The stigma around plastic surgery still exists in India

“The taboo around plastic surgery and especially the cosmetic surgery still resides in millions of Indian hearts”

New Delhi, July 15, 2021:

As soon as people consider the word plastic surgery, they relate it with something unnatural, oversized breast implants or absurd looking faces. Most people just imagine the worst-case scenario. Others believe that plastic surgery is only approached by desperate people who want to fit in the societal ideals of beauty. However, people just dismiss the core fact that plastic surgery is all about enhancing what a person already has in the most subtle way to nourish self-confidence.

As per years of experience and thousands of consultation she had at her clinic, she believes that this stigma is generally born out of the following reasons:

1. Alien concept : Plastic surgery being relatively uncommon in most Indian cities except metros. It’s still a foreign term that is associated with the roaring description of being dangerous.
2. Only for celebs’ aesthetics: People believe it’s only done by celebs of the glamour world forgetting about reconstructive surgery which aims to treat the discomforts of the disfigured people caused by illness or accident and the people who are born with a deformity.
3. Dangerous procedures: Another common belief is that surgery is risky and to be done only when unavoidable. People often ignore the advancements in the field of plastic surgery which had made it safer than ever and judge it with the same perception as it was a few decades back.
4. Lack of awareness: Most people are just unaware of the emotional aspect of plastic surgery. They just link it with physical beauty oblivious to the fact that appearance defects can cause severe mental distress in people and that plastic surgery can make lives easier and happier.

Fear is the root of the stigma

Above everything, what keeps the people away from the plastic surgery world is the fear which takes on different forms for different people:

1 Fear of death

Most people live with the assumption that plastic surgeries are so unsafe that they won’t survive such procedures. However, as per reviews, modern technology has led to rare chances of complications in plastic surgery. Most plastic surgeries today are day care surgeries .

2 Fear of pain

Gone were the days when plastic surgery used to be highly invasive. With the advancement of technology, most of the procedures have become pain-free or only cause mild discomforts. But the fear is so rooted in the hearts of people that even a sight of injection gives them goosebumps.

3 Fear of judgements of society

What will society say? Even after so much modernization, the conservative beliefs of people have still stayed where they were decades back. People still think of what other people will say before considering their wishes. Most of the people who had gone under the knife even shy away from owning it. Plastic surgery is still something that is whispered into best friend’s ears with a promise that they won’t tell anyone else.

4 Fear of changing the natural look

Most people just tend to compromise with what they have. The thought of changing what nature had gifted them seems wrong to them. While the desire to look like a model on the screen exists in every heart, the fear of changing natural look often overshadows the beauty craving.

5 Fear of side effects

The fear of having undesirable results or disastrous complications is a big obstacle for people to jump across for undergoing plastic surgery. No doubt, there is risk associated with any type of surgery but another big truth is that an experienced surgeon can handle the complications and ensure that the result comes out positive even when few things go down the road.

6 Doubts about religious sanctions

Some cultural and religious traditions tend to dictate that people should be satisfied with the way God had created them. Any attempt to modify the appearance by the individual is against God’s wishes and hence would be subjected to strict punishment by the Almighty.

Moreover, the animal-derived products used in different procedures were also a big obstruction for the vegan people which was sorted later on with the invention of vegan products.

7 Fear induced by negative feedbacks of surgery on the internet

So many negative reviews on the internet about overdone might dishearten you but at the same time why don’t you also put your efforts to browse the millions of positive feedbacks and then weigh it out.

“But what if plastic surgery goes wrong?” The common dilemma popping up in every head that soon has to go under the knife but what people often forget is that the perfect results come from skilled surgeons. Underqualified doctors are always a threat, no matter which type of procedure you are going through.

Expert opinion

Plastic surgery is a huge decision to make, doubts and emotional outbursts are quite fair but the results can be so worth the entire roller coaster ride. Plastic surgeons just have a single aim to create a better version of whoever is laid on their surgical tables.

Dr. Priti Shukla insists that before you decide to tweak yourself, research thoroughly about the aesthetic clinic and the credibility of their doctors. Go through their customer reviews and then make an informed decision about your cosmetic treatment. Always inquire about a doctor’s specific board certifications and discuss your fear and expectations with your doctor before the procedure. Once you are sure of the skills of your Doctor, just be calm and enjoy the confidence that your doctor will inject into your skin.

Dr. Priti Shukla

Ambrosia Clinic,

Hyderabad.