Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Articles

Before Anna Faris got breast implants more than a decade ago, at age 30, the actress needed to come to terms with her staunch stance against plastic surgery. To that point, she had been very public in her belief that it was an anti-feminist practice.

“I was always a negative-A cup, so when I was 30, I was getting a divorce, I had just finished House Bunny, and I’d sold another movie. All of these new things were happening to me, so I got my breasts done,” Faris, now 43, said in a recent cover story Women’s Health magazine. “I never, ever thought I’d do something like that. I always thought plastic surgery was caving in to ‘the man,” you know? But it came down to a really simple thing: I wanted to fill out a bikini. What would that feel like?”

Faris said she never had any regrets about her decision to go through with breast augmentation. But that doesn’t mean she’s not still surprised by her decision. “I kept thinking, Am I betraying my own gender by doing this?” she said. Faris knows now that she wasn’t. “I wish that we were more supportive of each other,” she said. “I think that people should be able to do whatever they want, whether it’s getting braces, bleaching their hair, getting extensions, getting a boob job, getting vaginal surgery, or getting a nose job.”

The decision

Breast augmentation has become the most popular cosmetic surgical procedure performed over the last decade, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. In 2018 alone, nearly 314,000 procedures were done, a 4% increase over the previous year and a 48% increase over 2000.

Before the surgery, you’ll consult with a board-certified plastic surgeon. (It’s a good idea to schedule consultations with multiple surgeons. And be prepared to continue looking if you don’t feel completely comfortable with any of them.) At the consultation, you’ll describe the size and shape you’re going for, and the surgeon will make their recommendations pertaining to implant type, positioning of the implant in relation to the muscle, and incision location.

There are two types of implants to consider, saline and silicone. But even after you pick the type of implant, there’s still the shape and size to consider. There are actually 3 different shapes of silicone implants: smooth round, textured round, and textured anatomical teardrop. The round implants give breasts a fuller look, while smooth implants feel softer.

Perhaps the most critical piece of this process is good communication between you and your surgeon. The surgeon needs to fully understand your desires and expectations, while you need to commit to fulfilling your role as the patient.

The recovery

The surgery itself is typically done as an outpatient procedure and takes a little over an hour. A long-acting anesthetic is often administered. It’ll make you feel virtually pain-free for 72 hours. You’ll spend about an hour in post-operation recovery before being sent home. Once the anesthetic wears off, most patients describe feeling chest tightness or soreness, not pain.

And most can return to work in 3 to 5 days, though you’ll need to avoid heavy lifting and upper-body exercise for two weeks. Often, patients feel so good after a week, we need to slow them down so that their body can fully heal.

Even if you only occasionally glance at Instagram (Is that even possible?), you probably know who Megan Markle is. What you may not realize is how profound an impact she’s having on women’s appearances.

Ever since her marriage to Prince Harry two years ago, scores of women around the world have become increasingly obsessed with every little detail of her wardrobe, hair, and even her nose.

Plastic surgeons have been reporting that Megan Markle’s nose is now one of the most popular celebrity-inspired requests they get from their patients, dethroning reality TV royalty, Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner.

What is it, exactly, about Markle’s nose that’s earned it a place in the modern-day pantheon of idolized physical features? Ironically, it seems to be the fact that it’s hardly perfect. Pull up a profile photo of her. You should be able to notice a very slight hump on the bridge of her nose that’s almost undetectable when you’re looking at her straight on.

It’s not just her nose. Patients are also asking for her prominent cheekbones and beautifully-contoured jawline.

This isn’t the first time the royals have influenced plastic surgery trends. As recently as 2011, there was a flood of interest in butt lifts after Pippa’s rear—a smaller, more athletic version of the Kardashian butt—famously stole the show at Kate Middleton and Prince William’s wedding.

The interest in Megan Markle’s nose / features appears to be following a larger trend, where both men and women are seeking out procedures that simply enhance, rather than transform, their own natural features. Many a beauty writer has noted that what makes Markle’s features so covetable is their approachability.

As she continues to champion a number of causes, including female empowerment, gender equality, animal rights, and the arts, that sentiment’s only likely to grow.

Plastic surgery’s most-requested celebrity features

Curious about what other famous faces (and assorted body parts) are in high demand? RealSelf, the online cosmetic treatment marketplace, recently released its data on the subject, collected from thousands of plastic surgeons. Here are some highlights, along with the procedures they’ve popularized:

• Kim Kardashian’s butt

Procedure: Brazilian butt lift

• Beyonce’s butt
• Jennifer Lawrence’s nose

Procedure: Rhinoplasty

• Kate Middleton’s nose and smile

Procedures: Rhinoplasty, braces/dental implants

• Madonna’s complexion

Procedure: Fillers (face and hands)