Cosmopolitan Feature

Worldwide trends show there is an upsurge in the number of people seeking plastic surgery. According to an annual survey released by the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons, during the past year there was an increase in the number of younger people having plastic surgery, while the figures for men reached new heights: 99 000 men signed up for plastic surgery procedures. New developments such as local sedation has made surgery far more affordable, so now it’s the girl-next-door - not just the rich and famous – who are having plastic surgery. 

But why are we so keen on the idea at all? 'I have no doubt that we are strongly influenced in our early life by the way others treat us,” says Jane*, the social worker who helped Sanet come to terms with the dynamics of her life. 'In psychology terms it is called the “generalized other”. We are extremely dependent on what other people think about us, expect from us and expect us to be.” 

Jane emphasises that people can and have risen above physical imperfections without making physical changes - by working on their self-image and their sense of self-worth. 'Our self-image is closely related to, and consistent with how we feel about ourselves, so if we can change our attitude and feelings, we can change our self-image. Some people get this right without turning to plastic surgery, but I wouldn’t discourage anyone who wants to make a drastic change. I’ve often seen that if people really believe that a change will make a difference, it will happen for them.'

While plastic surgery can have a fabulous effect on a person’s self image, Jane warns that it can also lead to new challenges in close relationships, as the power dynamic undergoes a shift. 

“One of the most satisfying aspects of my work is to see how people are transformed on an emotional level by the surgery,' says Johannesburg specialist nose surgeon, Dr Pieter Swanepoel, who performed Sanet’s operation. 
Swanepoel, who has completed more than 18,000 nose operations, says that in many instances the key to facial balance and a pleasing profile lies in the chin rather than the nose:`In some cases a nose may appear too big for the face, while the chin may turn out to be the main problem. If the chin is made more prominent, then the nose problem is also solved. It's an optical illusion; if you look at five profile pictures with five identical noses but with different size chins, the noses will appear to be smaller or bigger depending on the size of the chin. 

'In Sanet’s case, we had to do the chin to achieve the best result. I’m actually more excited about how the chin implant enhanced her looks and the shape of her mouth, than I am about the change in the nose,' he says. 

To check whether your profile is balanced, look at a profile photograph of yourself, and draw a vertical drop-line from the bottom of your lower lip. If your chin’s furthest extremity aligns with the vertical line, the balance is correct. If the chin recedes behind the line or in front of the line, the balance is out. By drawing anew chin touching the line, you can get an idea of what the result of mentoplasty would be.