Social media and smartphone filters have led most people to create unrealistic expectations of what they should look like. These expectations have also been amplified by ‘influencers’, not to mention celebrities who seem to have what most term as ‘perfect looks’. In all this mix-up, plastic surgery has played a major role in body transformation for some celebrities and reality TV stars. This has led to a number of people wanting to jump on this plastic surgery procedure bandwagon to enhance their body aesthetics, or strangely, look like their favorite Hollywood celebs.

If this is you (or not), before deciding on any plastic surgery procedure, Dr. Adnan Tahir – a consultant plastic and reconstructive surgeon – has graced us with some factors to consider.

Choose the right plastic surgeon

Consider These Factors Before Having Any Plastic Surgery Procedure — Dr. Adnan Tahir – Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon

Choosing the right plastic surgeon for your plastic surgery procedure should be at the top of your list. It’s not news that there are quacks out there masquerading as plastic surgeons. To know if a plastic surgeon is good or not, he/she should fit into a certain criterion. This includes but not limited to him or her being qualified, licensed, and accredited by a recognized board; experienced and operating in a licensed medical facility, and should have positive reviews.

Your goal should be to enhance your features, and not to completely change them

The purpose of any plastic surgery procedure is to naturally enhance one’s natural beauty and not to completely change your looks to the point of being unrecognizable. Extreme aesthetic procedures are not recommended, and any good plastic surgeon will advise you against it. I like to refer to cosmetic surgery as “beauty made better” because that’s what it is.

Just because your favorite housewife is doing it you don’t have to

The decision to have a plastic surgery procedure should not be driven by the need to look like your favorite celebrity, reality TV star, or Barbie and Ken. This is mainly because individual bone structures are different, and the results you get after the procedure will be nothing similar to that of the said celebrity. Also, bear in mind that most of the images you see of celebrities on social media are heavily photoshopped, so they might not look as perfect as you think they do.

DON’T MISS: The Psychology Behind Cosmetic Procedures

Social media should not dictate your looks

Lately, having an extreme hour-glass figure that includes a ‘snatched’ (thin) waist, and an extra-large butt has been trending on every social media platform. To achieve this kind of figure through plastic surgery, one has to undergo extreme liposuction and large amounts of fat transfer or collagen-replacing injectables not to mention possibly removing a couple of ribs. Anyone in their right mind should not go this extra mile just to fit in with what’s on social media. A well contoured and symmetrical body is not only naturally beautiful, but realistic as well. Ask yourself this: what will happen to that extreme ant-like figure once the fad fades in a year or so?

You should have a genuine need for a plastic surgery procedure

Although cosmetic surgery procedures are mostly elective, there are cases where there is a genuine need for one. These cases include:

Enlarged breast tissue that leads to pain and discomfort: In such cases, a breast reduction surgery is needed, which can even be covered by your insurance.
After weight loss surgery: This is a procedure that gets rid of excess and sagging skin and tissue after drastic weight loss.
Ear surgery, also known as Otoplasty: In this case, the procedure mostly corrects a birth defect of the ear structure.
Rhinoplasty, commonly known as a nose job: This is a plastic surgery procedure that can correct impaired breathing as a result of structural defects to the nose, in addition to enhancing facial symmetry by improving its shape.

Finally, over the course of your research regarding a potential plastic surgery procedure, you will come across a lot of information from different sources. However, if you are at the beginning of your journey, use the above factors as a baseline before making any decisions. So, has the thought of a plastic surgery procedure ever crossed your mind, and what happened afterwards? Feel free to share…