Celebs on plastic surgery: When Angelina talks, we should listen

Last week was quite a busy week in the public relations department of ASPS. Without much notice came the revelation, shared by Angelina Jolie, that she had undergone prophylactic mastectomies and reconstruction due to her high risks of developing breast cancer. As you might imagine, 这引起了整形外科医生和癌症外科医生的关注. From where I sit, her story was open, honest and, well, courageous. But it surprises me that in some of the press, 对于她的所作所为，以及她的分享方式，有一些非常负面的评论. So, 问题来了:当名人谈论整形手术时，这是一件好事还是坏事, or more specifically, their own plastic surgery?

As in all things, there is no absolute answer. 这取决于具体情况，以及故事讲述的方式. On one extreme we might find someone like Heidi Montag. 让我暂停一下，说我非常反对谈论做过整形手术的名人. But Heidi was so public about what she did, that I feel comfortable discussing what she had done in this context.

2009年，海蒂公开了她曾经做过的十次整形手术. 十大网赌排行榜很多以做整形手术为生的人真的质疑她所做的事情的合理性, 她的整形医生(后来不幸死于车祸). 如果有一个词可以形容海蒂对她手术的揭露，那就是:耸人听闻(我并不是指这个词最好的意思). 这样做的动机必须是为她做过的整容手术获得同样多的关注. The key words here are: cosmetic surgery, personal attention, and sensational.

What Angelina Jolie did, and how she did it, are polar opposites. 像安吉丽娜这样携带乳腺癌基因(BRAC1)的女性在90岁时患乳腺癌的风险为80%. For many, 这种潜在致命疾病的极高风险足以使十大网赌排行榜有足够的理由进行治疗来防止这种情况的发生. Treatment, that in other circumstances, may seem quite drastic. 对于一个女人来说，选择切除她的两个“正常”乳房并进行重建是一个非常困难和情绪化的决定. 但如果这能将患乳腺癌的风险降低到几乎为零，那么这可能是一个不错的决定.

Because of the difficulty of such a decision, and at the same time the tremendous health benefit of such a decision, 谈论这一点的女性对其他可能有一天也会遇到同样情况的女性来说是一个很好的资源. 安吉丽娜讲述她故事的方式让人们明白了这到底是怎么回事. There is no doctor speak from her. Just a story told in a way that all could understand. 其效果是教育人们和分享关于预防癌症治疗和重建的经验, plastic surgery options.

Interestingly, Angelina chose to not share her story or her journey until it was, for the most part, complete. Not only did this allow her and her family more privacy, but it tends to be less "sensational" when presented as a fait accompli. 所以这里的关键词是:教育，分享经验和重建手术.

You can probably see where I am going here. Talking about cosmetic surgery is fraught with potential problems. 虽然我同意在正确的人身上做整容手术的绝对好处，因为正确的理由, it is still a very personal - and for the most part, private - decision. 当公开谈论这件事时，应该像安吉丽娜的故事一样，以同样的“等级”来完成.

最近，ASPS邀请我参加一个关于抬臂的教育活动. 这涉及到我的一个病人，她接受了这个手术来治疗多余的皮肤或上臂后，她的体重减轻了很多, like 200 pounds. 十大网赌排行榜的目标是让公众意识到这是一个选择，让人们可以选择这样做, and to explain why more people were choosing this as an option. I think the ASPS took the high road here.

虽然整形手术同样涉及个人隐私，但有时可能更容易公开谈论. With reconstruction we repair defects caused by trauma, cancer surgery, and birth defects to name a few, in order to restore a normal appearance and function. Few people go out of their way to need such surgery. In most cases it is not elective. So, 谈论这些行动的方式将会帮助其他可能有一天需要他们的人, can be very good and helpful.

This, I believe, is what Angelina has done, and what Heidi did not do. 当名人谈论他们的整形手术的目的是告诉公众, and drawing attention to the surgery itself and not themselves, this can be very good. 但如果关于她们整容手术的讨论是耸人听闻的，旨在让她们登上小报的头版, this is not good at all. Education: good, sensationalism: bad.

On a final note, I was very sorry to hear criticism of what Angelina has done (and written), particularly by other women. I do not think she implied that this is what all women should do. But by having the courage to speak about this honestly, without the desire to be in the spotlight (any more than she is already), she has been of help to many women who may face the same decision.

I wish Angelina and her family all the best as they live their lives together. And, I sincerely thank her for telling her story.