By Plastic Surgeon Dr Dirk Kremer.

The plastic surgery industry has become increasingly accepted in recent years - we're no longer condemning people for their decision to undergo cosmetic surgery to turn back the clock and are instead praising surgeons for the subtlety of their work. Although there is no such thing as the perfect result after a cosmetic procedure, as each person will have their unique expectations, for most, the perfect plastic surgery will produce a result that makes it difficult to tell that the patient has had surgery at all. Further still, a successful procedure gives off the image of good health and a younger appearance. With the rise of plastic surgery reality television shows and the growing presence of the industry in television programmes and films, it is clear that, as a global community, we're more comfortable with the idea of 'getting work done' than ever before.

Developing new and interesting procedures

This acceptance has had an interesting impact on the aesthetic surgery industry. Indeed, patients are increasingly turning to surgery for a number of reasons, from improving their selfie to aspiring to look like a specific celebrity, and plastic surgeons worldwide are challenging themselves to develop new and innovative procedures that adapt to the needs of society, resulting in ‘trendy treatments’ that the public are calling for. While not all of these trends and procedures are necessarily a healthy choice for a patient, some of the more obscure treatments can be used as an example of the variety of reasons why patients choose plastic surgery in the first place, such as wanting to look younger and healthier or to slow ageing.

Fairy-tale endings?

One of the most recent cosmetic procedures that received a lot of thought-provoking media attention throughout 2014 was the so-called ‘Cinderella surgery’, the need for which developed out of women wanting to wear high heels with none of the pain. The surgery can vary and may involve the removal of bunions to make wearing heels more comfortable, to the more extreme foot altering surgeries, which can include shaving off bone or increasing the arch of a patient’s foot.

The name of the procedure creates a mental image of Disney princesses and shoes with a perfect fit, but the reality can be a lot more painful as complications with this niche surgery become more apparent with each new report of the procedure being performed. Shortening toes, for example, can adversely affect an individual’s balance and redistribute their weight disproportionately, leading to arthritic pain in the future; there have even been reports of patients losing all functionality in their toes as well as reversal procedures that left patients in agonising pain.

A family affair

The cosmetic procedures themselves are not the only aspect of plastic surgery to have adapted to the more approachable image of the industry: it has also become increasingly popular for patients to book their plastic surgery procedures in pairs. As we become more open about our desire to have plastic surgery, more reports are coming to light of mothers and daughters attending joint consultations with the goal of changing similar features. Of course, this practice is not all that surprising when you think about it – as children share the same genes as their parents, they’re more likely to share the same feelings of unhappiness, whether that is feeling their nose is too long or that their lips are too thin.

As with any decision to undergo elective surgery, it is important to consider everything in great detail and a good surgeon will discuss this with you in an initial consultation. Personally, I’m only happy to perform cosmetic surgery if my patients have a firm understanding of what they want to achieve and a realistic expectation of the results. Trends will come and go, but permanently altering your body is not a decision that can be reversed easily, if at all. The ever-expanding acceptance of the plastic surgery industry is fantastic news, as long as people don’t abuse the possibilities now open to them.

If you are interested in undergoing plastic surgery, please contact me at Harley St Aesthetics today to book a consultation and I will be happy to talk with you about what options are available to you, as well as the treatments and procedures that can be used to best achieve the result(s) you desire.