A beloved feature for consumers are the many before and after plastic surgery pictures found online.
In fact, the term “Before and after plastic surgery pictures” is one of the largest searches done on the Internet by people who are seriously interested in improving their appearance.
Before and after pictures are a favorite due to the uniquely American fascination with reinventing ourselves and our environment. Psychologists point out that before and after pictures of anything –cars, houses, motorcycles, cities — are overwhelmingly popular.
But when we look at before and after pictures of plastic surgery patients, do we always know what we are seeing? If you are anticipating having rejuvenation surgery, how can a surgeon’s book of before and after pictures help you make sound medical decisions?
Here, Drs. Face and Body provide a series of insider tips on how to best use plastic surgery before and after pictures.
Dr. Face (Dr. Kotler): Looking at before and after pictures of plastic surgery will tell you about a surgeon’s skills, his sense of artistry and particular style. You will also learn what are reasonable and achievable results in plastic surgery. And remember, a big hint about your surgeon’s level of specialization is the number of pictures; you should be able to see hundreds of photos. If a surgeon shares only three or five of a given procedure, his experience with that procedure is likely quite limited.
Dr. Body (Dr. Linder): Among all those befores and afters, you should be able to spot a patient whose features are somewhat like yours. They wanted and received the same procedure you have in mind.
Dr. Face: But don’t settle for random Polaroid snapshots! All photos should be standardized and consistent: lighting, the distance of the camera from the patient and the angle of the view should all be the same, with no shadows or subtle lighting. The only thing that should be different is what was changed in the operating room.
Dr. Body: That’s right doctor, only the patients are different! Make sure the people depicted are real patients, not professional models. In every set of before and after pictures, you should see a front and side view along with an oblique view.
Dr. Face: Each photo should be captioned with information about what was done and why it was done.
Dr. Body: When looking at before and after breast augmentation pictures, look for the following: the front view should show good cleavage in the after shot. If you see many after pictures of breast enhancement patients who have no cleavage, it may be an indication your plastic surgeon inserts the breast implant from the belly button. Be sure and ask! Also, use the front view of after breast enlargement pictures to evaluate breast size and symmetry. Ask yourself if the breasts in the front after pictures look totally natural.
Dr. Face: Remember, it’s important for patients to have some visualization of the surgery’s outcome. Otherwise, too much is left to the imagination. While the surgeon immediately has a vision of the result in his mind’s eye, the patient needs to see that, too.
To optimize communications and agreement between patients and doctor, I’ve used a computer imaging, or morphing, process since 1989. This computer uses a digital camera to capture your image. At my direction, a skilled computer specialist morphs the changes onto your picture and produces an “after” image that is a reasonable prediction of a plastic surgery’s outcome. In 20 years of usage, I have seen patients take comfort in knowing what they will probably look like after surgery. It erases the mystery.
Dr. Body: On liposuction before and after pictures, make sure the patients in both sets of pictures are not holding their arms over their heads. Raised arms will yield a misleading after picture. Same with breast augmentation before and after pictures: the arms should be in the same position in both sets.
Dr. Face: For patients planning brow, forehead and eyelid surgery or even Botox injections, we take photos of patients with no facial muscle activity – in repose – and also with full muscle contraction like lifting the eyebrows or closing the eyes. The aim is to show the surgeon where the patient’s muscles ridges, creases, frown and smiles are located to properly manage them in surgery. Another reason why high quality photos are so important: they act as a guide for the surgeon, particularly in the operating room when the patient is flat and the skin appears less wrinkled.
Dr. Body: On some before and after pictures, you should be able to see some scars in close-ups. In those cases, it’s important to know how far out from surgery the patient is. For instance, scars around the nipple in a breast augmentation may last for a year.
Dr. Face: Close-up before and after pictures are important for showing the changes in skin tones after laser and chemical peels.
Incidentally, after healing is complete and the final photos are taken, we share the before picture with the patient.
Patients universally comment: “No way I looked that bad!”
My reply? “The camera never lies.”
And now, I have a question for you, doctor.
Dr. Body: Yes?
Dr. Face: Have any of your Hollywood body plastic surgery patients ever announced they were ready for their close-up?
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