Dr Michael K. Obeng, a world-renowned plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, demystified the vilification of plastic and cosmetic surgery in a sitdown with TV3’s Berla Mundi.
Dr Obeng likened plastic surgery to putting on makeup or deodorant, citing that just as makeup looks good and deodorant enhances one smell, plastic surgery also improves one’s appearance.
Once spoken about in hush whispers and darkened corridors, plastic surgery has become the order of the day, especially among celebrities, social media influencers and sex industry workers.
Many have blamed the media for endorsing unrealistic natural bodies as the catalyst of this mad rush to get the perfect body- a flat tummy, perky boobs and ample hips with a bubble bum.
For Dr Obeng, getting your body done, as the procedure is commonly referred to, is similar to putting on makeup, perfume or deodorant to make yourself look good.
He also gave some insights into the longevity of plastic surgery and cautioned that the tucks and pinches are not permanent.
According to him, nothing can stand against gravity. He mentioned that a breast lift is likely to lose its effect after ten or fifteen years because of several factors, including ageing, lifestyle, smoking and eating habits.
“Plastic surgery is a semi-permanent. Nothing is permanent. Over time, it’s going to fade. Let’s say you get liposuction. If you don’t change your eating habits and don’t exercise, within two or three years, you will go back to where you started.”
Some Ghanaian celebrities, like Kisa Gbekle, have been vocal about their experiences, sharing their pre and post-surgery recovery with their fans. Others also spoke up when the drastic changes in body shape became too apparent to ignore. And there is the final group vehemently refusing to confirm if they bought their new curvaceous bodies.