Aristotle said about the external beauty of a person, that it is the most important quality, much more than the best letter of recommendation. Beauty has always been considered a natural gift and people since ancient times sought to acquire it. Doing sports for a harmonious body, taking care of their hair, tattooing, using natural cosmetics and pigments are the simplest examples.
Appearance as well as the perception of beauty, wellness and health play a huge role dominating the first priorities of today’s average person. Beauty, in addition to external appearance, can touch feelings such as: self-confidence, satisfaction and acceptance. A child with “floppy ears” or an adolescent with hypertrophy of the mammary gland (gynaecomastia) perceives or experiences harsh and strict behavior from peers. So the role of the Plastic Surgeon goes beyond the superficial limits of a simple aesthetic improvement.
Undoubtedly, appearance plays a key role today in maintaining self-esteem as more and more people try to improve their social profile through their appearance, seeking to feel and be healthier. It is no coincidence that breast augmentation is one of the most frequently performed operations in the US. In surveys, especially young girls report that such an operation gave them a boost both in their personal and social lives, and even in professional opportunities. After all, the body is not intended to imprison the psyche of the individual, on the contrary, it should contribute to the expression of his emotions.
The feeling that a beautiful image gives us more opportunities in our professional, social and love life is intertwined with human nature. But no one can choose their congenital external characteristics. At this point, the science of Medicine and more specifically the field of Aesthetic and Reconstructive Plastic Surgery intervenes.
Nowadays, the increase in the average life span, as well as professional and romantic activity at older ages, has created in modern man, the desire to stay younger. Botox, hyaluronic acid, mesotherapy, applications that are painless, economical and quick, are typically referred to as “lunch break therapies”, which shows how everyone in the modern lifestyle perceives time in relation to their obligations and needs .
Together with Geriatrics, physical exercise, healthy nutrition and Plastic Surgery contribute to this human effort for “eternal” youth and beauty.
Plastic surgery (etymologically from the verb “to mold”) is the surgical specialty that deals with the correction and restoration of the human body to its normal form. It is the medical specialty that treats deformities, whether they come from congenital anomalies, or injury, or burn, or deficits after surgical resection for cancer, or they occur with the passage of age (aging). Her effort lies in achieving the best functional and aesthetic restoration. Plastic Surgery is a specialty that is constantly evolving and offers new possibilities. For example, fat that was considered useless after a liposuction, with modern techniques can be used (lipotransfer) on the face, chest, buttocks to improve shape and volume.
Even after pregnancy, young women do not stop looking for the improvement of the changes that have occurred in their body, with “mommy makeover” operations on the face, chest, abdomen.
The object of cosmetic surgery is: the treatment of any deformity of a person’s face (nose, drooping ears, prognathism, alopecia (baldness), moles, scars, hemangiomas, drooping eyelids and face), of the breast (hypoplasia, megalomastia, anisomastia, nipple hypertrophy, nipple indentation, breast droop), of the trunk (nevus, sagging abdomen, local lipodystrophy of the abdomen), of the genitals (microphallia, hypertrophy of the labia vulva), of the limbs (local lipodystrophy of the arms, buttocks, thighs, buttock drop) , correction after massive weight loss (after bariatric surgery), breast reconstruction after mastectomy, body contouring,
The auxiliary tools and techniques used by the Plastic surgeon are: the non-traumatic surgical technique, the transplantation of tissues (skin, fat, stem cells, cartilage, hair, nerve, etc.), the microsurgical technique for the transfer of free flaps, the use implants, the use of injectable materials in cosmetic medicine, the use of skin substitutes, the use of LASERs, the use of photodynamic treatments, radio frequencies, ultrasounds, endoscopic surgery, etc
In conclusion, we all have the right to see in our mirror a more harmonious image than the one that nature gave us! We are always looking for the harmonious and not the perfect…
