Divorce and Cosmetic Surgery: New Beginnings for the Right Reasons

Divorce and Cosmetic Surgery: New Beginnings for the Right Reasons

Dr.  Babak Farzaneh, Farzaneh Cosmetic Surgery in Chino/ Chino Hills of Inland Empire

A Comprehensive Cosmetic Surgery and Cosmetic Medical Spa Serving a Large regions including but not limited to the Inland Empire’s Rancho Cucamonga, Pomona, Corona, Diamond Bar, City of Industry, Riverside, Riverside county, Yorba Linda, Brea, Anaheim, Anaheim Hills, Corona, Chino, Chino Hills, La Habra, Placentia, Covina, West Covina, Fontana, Riverside, Montclair, Irvine, Newport Beach, Fullerton, La Puente, Santa Ana, Orange, Villa Park, Westminster, Ontario, Upland, Rancho Cucamonga, Whittier, Bell Gardens, Norco, San Dimas,San Gabriel Valley,  Montebello, Lakewood, Mira Loma, Cypress, Cerritos, Cowan Heights, Moreno Valley, Temecula, Hemet, Pomona, La Verne, Azusa, Etiwanda, San Bernardino, Rialto, Colton, Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Redlands, Diamond Bar, Chino Hills, Upland, Chino, Rancho Cucamonga, Ontario, Inland Empire, Riverside, Pomona, San Dimas, La Verne,, Moreno Valley, Brea, Covina, West Covina, Walnut, Fullerton, La Puente, City of Industry.

For many, a divorce can be an experience as traumatic as the death of a loved one. It often represents the loss of stability and love, and the stress of beginning life again or re-entering the job market can often be immense. It’s not uncommon to find people who initially view a divorce as a message that they aren’t good enough—that they’re no longer attractive or desirable. It’s no wonder that mixed in with these feelings, many women become deeply critical of their own body during this time. One patient of mine remarked that no one besides her ex-husband had seen her tummy in 20 years. As she prepared to date again, that thought was at the forefront of her mind and she admitted it was affecting her confidence.

I’ve also seen a lot of stories in the news about “revenge” cosmetic surgery: these are women who decide to make their ex feel as jealous as possible once they find him cheating or following the aftermath of a divorce. In the strange world of TMZ or Access Hollywood, it seemed like a practice that was almost being encouraged!

I must admit that as a cosmetic surgeon, I was initially very concerned when women would tell me that they were recently divorced during their consultations. As a practitioner deeply concerned with ethics and maximizing my patients’ satisfaction, I asked myself: “Would these women be going into surgery with the right frame of mind?” Not to state the obvious, but nobody should ever undergo a cosmetic procedure because they feel they have to or as an act of revenge!

As I learned more about the majority of these recent-divorcees, I found that my initial concerns were almost always unfounded. I wasn’t seeing heartbroken or spiteful women in my offices: I was seeing empowered women who were at the end of the grieving process and who had time to really consider whether surgery was right for them. In virtually every case, the patients had emerged from the divorce in a new frame of mind: they were now focusing on themselves once again. Often, they were making new career choices, returning to school, exercising regularly, and eating healthier. What they wanted from me was a look that would allow them to feel as youthful and energized on the outside as how they now felt on the inside.

I learned to give my patients some well-deserved credit! After all, these were often women who had the strength to carry one or more pregnancies to term and raise their children, often while working. They had strong support networks of friends and family and were anything but fragile. Could it have been that I was looking at the phenomenon as a traditional male, wondering who would take care of these women? Thankfully, I learned to see the situation differently!

If you’re recently divorced and are thinking about cosmetic surgery, studies show that you’re not alone. According to the survey conducted by the National Women’s Health Resource center, 40% of women wanted to improve their appearance following a divorce or other major life transition. Apparently, wanting a fresh start after a long marriage wasn’t just a trait my patients shared: it described women all over the country.

With respect to the procedures involved, cosmetic surgery offers both subtle and dramatic modifications to match your look to the “inner you.” On one end of the scale, Botox, fillers, and lasers allow the appearance of wrinkles to be reduced. Facelifts, brow lifts, and eyelifts help drooping tissues to be repositioned and loose skin to be tightened. Often, this can make patients look more than a decade younger. In other cases, tummy tucks and breast enhancements can radically resculpt the body to a more attractive and youthful appearance.

In all cases, a consultation is the best way to reveal the most effective options that will allow you to meet your aesthetic goals. While patients sometimes appear in consultations with a laundry list of procedures they’d like to get done, I always use my honesty and medical judgment to help them navigate through this list. It’s always more important to prioritize (and be realistic!) in order to ensure patient safety and predictable results.

Remember: true happiness always comes from within. After all, there are countless beautiful, skinny people in the world who are downright miserable. However, if you’re one of the countless women who’s bounced back from the difficult emotions stirred up after a divorce and is embracing this new chapter of your life, a cosmetic procedure may give you one more way to take charge of your own destiny.

After a divorce, life always goes on. Where you go, who you meet—and how you look—are up to you and nobody else. Take this journey proudly!