It is obvious that your physical appearance will change in some way after you’ve had plastic surgery. But, a common topic of debate is whether or not other changes occur that are beyond the physical.
I, for one, have had patients ask if plastic surgery will change who they are. The simple answer would be no. Post-surgery you will still have the same name, the same values, the same family, the same responsibilities, and the same goals that you have always had. However, the changes that I have seen time and time again with my patients is the way in which they see themselves. And, this is a change that I believe can often be greater than the physical changes that patients experience.
It’s no secret that people often turn to plastic surgery when they are insecure about their appearance in some way. Whether it’s too much extra skin after significant weight loss, a nose that seems disproportionate to the rest of the face, or dissatisfaction with breast size, each one of these can affect patients’ self-esteem and how they perceive themselves.
Plastic surgery can help people achieve the look they desire, minimize the insecurities, and provide a new sense of confidence. I’ve seen this time and time again with my own patients. They smile more, they stand taller, they have better eye contact and they genuinely feel really good about themselves!
While plastic surgery can, and often does, change someone’s demeanor, this does not mean it changes who they are. In fact, I find that it does the opposite. Since their appearance now matches what they feel on the inside, plastic surgery allows people to actually be who they truly are.
