Q. I’ve been noticing on TV that many of our actresses have undergone cosmetic surgery, mainly nose lifts and face lifts. What are the health risks and drawbacks of cosmetic surgery?

--Georgie L., Makati City

A. Indeed, cosmetic surgery is currently enjoying unprecedented popularity in the Philippines, especially among celebrities.  This phenomenon is fueled largely by persuasive and pervasive advertising that overemphasize cosmetic surgery’s benefits and minimize its risks.

There is no question that reconstructive and cosmetic surgery can benefit certain individuals. Surgical procedures to correct cleft lips and palates, for example, should be a must. Cosmetic surgical procedures that correct facial and other body features that can attract ridicule from other people such as skin tags, extra digits, etc. are also acceptable.

However, people who contemplate on undergoing cosmetic surgery for vanity’s sake should think twice before they do so, because, aside from cost, cosmetic surgery has a lot of drawbacks.

Foremost of these drawbacks is the fact that in many instances, cosmetic surgery fails to achieve its primary aims of improving a person’s appearance, self-confidence and body image. Many people who undergo cosmetic procedures do not really enhance their appearance—a brown-skinned Filipino with an aquiline nose is certainly more laughable than admirable. Likewise, studies show that in many cases, cosmetic surgery does not really bolster self-confidence and body image. In fact, many patients experience periods of depression or anxiety following cosmetic surgery. Worse, dissatisfied patients sometimes return for more surgery and become self-destructive. Worst, some patients get too preoccupied with imagined or slight defects in their appearance that repeated cosmetic surgery becomes a pathological obsession.

Another drawback of cosmetic surgery is that its benefits are often temporary.  Most successful cosmetic procedures have to be repeated every few years to maintain their aesthetic value because as a person ages, the body’s form and shape change. Thus, a few years after a face lift or eye bag removal, the skin sags again and the patient has to undergo repeat surgery.

And then, of course, cosmetic surgery is surgery.  As such, it carries potentially serious health risks. Complications are rare with modern procedures that are performed by qualified and experienced plastic and cosmetic surgeons, but they do occur. These complications include infection, which can become life-threatening or lead to disfiguring scars; damage to skin, nerves and vital organs; fat and air embolism—inherent risks in liposuction that has caused many documented deaths; and of course, anesthetic accidents, which occasionally lead to disability or even death. Incidentally, some cosmetic procedures are invasive and painful, and recovery time can range from one day to six months or even longer. Also, some complications are long term like the continual pain and sensitivity that some patients who undergo breast augmentation surgery experience.

Cosmetic procedures can also give rise to unique health problems. For example, breast implants can leak, interfere with mammography and contribute to insufficient lactation when a woman tries to breastfeed.  Liposuction can also perpetuate or aggravate an eating disorder.

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