4 Plastic Surgery Secrets Clients Need To Know

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Considering a new procedure or curious about plastic surgery in general? There’s a lot of things people won’t tell you about plastic surgery — until now, that is.

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Secret #1: Successful plastic surgery is all about math

When you think of plastic surgery, you might think about complicated-looking surgery rooms filled with expert staff, or dashed lines drawn in marker on the skin.

You’d be on the right track. However, successful plastic surgery includes a lot more than just these variables. It actually involves a lot of math — specifically, math known as the “Golden Ratio.” This variety of math dates back to the ancient Greeks who recognized that symmetry (or lack thereof) within life and nature correlated with our perception of beauty.

The theory states that things widely considered beautiful or aesthetically pleasing elements follow a ratio of 1.618:1.

Plastic surgeons have extensively studied and applied this concept since industry’s inception — and just might reference it in your surgical consultation.

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Secret #2: Plastic surgery often embraces a more natural look

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Afraid of looking PhotoShopped? You won’t — for multiple reasons.

Plastic surgeons are often approached with airbrushed photos of Instagram models and celebrities. However, they can’t always make that happen for any client who comes to their practice.

Dozens of plastic surgeons have gone on record numerous times stating that they can’t do the impossible, such as a 10-inch waist or a triple-Z breast implant. However, inspirational photos still serve as helpful reference for the surgeon to better understand the client's ultimate end goal.

Typically, after a surgeon consults with a client and views their aspirational photos, they’ll work together to come to an agreement on what’s realistic, healthy, and achievable. This step gives the patient the best outcome possible while taking their goals into consideration.

If you’re planning on having a surgical consultation, it can be helpful to show your surgeon multiple photos of your ideal outcome so that this agreement can be reached.

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Secret #3: Your surgeon is already 10 steps ahead in the healing process

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Plastic surgery is still surgery — you’re not meant to look “perfect” straight off the operating table. In fact, surgeons deliberately take steps not to make your procedure look perfect when you’re undergoing your cosmetic procedure.

If they did their calculations and surgical steps for you at that angle, it might not look “right” when you sit up or walk around.

To preemptively address this, surgeons will often alter implant placement locations, heights, or incision sites to account for this difference. This allows you to heal safely and achieve the look you want once you’re completely healed.

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Secret #4: It takes time to get used to the new you

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Experts have confirmed that it takes clients about 90 days to get used to a new facelift. While this number may seem estimated, it is consistent across most cases. One of the reasons for this delay is that it takes some time for the swelling to fully go down. But there’s also the aspect of being so familiar with our faces, that any changes to our reflection initially appear drastic to us as our brain updates its expectations to this new reality. In other words, it takes some time to get used to the changes you see, because our brain tends to “like” the familiar and resist change.

This window of recognition has only been seen consistently with a surgical facelift, the part our brains are most accustomed to seeing — other types of procedures can take less time to get used to.

Our recommendation to all plastic surgery clients is to give yourself time to heal and acclimate to your post-op look. After all — you were beautiful before surgery, and you are beautiful across all phases of the healing process! Having a healthy level of self-compassion and awareness can give you a better overall recovery experience and reduce mental strain as you get used to your new look.

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Speaking of taking time…

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If you’re considering a rhinoplasty (also known as a “nose job”), be sure to give yourself ample time to heal. Surgeons advise that full recovery can take months, even years, in some cases, because facial swelling in that area can take awhile to dissipate.

Anticipating the recovery and acclimation time, as well as planning ahead for it, can help you to set realistic expectations and goals for your recovery and lead to a better overall experience.

Plastic surgery procedures don’t have to — and really shouldn’t be — a mystery.

Bliss connects you to experts who can answer questions regarding your elective cosmetic procedures empowering you with the information, resources, and highly qualified professionals you’ll need to define and pursue the next stage in your self-love journey.

We also offer flexible financing options designed to connect you to the care you deserve in the most convenient way possible.

Ready to take the next step? Take our short questionnaire about your aesthetic goals and book a free consultation with our Bliss Care Advisor to learn more.

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