All too often, we are mesmerized by plastic surgery makeovers we read and hear about, but are they a true depiction of what you should expect?

Realistic Expectations
Shelly Reynolds, the owner of PlasticSurgerySpot.com (plastic surgery forum and message board) says the most frequent complaints she sees are patients going into operations with unrealistic expectations. “Sometimes they falsely believe that cheek implants, rhinoplasty, or some other operation is going to solve all their problems. They count on this and of course are let down afterwards, because their true problem is related to their mindset, not their beauty.” Also, the patient needs to realize that perfection is not possible, especially when it comes to trickier operations like a rhinoplasty. The “best case” you can expect is an improvement, it probably will never be exactly how you want it to look.

Too Many Operations
People are known to start with a simple operation like breast implants and they quickly progress to wanting rhinoplasty, cheek implants, otoplasty, and a string of other enhancements. Or sometimes a person goes to the plastic surgeon just to fix their sagging jowls and before they know it, not only are they treating their sagging jowls, but also their frown lines, marionette lines, and every other wrinkle possible. While we all want to look perfect and have wrinkle free skin, it’s important to remember that taking it too far and doing too many operations can actually backfire and end up looking fake. Unfortunately, this is why celebrities are often known for taking it overboard, because increased social pressure and an unlimited budget leads down a bad road.

Making Your Decision
Of course, ultimately, you will be responsible for making your cosmetic surgery decisions and knowing when to say enough is enough. Consulting a plastic surgery forum may be helpful, but it’s also imperative to talk to a board certified doctor, too.