Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Cosmetic Surgery but Couldn`t Afford to Ask (Paperback)

Posted Thursday, August 23, 2007 to MARKETSPACE > Books

Posted by RJ

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Whether we like to admit it or not, humans are physiocentric creatures. We judge people on the basis of how they look; we get passed over for jobs or promotions if we don't project the proper glow of youth and vitality. Gaynor, a dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon, sees himself as the equalizer. He's been where his patients are. He's walked into parent-teacher conferences with his son and been introduced as the boy's grandfather. And, with new surgical techniques that most of us haven't yet heard of, he can level the playing field: filling in wrinkles, unbagging eyes, shoring up sagging chins, creating an athletic-looking six-pack where once there was only a beer belly.

The real message of the book, surprisingly, is that you don't have to spend a fortune to get equalized. He notes that these new wrinkle-filling and fat-suctioning procedures are cheaper, less invasive, and more subtle than ever. In fact, it's entirely possible to enjoy the results of these operations without your friends and colleagues knowing that you've had them done.

Everything You Wanted to Know About Cosmetic Surgery lives up to its title from first page to last; there's even solid information about how to take care of yourself so well that you won't need snips and tucks. (Gaynor points out that cheap moisturizers like Vaseline Intensive Care protect your skin as well as the most expensive lotions and creams advertised in Vogue and Allure.) Along with describing procedures--the latest advances, how much you should expect to pay, what results to expect, the complications that can arise--he gives detailed information on how to choose a doctor for that operation. And, like any good surgeon, he notes that sometimes what a patient needs isn't a lift or peel, but a good old-fashioned head shrinking. "Cosmetic surgery," he writes, "works best on people who are relatively content in life, who like themselves the way they are." Those people may be least likely to seek it out, but they'll be most happy with the results. --Lou Schuler

From Library Journal
Cosmetic surgery has made great strides in the past 20 years, and Gaynor has been one of the leading innovators and practitioners. Here he describes the common procedures, with frank evaluations of the risks and the costs, to enable those considering such procedures to make informed decisions. He includes chapters on how to select a reputable surgeon and how to avoid the preventable damage caused by sun exposure. The chapters on liposuction and liposculpture are excellent, but the chapter on breast surgery, although it mentions the current ban on silicone implants, does not discuss the possibility of reactions to the silicone shell used for saline implants. Nevertheless, this is a useful purchase for libraries needing such material.?Susan B. Hagloch, Tuscarawas Cty. P.L., New Philadelphia, OH

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