By: Andrew Smith, MD

It’s a little frustrating how some people in the media portray cosmetic surgery – one minute they’re criticizing all the reasonable men and women out there who choose cosmetic surgery for an enhanced look, and the next minute they’re touting cosmetic surgery as some kind of cure-all. Both of these extremes don’t paint a very realistic picture of cosmetic surgery today.

Take, for example, a few recent news stories on BOTOX: in one (here), a Scottish woman can now see because BOTOX injections tightened her facial tissues, and in another (here), BOTOX has been used to relieve migraine headaches. At the same time, we hear all kinds of talk about a “Botax” on cosmetic surgery procedures because supposedly only wealthy people get these procedures.

“Sensational” type stories are bread and butter in the media business, but as a plastic surgeon I would like to see more reporters presenting an honest and complete picture of what we do. Cosmetic surgery in Orange County has plenty of applications beyond just looking better, and every year we’re discovering new ways that it can help people. For instance, laser treatments can actually improve the health of the skin along with its appearance, and breast augmentation has been shown to enhance self esteem and self perception for many women.

If we’re going to discuss the full scope of what cosmetic surgery can do, I think it’s important to recognize the reality that cosmetic surgery is about health and wellbeing, not just “looking good.” If the media would take a more complete, complex, and nuanced view of the reasons behind why people choose cosmetic surgery, they would have interesting stories to tell and would be sharing a more realistic picture of the field.