Plastic surgery has become more normalized than ever in the past few years. While in the past many who opted for plastic surgery chose to hide the fact they they had work done, recipients these days are more comfortable with disclosing that type of information to their friends and loved ones. The online “sharing” culture based on social media may have something to do with it—people are more comfortable with sharing personal details now they they were ever before.
Which brings us to a choice that many of our patients have—whether they should tell others they’ve had plastic surgery work done, or not.
On one hand, you shouldn’t feel like you have to disclose your cosmetic choices to others. After all, one good sign of quality cosmetic work is that the work appears so natural that it is impossible to tell if the individual has indeed had work done. Many patients choose to only tell close friends and family, allowing the rest of the world to perceive that something is different but not necessarily knowing exactly what changed.
On the other, society has also come far enough along that if you choose to be frank about your plastic surgery procedure, you won’t be judged as you would have been several decades ago. Personal empowerment allows individuals to be frank and unapologetic about the decisions they make and about doing what makes them happy. If plastic surgery helped you get closer to feeling like the best version of yourself, and if you’re happy with the results, why wouldn’t you want to a) tell people about this exciting new change, even show it off, and b) tell them how happy you are with the results so that they can understand that they too may be able to benefit from plastic surgery if they have an aspect of their body they want to improve.
So how do you decide who to tell? It’s an entirely personal decision based on what you’re comfortable with. If you don’t want to tell people and you’re faced with a question such as “You look different, but I can’t put my finger on it. What changed?” you can always say “I don’t know, but I’ve been really feeling great lately” and leave it at that.
It’s also important to note that your decision doesn’t have to be black or white—plastic surgery doesn’t have to either be shouted to the world or be kept a secret. You could very well choose not to disclose that you’ve had surgery, unless someone asks you about it specifically, in which case you could give them a honest response about your surgery and your experience.
When deciding who to tell about your procedure, keep in mind that your plastic surgeon can be a great resource for any questions you may have. Don’t be afraid to ask him or her for advice so you can benefit from their years of experience.
