized as the level of satisfaction with one’s appearance and can impact your life in several ways. Since plastic surgery alters your appearance, it can affect how you feel about yourself. Here are four ways that plastic surgery and body image are connected:

1. Enhance Self-confidence

A person may decide to have plastic surgery to feel more comfortable and confident with their overall appearance. They may struggle with poor body image or experience negative comments about their appearance, which may lead to low self-esteem. Studies have shown that an individual’s self-confidence and quality of life can be improved after cosmetic plastic surgery.

2. Reduce Body Dissatisfaction

Source: psypost.org

Many people look to plastic surgery because they are unhappy with a certain feature or part of their body. They may have felt embarrassed about the shape of their nose or the size of their breasts. They may have a deformed body part due to injury, illness, or a congenital disability, which can be repaired by surgery.

Rhinoplasty, also known as a nose job, is a cosmetic procedure that can reshape the nose, make it look smaller, or eliminate a bump. This surgery has been found to increase positive body image in individuals who feel dissatisfied with their noses. Women who have lost a significant amount of weight may want to have the excess skin removed to help the abdomen look tauter. This can be done through an abdominoplasty, or a tummy tuck, and has also been shown to increase body satisfaction.

3. Alleviate Health Issues

Some plastic surgeries can alleviate health issues, which improves the quality of life. Women who have large breasts may experience back pain. Breast reduction surgery can reduce the breasts enough to help the individual move better and enjoy activities again.

Rhinoplasty can correct injury to the nose or a congenital disability that has made it difficult to breathe. A person may find it easier to be more active if the procedure alleviates breathing issues. Liposuction can fix certain health issues if there are areas of stubborn fat that won’t go away with diet and exercise. If the excess fat is located around the thighs or the skin on the stomach hangs over, it can rub and cause a rash to develop. Surgery can help correct these issues, which can increase the quality of life and may make it easier to move around.

4. Improve Relationships

While plastic surgery doesn’t directly impact your relationships, it may help improve them based on increased self-esteem and gained confidence following the procedure. One study showed that women who underwent cosmetic surgery felt more feminine and attractive afterward, which led to more self-confidence during social interactions. For some women, this also contributed to a greater sense of success in married life.

5. Protect Your Emotional Health

Source: healthline.com

Plastic surgery can have benefits related to mental and emotional health if you choose a qualified plastic surgeon. To protect your emotional health, select someone you can trust. Take the time to do research and find out if the plastic surgeon has performed the surgery you want. Check their website to see before and after photos. You can also schedule a meeting to ask questions and discuss any concerns.

Have realistic expectations for the surgery. Since each person is unique, your results may not look exactly the same as someone else’s. When you meet with the surgeon, they can give you a better idea of how the surgery will impact your body.

Choose the Right Plastic Surgeon

To get the best physical and emotional results from plastic surgery, work with an experienced and trusted plastic surgeon. Check that they have successfully performed the procedure you are interested in. The surgeon can advise you throughout the process. Schedule a consultation where you will have your questions answered and determine if you want to move forward with the procedure.