Revirginization and 5 Other Plastic Surgery Myths Explored
February 26th, 2008 -- Posted in plastic surgery myths | 1 Comment »If you have cable TV and watch Nip/Tuck or Dr. 90210, you most likely have an ill informed notion of what can be expected from plastic surgery. Look at everything from the elaborately decorated offices of doctors McNamara and Troy on Nip/Tuck, to the completely over the top personality of Dr. Rey on E!’s Dr. 90210. There are plenty of misconceptions out there about plastic surgeons and the procedures they perform.
But let’s look behind the glitz. Let’s step away from the glamour. Plastic surgery is serious business, and it is very real surgery. As much as you hear about cosmetic procedures these days it would be nearly impossible for there NOT to be misconceptions out there. Well, here I’ll look at 6 of the top plastic surgery myths and misconceptions. I’ll give you facts addressing issues that many are unclear about, even in our current state of media saturation of all things Hollywood. Let’s get to it!
Frozen Implants – Funbags to Icebags
The Myth: Breast implants can actually freeze if the temperature falls below -20F.
Soccer mom and her hedge fund millionaire husband go on a ski trip. They ski off course and end up lost for the night. As the temperature falls into the negatives, she notices her breast implants beginning to feel tight. Initially she assumes it is just the frigid night air playing tricks on her mind. As the temperature continues to plunge, and hours before the rescue team finally finds them, her implants freeze. Rock solid. From funbags to icebags. Even when they finally thaw out they are ruined, requiring another plastic surgery to remove the tarnished implants and insert a fresh set of D’s.
The Reality:
You have to think of the human body as a virtual hot plate, and imagine that the breast implants are sitting on it. As long as the hot plate is on, i.e. the person is alive, the implants will always be kept at a nice and warm average temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (which is the average, normal human body core temperature). That said, we all have heard of frost bite developing in fingers, toes, noses, and ears. But I cannot imagine this happening to implants that are positioned on the chest and surrounded by healthy tissue.
Pop Goes the Weasel?
The Myth: Breast implants can burst if squeezed too hard.
Todd and Amy are getting married. Aww, how sweet. Amy has been preparing for this day ever since they got engaged 10 months ago. Part of her preparation was diet and exercise so she could slip into her mother’s old wedding dress. Another part of her preparation was having breast implants put in just about a month before the wedding. It was a beautiful ceremony. After the festivities Todd carries his new bride across the threshold and your usual wedding night activities begin to take place. Both Todd and Amy are giddy with excitement. The excitement and fun turns to horror as one of Amy’s implants bursts because Todd got a bit too aggressive with them.
The Reality:
Almost anything can break given enough force. But it is certainly not likely that the average force applied to the breasts during normal sexual activity will be enough to cause an implant to rupture. As a comparison, mammography is a rare cause for implant rupture, and there is certainly more force applied to the breast with that than with routine sexual activity. Now, of course, if one’s mode of sexual stimulation is to tighten a C clamp on the breast, then all bets are off!
The C-Section Connection
The Myth: Celebrities that give birth by C section get tummy tucks at the same time.
Babies are the new
The Reality:
This is a favorite of mine, because I find that so many women actually do ask me about it. It is technically possible to perform a C section immediately followed by a tummy tuck. But there are so many things wrong with this scenario! A tummy tuck is an operation for someone who is at a stable weight, who mainly has stretched, loose skin and loosening of the underlying muscle and surrounding tissue. After childbirth, loose skin slowly shrinks back, muscles return to their near-normal position, the surrounding tissue (fascia) tightens, and most women do lose a good deal of weight. This process takes several months to occur, and that is why it is NOT recommended to undergo an immediate tummy tuck after childbirth.
S&M- A Plastic Surgeon’s Best Friend
The Myth: S&M injuries alone could sustain the plastic surgery industry.
A recent episode of the popular plastic surgery drama Nip/Tuck featured a man paying multiple visits to his plastic surgeon for expensive procedures to cosmetically repair surface damage done during S&M sexual encounters. We all know people today are more liberated and exploratory in their personal lives than ever before, and often people do feel the need to repair potentially scarring injuries. Really though, has this movement become this much of a giant? Some say that S&M is so big these days that injuries sustained from it could alone support the plastic surgery industry.
The Reality:
This is an obvious disconnect between what is reality and what is just entertaining television! Nip/Tuck is a fascinating show, but is no way based on any sort of reality, in terms of patients who seek plastic surgery or how it is performed or how most plastic surgeons behave. S&M is an intriguing issue to explore on TV, but it is just not prevalent in my practice, or in any practice that I know of.
Is Your Girlfriend Lying to You?
The Myth: Hymen repair- “revirginization” really makes you a virgin again.
In a society as progressive as we are today, not much takes us by surprise or really shocks us anymore. Thanks Britney Spears! However there is one cosmetic procedure that seems to still cause quite a bit of confusion amongst the masses, both male and female. The tissue at hand- hymen repair. There are many rumors and questions floating around out there. People ask if it is literally repaired, if new tissue is used, and there are even stories of blood capsules being included for realism.
The Reality:
This is actually a pretty straight-forward operation, though I myself do not perform it. The hymen is actually a thin layer of tissue covering the entrance to the vaginal vault. Although this hymen actually often tears from physical activity or tampon use, a common misconception is that a woman is not a virgin unless her hymen is intact. For this reason, some women, for sake of religious and societal beliefs, may choose to undergo hymenoplasty, which is a surgical repair of the hymen. Often, the remnant hymen that is there can be pieced together and sutured to recreate the hymen; otherwise new tissue can be used. After it heals, it does need to be “torn” again to allow intercourse, and when torn, will bleed. Therefore, there is no need for a “blood capsule” to simulate bleeding. This repair is usually short-lived, so it is best to have it performed relatively close to the time of next intercourse.
Baby Had Back
The Myth: Butt implants can explode if you fall hard enough.
Blame Jennifer Lopez if you must. Most people think she is responsible for the Rump Revolution across the country. Her famous backside has long earned her attention from the gentlemen and apparently envy from the ladies. Butt implants have become more and more common as women look to fill out those designer jeans and practically beg for the catcalls to follow. Recently a story floated around about a woman who took a spill while out rollerblading. She landed on her backside, rupturing her butt implants and making for a not-so-pretty skate home. Others wonder how these implants can withstand the everyday wear of simply being sat on all day at a normal job.
The Reality:
This could happen (the explosion from the fall), but not in the
Now you know. So the next time you are at a party and your know-it-all friend breaks out some over the top story he swears is true about frozen implants, the enormity of S&M cosmetic repairs, or an “exploding butt”, you are the one armed with the straight facts. You have explored the myths. You wanted answers, and here you have them! Use this knowledge to your advantage. After all, appearance is everything. And guys, maybe you owe that girlfriend of yours an apology.
