An extract from my book: The Cosmetic Surgery Companion Look and Feel Beautiful by Antonia Mariconda (Apple Press 2010)

Making The Decision to Have Cosmetic Surgery

The decision to have Cosmetic surgery should not be undertaken lightly. Cosmetic surgery can change your appearance in ways that you might consider desirable but it can be expensive in time and money and although quite rare it has been known to result in some changes to your appearance which you may not always find pleasing in the future. It is important that you do not feel pressurised or obliged to have it, nor is it wise to rush into making a choice without extensive research, it should be a decision you make only after a lot of careful thought and self evaluation.

Whatever you motivations are, making the decision to have cosmetic surgery is one that only you can do for yourself. If you have decided that cosmetic surgery is something that you do want to do it is probably because you have identified something about yourself that you consider to be a flaw, however evaluating what you consider to be a flaw should be considered carefully. A flaw should be something that really bothers you, if it is something you can live with and move forward with then evaluate whether cosmetic surgery really is the solution, however if you consider yourself to have a flaw that bothers you on a frequent daily basis, to the point that it is constantly at the forefront of your thoughts, then maybe you are ready for an improvement. In the process of considering you motivations and objectives for having cosmetic surgery it is important that you know exactly what is of concern to you about the way you look and that you are able to describe your motivations clearly for wanting cosmetic surgery,

Consider these questions when making your evaluation and decision:

What bothers me about my face and body?

How much do I really want to change what bothers me?

Have I considered all the options?

What will my friends, and my family think of me for choosing cosmetic surgery?

Can I keep my Cosmetic Surgery a secret?

Am I prepared for the financial cost of Cosmetic Surgery?

How will I deal with any complications?

How can I take time out to recover?

How will I find the right Cosmetic Surgeon?

In Summary

Being honest with yourself, and making a realistic evaluation about the way you feel and look is the most important part of making such an important and life changing decision, and a decision over which you have control.

There are millions of people who have experienced the life changing and positive influence that cosmetic surgery can bring to their lives, the chances for such successful outcomes really does begin with the right emotional and physiological foundation being firmly in place from the outset. If you are a physically and physcologically healthy adult, with the financial means to afford cosmetic surgery then cosmetic surgery may be an option for you.