If you have ever thought of any kind of cosmetic surgery or are considering any procedures, then you can consider reading the book: Fabulous Faces by Dr. Adamson, an Otolaryngologist — Head and Neck Surgeon, practicing in facial plastic surgery. Rather than just describing the procedures, this book goes into depth on why you would want surgery in the first place and narrates the experience from patients from decision making all the way to recovery. The book was given to me for review on this site.
Why have plastic surgery?
Is beauty important? Should I really be spending all this money on surgery on myself? Is it too self-indulgant to have surgery? Am I not taking too big risks just for the sake of vanity? These are just some of the questions the book is trying to answer. It actually does this by narrating the experiences from many previous patients in Peter Adamson’s practice. They tell about how they came to make the decision to ‘have work done’ and how this decision taking process can sometimes take more than 20 years.
Of course all interviewees have actually proceeded with the surgery so you don’t get the point of view of women and men that have opted not to go ahead, but it is clear that for most of the women and men it was not an easy or instant decision. Peter Adamson actually emphasizes that a lot of thought usually goes in and should go into the decison to undergo cosmetic surgery.
From the book:
James writes, “As I reflect back, one main theme jumps up continually and that is that you should have the surgery for one person’s satisfaction, and only one persons’s satifaction, and that person is yourself. You’re setting yourself up for failure otherwise.”.
Reasons for surgery and ‘blending in’
Another theme that comes back time and time again in the book, is that plastic surgery should not be about creating someone new but rather about ‘blending in’ and looking natural. Certainly for older women and men, the emphasis is more on restoring what was once there and getting rid of the often ‘depressed” or ‘angry’ look that you can develop as you get older, rather than altering things.
From the book:
“Most people who have cosmetic facial surgery are driven by a desire to discover and reveal who they really are. It’s not about looking for the “new me”. It’s about finding the “real me”.
Finding the right doctor and what to expect
The book goes on to give some pointers on how to find the right doctor and exactly what to expect at your consultations. It does this, as before, by telling the stories of patients. Patients tell about their procedures through recollection and through diaries that they have kept and also give recommendations on the best way to recover from the procedure.
From the book:
Day 1: The Zombie look. “Shortly before the 7 a.m. discharge time, the doctor comes in to examine me. The operation went well. My head is generously wrapped all around in white gauze. It’s the zombie look. The swelling, combined with the dressing, seem to double my head’s volume.”.
Wo should buy this book?
I think this is a good book for anyone thinking about cosmetic surgery. This book may answer a lot of questions about the procedure itself but also about the lingering questions whether you really think it’s the right thing to do for you. It does not gloss over all the concerns people may have or the discomfort you may have after the surgery. However, bear in mind that you will read only the experiences of women that went ahead with the procedure and were happy with the outcome, so you will not get the opposite point of view.
For more info on the book and to buy at Amazon: Fabulous Faces: From Motivation to Transformation Through Facial Plastic Surgery
