How Plastic Surgery Improves Mental Health

Happiness is easy to define, but difficult to attain. We all want to be happy, but how do we achieve this demeanor in a healthy, sustainable way?

The answer will be different for every individual, but it’s a vital discussion worth having. By exploring the parameters of psychological wellness, we may arrive at some new and unconventional ways to promote it. For example, plastic surgery is often considered purely cosmetic, but the benefits that accompany these procedures go far deeper than skin level.

If you are considering an enhancement, think about why this decision is right for you. The answer might tap into a more fundamental truth about how you want to look, who you want to be, and how you want to live…

THE FOUNDATIONS OF MENTAL HEALTH

Wellness is a vast concept with many complex tenets. It encompasses your environment, your intellect, your fitness, your finances, and your social situation. If one of these elements is out of balance, the rest may soon suffer.

For instance, you might be strong and sound of mind, but if you lose your job, it assuredly weighs on you. You begin to worry about paying your bills, which negatively affects your mental health. Perhaps you spend all of your time job-hunting rather than exercising, which impacts your overall fitness. Hence, each spoke of the wellness wheel is interdependent. By ignoring your physical health, you invariably suffer mentally. 

THE BODY/MIND CONNECTION

The human brain and the physical self are inextricably bound. When you look in the mirror, you are performing an informal “check in” with yourself. You can practice what you project to the world around you by observing your reflection and defining your general persona.

It is this link between the physical and the mental that bolsters the argument for cosmetic surgery. 

Case in point: consider a cancer survivor who has lost her breasts to a life saving mastectomy. She is the same strong person she always was, but part of her is now gone. How she wants to proceed is ultimately her choice, but plastic surgery gives her so many more options. By restoring her bust to its former shape, she can reclaim the image she championed before her battles with cancer. 

This transcends cosmetics; it gets to the heart of the woman’s very identity.

Life can be unfair, but modern medical science can help level the playing field. If you or someone you love was stricken by cancer or some other affliction that took a physical toll on the body, reconstruction is a wonderful option for restoring not only your appearance, but also all of the mental perks that go with it.

CONFIDENCE BUILDING

If you are unhappy with your appearance, this dissatisfaction could spill over into your mental wellbeing. Perhaps you shy away from gatherings for fear that others are judging you as harshly as you judge yourself. 

But studies show that enhancing your appearance can reverse this trend. Researchers surveyed 550 patients who opted for cosmetic procedures to determine how it affected their life outlook, and the results were quite uplifting. Respondents indicated higher levels of self-esteem, which also elevated their quantified rankings of satisfaction and elusive “enjoyment of life” scores.

But this wasn’t just a quick fix. The study followed these patients over the course of a year, checking in with them at three, six and twelve month intervals. On the whole, they were happier than a “control” group of individuals who had considered plastic surgery but hadn’t gone through with their plans. The cosmetic patients reported amplified feelings of attractiveness and lower incidents of anxiety.

They had taken their fate by the reigns and improved their mental wellness as a result.

EMPOWERMENT YIELDS ENLIGHTENMENT

Many of us spend the bulk of our days following instructions at work, living by others’ rules, and resigning ourselves to a life that is out of our control. A feeling of mental decay inevitably sets in. 

When you feel powerless to change your circumstances, you are vulnerable to episodes of depression or anxiety. It is a phenomenon known as learned helplessness. By avoiding the pitfalls of such a situation, you can reclaim control of your overall wellness. Crafting the look you want, maintaining the life you choose to live, and taking control of your overall aesthetic are ways for you to take charge and empower yourself.

WE ARE SOCIAL ANIMALS

It’s easy to say that you don’t care what others think, but it’s impossible to ignore their opinions. We are bombarded by perspectives and projections every day, and the situation has escalated since the advent of social media. Our feeds are flooded with ideals of physical perfection, accompanied by hypocritical advice to “just be yourself” or other such empty platitudes.

Being yourself doesn’t mean accepting the status quo. You can enhance your best qualities and embrace the social creature you choose to be.

Yearning to improve your look is healthy, both mentally and socially. One recent study showed that the benefits of cosmetic enhancement include decreased anxiety and depression as well as increased social satisfaction. However, one caveat is that these results are dependent on a healthy set of expectations; if you have unrealistic plastic surgery goals, you’re only setting yourself up for disappointment.

That’s why it’s important to have an open and honest discussion with a highly trained professional.

ACHIEVE YOUR BEST SELF TODAY

Knowing what you want is the first step. We respect you for who you are and we are ready to listen to your plans, your hesitations, and your desired outcomes. Together, we can make your cosmetic dreams a reality.

Schedule a consultation with us soon and let’s discuss how to pivot from aesthetic enhancement to mental mastery.