When it comes to scars from big procedures like tummy tucks and breast lifts, many believe it's a surgeon's skill that determines how badly you'll scar post surgery. However, Bayati says it really comes down to a patient's genetic factors. A skilled plastic surgeon "can do the same exact closure on two different people, and one heals with imperceptible scars and one doesn't," she says. Something important to keep in mind before going under the knife -- especially if you've got a darker complexion and high skin pigmentation, which Bayati says put you in the high risk category for scarring.
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Mistake No. 2: You don't check the doc's creds closely enough
So, you're at your annual pap smear and one idle glance at the wall between your legs reveals your gynecologist now offers Botox injections. Or you're getting your teeth cleaned and there is a Juvederm poster above the sink advising you to "Kiss those laugh lines goodbye." Since when do your gynecologist and dentist care about your wrinkles? What the heck is going on?
Here's a newsflash: Regular docs can perform the same plastic surgeries as certified plastic surgeons. Dr. Leonard Tachmes says that any MD can claim to be a surgeon (and they are in growing numbers due to monetary incentives), but only a surgeon who is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery -- the only plastic surgery board recognized by the American Medical Association -- should be performing these aesthetic procedures.
We all know about the plastic surgery horror stories of fatal blood clots or heart attacks, and have gasped at the pictures of notoriously butchered celebs like Michael Jackson and Courtney Love. But more often than not, we never find out about the other ways plastic surgery can go wrong -- ways that in some cases, aren't the doctor's fault.
"Plastic surgery is major surgery," says Semira Bayati, a board certified plastic surgeon in Newport Beach, Calif. -- and a lot of times, no matter how skilled the doctor, crazy side effects can happen.
Knowing about these less-talked about ways that plastic surgery can go wrong is more important than ever, considering the growing number of people in the U.S. who are opting for cosmetic procedures. According to a recent survey, 51 percent of the population approves of cosmetic and plastic surgery. "As the numbers suggest, people in every income bracket, single or married, male or female, view plastic surgery as a reasonable option today,� says Felmont F. Eaves III, MD, President of The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.
So, before you sign up for a Botox session at your next dentist appointment or lust after a nose job when "Us Weekly" runs enviable before and after shots of Ashlee Simpson, read on. You'll want to know about these shocking ways that plastic surgery can leave you with less than stellar results. They happen more frequently than you might expect.
