When most people think of plastic surgery, their thoughts immediately jump to cosmetic procedures. However, plastic surgery was originally designed to help people recover from physical trauma, and that legacy continues today. Plastic surgery and reconstructive surgery are used to correct all manner of facial and bodily disfigurements, and it has improved the lives of hundreds of thousands of patients.
The truth is that the face that we see in the mirror is the one that we have grown deeply accustomed to. It shapes how we feel about ourselves, how we interact with the world, and how at home we are in our bodies. When that appearance is altered, it produces a condition known as dysphoria, which is typically defined as a deep and debilitating discomfort with the appearance that one has.
Dysphoria is typically discussed in cases of gender identity, where someone who was designated male or female at birth is uncomfortable with the way that they present to the world. However, the term is just as relevant when it comes to injuries and disfigurements that are suffered after an accident.
After an accident, it does not go too far to say that someone is traumatized. Not only has the body been traumatized, but the mind has received a great shock. Some people who are in accidents never remember what happened on that fateful day, while others relive it on a regular basis in the form of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. These are all ways that we try to protect ourselves.
Someone who has been in an accident must reconcile with the fact that their life was changed in a permanant way in what might have been a split second, and when their appearance has changed, it often feels as if their identity has disappeared or altered as well. This is something that can be frustrating, enraging, frightening and extremely anxious, depending on the person and the change.
The thing that many people need to remember is that plastic surgery and reconstructive surgery is not a magic wand. In a severe case, no doctor can simply give back the appearance that the patient had before.
However, no matter how bad the damage or the trauma, a skilled plastic surgeon, especially one who has worked extensively in the field of reconstructive surgery, can always make it better. In many ways, it is like life. You cannot return to what you used to have, but that does not mean that you will never have it better.
Are you or someone you love suffering from physical disfigurement after a trauma? Is it affecting the life that you want to live, or do you feel as if your life has shrunk after your accident? Plastic surgery was designed to help men who had suffered injuries and trauma during World War I. These men were afraid to return home, afraid that they would be shunned for the rest of their lives, and afraid to continue living. Plastic surgery was developed as a practice that was designed to help them regain control.
After a trauma, it often feels as if you have no control over your life and what happens to you. This can oftentimes create a case of learned helplessness, where you feel as if anything you do is pointless and therefore you should never try. For many people, both men and women, plastic surgery is the first decisive step that they take towards reclaiming their lives and what they want to do with it.
A consultation is something that can help you figure out what is possible. It can be a little painful to talk so bluntly about something that hurt you or harmed you, but it is very much a step towards healing. You are taking control, you are creating a new world that steps away from your trauma, and you will be moving towards your own future.
Take the first step, and start learning more about plastic surgery today!
