Ever been to a plastic surgeon and been told no? Telling people they are not a candidate for a procedure is a regular part of my business. This seems surprising to some people that I turn down “potential business”. Whether it is an injectable patient or a surgery patient, I probably turn down 1-2 potential patients EVERY DAY. I wanted to dive into my mindset briefly on this to help explain what that means if it happens to you.
There have been some patients frustrated with my decision to say “I’m sorry I don’t think you should have that procedure.” They may be fixated on a certain feature and looking for what they consider is going to correct the issue. This is, however, a complicated business wrought with risk-benefit scenarios and peoples faces are literally on the line! It’s a job I take seriously as someone who cares deeply about outcomes.
People come to a facial plastic surgeon for a variety of reasons. I see mostly two different demographics since I perform both injectables as well as surgery. The more mature population tends to want to look like a more youthful, but natural version of themselves. The younger population tends to want to enhance or correct features in order to conform more to a standardized ideal of beauty – whether it is improvement in nasal appearance or changing features such as lips or jawline.
That second demographic has seen a rapid expansion over the last 5 years due to the impact of social media. This is a delicate balance in my practice and one that I take seriously. Unfortunately there is a difference between what many people see on social media and what is considered natural. The scale can tip towards something that looks unnatural rather quickly if not kept in check.
So why do I say no? My primary motivation and practice motto has always been “natural results”. Aging is natural and, as quoted from my website, “a beautiful process not a problem”. As a result, if I ever feel that the result will not look natural, I simply say “no”. That is my opinion and I’m not afraid to say it (and I say it fairly often). I know what I can accomplish with my hands and if I can achieve what my patients want. If there is ever any discrepancy between their expectations and what I think I can deliver, I simply don’t agree to do it.
Could someone go elsewhere and get their lips injected or their surgery done? Of course! If there is one thing you should know, if you want something injected bad enough, 7 out of 10 people will probably do it for you. This is never a decision I want my patients to take personally, it is simply because I don’t agree that anything should be done.
Plastic surgery is a field that has felt the social media impact more than probably any other industry. The spread of false and photoshopped images, the selfie culture, and the spread of beauty standards as proclaimed by celebrities have all distorted the perceptions we all have. Feel comforted that as a facial plastic surgeon I am here to achieve great and natural results.
Questions/Comments? Feel free to let me know – jordan@rihanimd.com
