Top 10 Plastic Surgery Myths
1. MYTH: Cosmetic Surgeons are the same as Plastic Surgeons.
TRUTH: Anyone with a medical license can call themselves a cosmetic surgeon. Many physicians with no training in Plastic Surgery advertise themselves as Cosmetic Surgeons. Be sure to check credentials carefully. Look for Board Certification in Plastic Surgery.
2. MYTH: Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery Board Certifications are all the same.
TRUTH: Only the American Board of Plastic Surgery certifies that someone is fully trained in plastic surgery of the face and body. It takes from 6-9 years to achieve this training, and then you must pass a rigorous written and 2-day oral exam. There are many so called Boards that use terms such as “Cosmetic Surgery” or “Cosmetic Plastic Surgery”. There is only 1 Board recognized by Plastic Surgeons and that is The American Board of Plastic Surgery.
3. MYTH: Silicone Breast Implants are not safe.
TRUTH: Long term studies have shown that both saline and silicone breast implants are safe and have not been proven to cause any known disease. The FDA released silicone breast implants back on the market in 2006. Follow up hearings in 2011 concluded that the implants are safe.
4. MYTH: Silicone Breast Implants frequently leak.
TRUTH: The current generation of breast implants is much more durable than the older implants with a leak rate as low as 1% at 7 years. The silicone inside is a cohesive gel, much like bread dough. Even if the implant were to leak, the silicone would not go anywhere.
5. MYTH: Gummy Bear breast implants are better.
TRUTH: These implants are investigational devices and are made of solid silicone rubber. They feel very hard and not like a natural breast.
6. MYTH: Saline Implants are Safer than Silicone Implants:
TRUTH: Both Saline and Silicone Implants have been found to be safe by the FDA. Saline implants tend to have more rippling and have a much higher leak rate than silicone. This is why we generally recommend silicone rather than saline implants.
7. MYTH: Fat Injection for Breast Augmentation is better than Implants
TRUTH: Fat injection or fat grafting for breast augmentation is highly marketed but still considered an experimental procedure. The operation takes much longer and is much more expensive than augmentation with implants. A variable amount of the fat, 50% – 80% will take so it is difficult to predict what size you will be and asymmetry between the breasts is common.
8. MYTH: After liposuction, the fat will come back somewhere else.
TRUTH: Liposuction removes fat and fat cells from the body. The fat will not come back unless you take in more calories than you burn. If you do gain weight, the fat will tend to be more even since the number of fat cells in the problem areas has been reduced.
9. MYTH: Laser liposuction is better than other methods.
TRUTH: Laser liposuction uses a laser probe to dissolve the fat. The fat still needs to be sucked out with a liposuction cannula. Although it sounds more advanced, in reality it is no more effective than other methods. At Squires Plastic Surgery we use Power Assisted Liposuction to remove the fat faster and with less trauma using smaller diameter cannulas.
10. MYTH: Botox is not safe and causes a “frozen face” look
Truth: Botox is a highly purified and safe product. It will not and cannot cause Botulism. Injection by a trained, experienced professional will look very natural. Overdosing can cause droopy eyelids and a “frozen face” look