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| Seth Seeks Cosmetic Surgery, Twice |
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By Karen W. Bressler
Women have all the luck these days—almost anything they do to improve their physical appearance is not only well-received but highly applauded. They can wear makeup to cover flaws in their skin, get their hair highlighted to hide hints of gray and have their skin tightened and smoothed to divert thoughts of aging from their voyeurs. For men, it’s another story. Dyeing their hair, shaving their chests, even getting manicures are all often looked upon as a cry of vanity. But now that men in the spotlight, like Tom Cruise, have gone under the knife, others have been decided to follow suit. Here, a first hand account of one guy who took the plunge…
"It all started when I was playing basketball at 16; I got whacked on my nose and broke it," says Seth, a 35-year-old from Scottsdale, Arizona. "A few years later I developed breathing problems and a deviated septum and decided to get it fixed. I was hoping the surgery would help me breathe easier especially when I played ball but, at the same time, I thought it could use some straightening out too. Several family members had had nose jobs and that made my decision easier since I knew what they had gone through."
"I wanted to make sure I went to the right doctor so I dragged my mom along to a couple of consultations. I didn’t want a perfect nose, I wanted a nose that would match my face and look relatively normal so that people wouldn’t be able to tell I had a nose job. Finally, I found a doctor who had come highly recommended. He was referred by a friend whose sister had her chest done by him. I checked his credentials as a physician and found out that he received a degree from a well-respected medical school, was affiliated with a major hospital in Arizona and had at least 20 years of experience in these types of cases. We voiced our concerns and he answered them well without "yessing" me to death. He wouldn’t even negotiate the price; he quoted a fee and said I had come to the best and would have to pay accordingly. I was apprehensive but knew I would feel and look better and breathe better."
"The hardest part of having the surgery was facing the unknown. I was concerned with the procedure itself, the pain and swelling involved in the healing process as well as how it would turn out—not to mention whether or not people would pick up on it. I had it done during the two weeks surrounding Christmas and New Year’s so I had two solid weeks to vegetate and look in the mirror wondering whether or not the doctor did the job right. He was available during this time to answer questions and to ensure me that I had to allow time for the swelling to go down before forming any opinions. He told me everything I needed to hear. Having patience was the hardest but finally, I was healed and had no complaints. Everything he had predicted had happened accordingly."
Grateful for a Second Chance
"In my early twenties, I battled and overcame Hodgkins Disease. I was thankful that I beat the cancer and grateful that I was given a second chance at life which I planned to live larger. Based on what I had gone through, I thought of everything else I would do as a side note and felt that I could overcome anything. As a result of the cancer, I had lost a lot of weight in my face and wanted to do something to make it look fuller and at the same time make me look younger. I tried to gain weight but it would always settle on my body and not in my face so it continued to look thin and drawn out. I was also at a time in my life when I needed a change. People might think this was more drastic than necessary but I had been at the same job and the same apartment for years and I had just broken up with my girlfriend and needed to do something different."
What Can Cheek Implants Do for My Appearance?
"Once again, ten years after my first cosmetic surgery procedure, I booked a consultation with a renowned plastic surgeon who was recommended by a friend, to discuss cheek implants. I wasn’t as nervous since I had already had my nose done and there were fewer unknowns to face. Unlike a nose job, getting cheek implants doesn’t involve breaking any bones; the process involved inserting rubber implants into my cheekbones, the area between the top of my gums and the inside of my cheeks."
"It was an in-office procedure that took a couple of hours with the promise of minimal black and blue marks or swelling. I also thought it would be more painful than it was. I feel extremely confident that the doctor did a great job. I’m still healing but I’m already happy with how things have progressed to date."
"The hardest thing about having the surgery is laying low so no one I know sees me and realizes it was done, which the doctor assures me won’t happen. I didn’t tell lots of people because I didn’t want to seem vain. I told five good friends that I knew I could count on during the healing process for moral support, to stop by with food or coffee. None of my family members or my good guy buddies know. People love to gossip and to pass judgment. I didn’t want them to say things like, ‘How can you do that?’ ‘You look fine the way you are’ or ‘Is that really necessary?’ But everyone wants to improve on something—whether it’s weight, muscle tone, hair color. Everyone wants to add spice to the way they look."
"Looking back, I think to myself, ‘Did I need to do it? No. Did I want to enhance my life and feel better about myself? Yes. It made me feel good about myself inside and out and helped build my confidence and that’s okay with me."
Seth underwent cheek implant surgery in April 2000. |
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