If you have never had plastic surgery before, deciding to get a procedure can be a big decision. There are just so many unknowns to consider, including how you will look, feel, and recover following the procedure.
Even with all of these unknowns, most people who decide to take a leap of faith and opt for plastic surgery are happy with their results. Of course, a lot of their happiness will likely stem from their plastic surgeon choice, as it is essential to only go to a plastic surgeon who is an experienced expert in the field.
If you are still on the fence, read on to learn what convinced many first-time patients to choose to undergo plastic surgery. By interviewing a variety of different plastic surgery patients, we were able to uncover a few of the primary motivations people have for deciding to try plastic surgery. If you find yourself nodding in agreement with some of the below reasons to try plastic surgery, you may want to schedule a consultation with a local plastic surgeon today.
They Are Not Happy With Their Appearance
The biggest factor for the majority of first-time plastic surgery patients opting for plastic surgery is that they are not happy with their appearance. Something about the way they look has “never appealed to [them]”, as Matthew Valenditrio revealed to our interviewer.
It can be difficult to wake up every morning and look in the mirror and not like what you see. It is enough to cause a change in your mood and disposition. One patient went as far as to say that because of the way they looked, every day they “didn’t feel good.” If your appearance is causing you to suffer, then plastic surgery is an easy way to correct any perceived flaws in your appearance.
As one patient put it, “others can tell you all the time how pretty you are, but if you don’t feel it inside” it can be difficult to live a happy and healthy life.
Pregnancy Has Drastically Changed Their Body
Pregnancy is an incredible experience, resulting in the miracle of childbirth. However, pregnancy can leave a mark on a woman’s body that refuses to go away. Many women who have children and breastfeed find that their body never recovers, resulting in stretched out skin, hanging layers, deflated breasts, and other aesthetic issues.
As Liz Jeneault explains, “After I was done breastfeeding my daughter, my chest looked different than it used to. I breastfed my daughter for five wonderful months, but lost the fullness in my breasts when I stopped. They had a deflated look that they never had before!”
For mothers like Liz who are unhappy with their breasts, breast augmentation or breast lift surgery can provide immediate results. Liz opted for a breast augmentation, explaining that she felt she “deserved the surgery to make [herself] feel whole again after having given so much to [her] daughter.” She could not have been happier with the results, as she is “absolutely in love with [her] breast augmentation” and feels “more confident now than ever before!”
Breast augmentation and breast lifts are far from the only post-pregnancy plastic surgeries you can opt for. The best choice is usually to just go with a “Mommy Makeover”, which is the name given to a series of procedures performed to help you get your pre-pregnancy body back. Mommy Makeovers usually feature some combination of liposuction, tummy tuck, and breast surgery.
A Specific Feature Has Always Bothered Them
Some people are happy with their overall appearance, but one specific aspect of their appearance bothers them. This can be something as simple as a mole on their back or as complicated as puffy eyelids. For Matthew Valenditrio, it was the latter.
He had been very unhappy with the appearance of his eyelids “ever since [he] was in high school”, using “eye tapes just to have a crease on my eyelid.” Matthew opted for eyelid surgery and was “super happy” with the results. “I feel more confident,” he explained. “My eyes are more awake and it really changed my dating life.”
If you have a specific feature that bothers you, why not just get it fixed? Plastic surgery offers a simple way to resolve a number of aesthetic issues. If you are unhappy with the way your ears look, cosmetic ear surgery can reduce the size of your ears or move them closer to your head. Do you dislike the appearance of your nose? A nose job can get you the nose of your dreams! Similar surgeries are available for pretty much any part of your body, so if you have a “problem area” on your body that needs to be fixed, contact a plastic surgeon for a consultation.
A Health Scare Changes Their Body
Sometimes, circumstances beyond the patient’s control can make plastic surgery a necessity. Health issues can leave your body changed, and patients often turn to a plastic surgeon to help them regain their former appearance.
One example of this is Irene Little. Irene was forced to have a mastectomy because of the possibility of breast cancer. While Irene “was more scared of the possibility of getting cancer” than losing her breasts, she understandably “was not willing to have the surgery without the reconstruction” afterward.
For women who need to undergo a mastectomy, they are often “scared of suddenly no longer having feminine breasts” and that they “would not feel feminine” anymore. Breast reconstruction allows these women to retain their femininity, placing breast implants that are often “covered by [their] insurance.”
This is not the only situation in which a health scare can drastically alter a patient’s appearance, resulting in them having a desire for plastic surgery. If you are having a health procedure that will leave you with undesirable cosmetic side effects, you may want to consider opting for plastic surgery.
After Losing Weight, They Have Hanging Skin
Losing weight is hard. If you are able to shed a significant amount of weight, the expectation is that you will immediately be happy with your appearance. However, drastic weight loss can result in loose, hanging skin all over your body. As one patient put it, “you just can’t get rid of stuff that hangs.”
There are a number of different procedures that work to get rid of loose or hanging skin following weight loss. The most popular is a tummy tuck. A tummy tuck removes any excess fat and skin around the abdomen while also tightening the muscles in the area. This will result in a flat and toned stomach that truly reflects the weight loss transformation you have worked so hard to complete. Other procedures to consider after losing weight include liposuction, breast lift, tummy tuck, arm lift, butt lift, thigh lift, lower body lift, and body sculpting.
They Want to Feel More Confident
All of the above reasons to become a first-time plastic surgery patient ultimately boils down to wanting to feel more confident. Self-confidence is a huge asset in all aspects of life, helping individuals accomplish more and ultimately feel happier. If plastic surgery can help you become more confident, isn’t that reason enough to opt for a cosmetic procedure?
As one patient reported, “Before I had my procedure I lacked a lot of self-confidence, it was kind of a day to day struggle.” After surgery, the same patient has “self-esteem that I don’t think I ever had in my life.” Other patients have reported feeling “so much more vibrant”, having “more energy”, and that they “have more desire to get up and get dressed and look beautiful”.
Ultimately, the goal of most plastic surgery procedures is to make patients feel good about the way they look. As one happy patient explained, after plastic surgery “I love the person that I look at and see in the mirror every day”.
Schedule a Consultation For Your First Plastic Surgery Procedure
If you want to feel more confident and happy with the way you look, contact Dr. Lapuerta for a consultation today. Dr. Lapuerta has an excellent reputation in Houston, Pearland, and Katy, Texas as a down to earth doctor who clearly communicates with his patients throughout every step of the process.
No matter what your reason is for trying plastic surgery for the first time, choosing Dr. Lapuerta as your surgeon means that you are in safe, reliable hands. To learn more about the motivation of other first-time plastic surgery patients or to schedule a plastic surgery consultation, contact Dr. Lapuerta today by calling (713) 489-0169.