Cosmetic plastic surgery is both an emotional and physical experience.
gettyCosmetic plastic surgery is more than just a physical procedure; there are also emotional aspects to it. For starters, when considering cosmetic plastic surgery, it’s important to recognize that the patient is doing it for themself, not for anyone else. They’re not doing it to impress anyone—friends, family, or partners.
It’s Not Always About Your Partner
Women, especially, may find that their partner doesn’t realize that the desire for cosmetic plastic surgery has nothing to do with him. A spouse or significant other often doesn’t feel their partner “needs” cosmetic plastic surgery. They don’t realize it’s about her wanting to do something for herself to improve her appearance, self-confidence, and happiness. That’s why the decision to do cosmetic plastic surgery has to be for the patient—and only the patient.
Yet, it’s important to get family buy-in—and support. No small task, considering the patient is doing this for herself, not for her family. When it comes to any type of surgery, family and loved ones are often scared of the unknown and worried about the patient, so it can be tough for them to understand when it is not as much about physical health as it is about mental outlook.
Prepare With a Positive Outlook
Preparing and recovering from cosmetic plastic surgery is both an emotional and physical experience, so a positive outlook is important for both patient and family members, pre- and postoperatively.
In addition to the physical aspects of healing, including dealing with the stress of postoperative care and medications, patients are vulnerable and emotionally drained after surgery. They may also be on an emotional roller coaster, experiencing regret, uncertainty, and even the fear of having made a mistake. The surgical experience can be tremendously rattling for even the strongest person.
While family members may want to help, they often have no medical background, so they not only worry about the patient but about doing something wrong during postoperative care. It can be tough for even the most empathetic family member to avoid the mindset towards the patient that “We already loved you as you were” or “You’re the one who wanted to do this.”
Strong Support Systems Mean Better Recovery
The mental and emotional state of patients and family members has a dramatic effect on postoperative healing and the process as a whole. People with a healthy outlook and a strong support system seem to have more realistic expectations. They are happier with their results than people who blame the world for their problems and have family members who are not there for them mentally or emotionally.
There is actually some medical science behind this. Stress and anxiety impact healing by causing vasoconstriction, or restricted blood flow, and by releasing catecholamines such as cortisol, the stress hormone, in the bloodstream. Whether that stress is internally induced anxiety or comes from external stressors in the patient’s personal or professional life, it can significantly impede how a cosmetic plastic surgery incision heals. Improvements aren’t seen in hours or days following surgery; they’re gradual, occurring over weeks and months. Scars can even take a year to heal, so it’s very important to address the psychological tie to immediacy.
That’s why, in addition to physical preparation and proper nutrition, addressing emotional concerns and having a caring environment following surgery are all crucial to healing. In my practice, counseling is an integral part of pre- and postoperative preparation for the patient and family members.
We have a counselor available to talk with patients to help with anxiety and stress levels, and we are one of the few plastic surgery offices across the United States to have a counselor on our staff. We believe this support mechanism is invaluable to both the patient and the patient’s family before and after surgery.
