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Why do you want to have this surgery?
What do you hope the procedure will do for you?

Don't be surprised when your facial plastic surgeon asks these questions. It's a standard part of the initial consultation, because facial plastic surgeons know how important it is for patients to have appropriate motivations for seeking surgery and realistic expectations about what the procedure will accomplish.

Look good, feel good
Facial plastic surgery is one of the tools available to help people look their best. Health professionals today recognize the link between physical appearance and self-esteem. Psychologists point out that a desire for an attractive appearance is a sign of good mental health, because attention to one's looks demonstrates healthy self-esteem.

People who look good tend to feel better about themselves. People treat them with greater respect, and that starts an upward spiral of success. An attractive appearance is no guarantee of happiness, however. And while a pleasing appearance is one factor in developing healthy self-esteem, it is not the only one.

Facial plastic surgeons agree that the best candidates for a surgical procedure are individuals who already have a strong self-concept. They like themselves, and know exactly what they want to accomplish. They are seeking facial plastic surgery to improve their appearance, but they are not expecting it to change their lives.

Your Consultation Visit
When you first meet with the surgeon, you should be prepared to explain exactly what you think is wrong with your face and what you would like the surgery to accomplish. The problem may seem obvious to you, but the surgeon will want you to describe it in your own words and tell why you want to make a change.

The surgeon will probe into your attitudes because realistic expectations are important if you are to obtain a successful result. Facial plastic surgery can improve appearance, but it does not yield perfection. Patients whose expectations are unrealistic or unattainable may have difficulty adjusting to their new appearance, or they may be unable to accept the natural effects of surgery. Any facial plastic surgery procedure inevitably involves some discomfort and a period of swelling or discoloration. Patients must understand the risks and be strongly motivated to follow through with appropriate postoperative care.

Motivations for surgery
So why are you having surgery? If you are like most facial plastic surgery patients, your primary motivation is a desire to look younger. Dissatisfaction with a facial feature and a desire to improve one's outer appearance are the next most commonly cited reasons, according to a survey conducted by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

Facial plastic surgery is on the upswing, with well over a million aesthetic procedures performed each year. People from every walk of life are opting for nose surgery, facelifts, browlifts, eyelid surgery, hair replacement procedures, and other techniques for improving their appearance. They are finding that facial plastic surgery offers an affordable and realistic option for correcting facial problems.

Surgery won't change your life What do you hope surgery will accomplish? If you say that you hope it will help you look your best, you are right on target for a successful experience.

It's a mistake to think facial plastic surgery will fix what's wrong in your life. It won't help you salvage a failed relationship or get a promotion at work.

Not surprisingly, surgeons hesitate to operate on people whose reasons for wanting surgery are inappropriate and who are seeking more than surgery can do.

"Still myself, only better"
Facial plastic surgery won't put someone else's features on your face. Nor will it make you look just the way you did 20 years ago. What it can do is to improve and harmonize your unique features-and make you look the best you can be.

As one satisfied facial plastic surgery patient commented, "My friends say I look great, but no one has any idea that I had surgery! It didn't change the way I look – I'm still myself, only better."

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