Don’t we all have a secret little wish list of body parts that could stand improvement? Dr Parul R Sheth finds newer and better ways of making it possible.

YOU watch Shakira and Britney Spears groove to music and instantly wish you had their body. Who doesn’t want a perfect number 10 body? Some women even believe that their sex lives would be better if they achieved their ideal shape. Cosmetic surgery is no longer just for ageing movie stars or the very wealthy.

If someone is not happy with how she looks, there’s nothing wrong with her getting elective cosmetic surgery. It seems as though all you have to do is imagine a little ‘tuck’ here, maybe a nice ‘boost’ there, and plastic surgery makes it so. But beware, if you hope for a miracle rather than an improvement you may be disappointed. Here’s a peek at what’s available and what’s really involved.

The Doctor Nose
Refashioning the nose, or rhinoplasty, involves reshaping the nasal contour by either removing a ‘bump’ on the bridge of the nose, trimming a bulbous tip, or camouflaging by another procedure, resulting in a better profile.

More Boobs
We don’t know why exactly men are so fascinated by boobs, but breasts seem to have mesmerised men through the ages and across all cultures. “Curves on a woman’s body has always been a turn-on for me. Women look really sensual when they are filled out,” says Ravi Dutt, a 27-year-old sales manager. Obviously, you feel it’s very important to have the right size, shape and pointiness! Today, you have breast enlargement options that you couldn’t dream of a couple of decades ago. You can add volume to small breasts or restore the volume that was lost due to childbirth, weight loss and ageing.

Augmentation mammoplasty, as it is medically termed, involves surgical placement of an implant behind each breast to increase its volume and enhance its shape. The small incisions are virtually undetectable, usually made under each breast, around the nipples or in the armpits. Implants may be inserted just under the gland of the breast or beneath the muscle tissue. Stitches are removed after approximately one week.

Currently, saline-filled implants are very popular. FDA-approved implants with a thicker and better version of silicone gel called ‘cohesive silicone gel’ are also a popular option and are specially suggested if you have minimal breast tissue.

The use of sustained mechanical force to induce tissue growth in the breasts has recently been touted as a method to achieve modest enlargement of the breasts.

Cut The Fat
Fat thighs and bulging buttocks are a universal problem. “It’s impossible to lose weight around these areas, no matter how much you exercise,” complains Prachi, a bank employee. For Prachi, spot fat reduction is an easy option. The plastic surgeon can re-sculpt the body, removing fat deposits that contribute to flabby thighs and heavy buttocks.

Also known as liposuction, it can be done under local anaesthesia. However, it is not a good idea to remove an excess of fat deposit, especially from overweight women. “Liposuction can safely remove in one sitting about four to five kilograms only. More than that is usually not recommended because dimpling or irregularity of the skin may develop,” points out Dr Bimal Mody, a Plastic, Reconstructive and Microvascular Surgeon from P D Hinduja National Hospital, Mumbai.

Line Erasure
For those who don’t want to opt for Botox, there are forehead and brow lifts. This procedure also corrects baggy upper eyelids. If too much skin remains, eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) is suggested. These operations can be performed separately or in combination with a facelift.

Cheek contouring, redefining jaw lines, and eliminating ‘turkey necks’ are all surgical options for combating signs of ageing. You can also get cheek implants inserted or fat removed from your cheeks. Small silicone chin implants can dramatically improve a formerly chinless profile. Laser resurfacing helps clear up the skin.

Mamma’s Blues
Plastic surgery can also help you regain and even improve upon your pre-pregnancy form. Before childbirth, milk glands in the breasts swell and replace fatty tissue. Later, these glands shrink. What’s left is a skin ‘envelope’ with little to fill it. Mastopexy, or breast lifting, can remove excess skin and reduce sagging.

Meanwhile, a lipectomy or stomach tightening can remove the excess loose skin lying below the navel and get rid of stretch marks. Muscle bulge post pregnancy can be repaired with surgery, too. During a normal vaginal delivery, many women tear or otherwise damage the labia (the opening to the vagina). A labioplasty can repair this damage.

Approximate Costs
Rhinoplasty Rs 20,000 to Rs 40,000
Breast augmentation Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000
Liposuction Rs 25,000 to Rs 40,000
Tummy-tuck Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000

Get A Job
The top five plastic surgery procedures that women opt for are:
• Rhinoplasty (‘nose job’)
• Breast enlargement
• Liposuction
• Mastopexy for sagging breasts
• Tucks

The top five most hated body parts are:
•Hips
•Thighs
•Bottom
•Waist
•Face

The Doctor Says
According to Dr Narendra Pandya, a cosmetic surgeon with the Jaslok and Breach Candy Hospitals, Mumbai, women are nine times more likely to get cosmetic surgery than men. “Young women like aspiring models are especially adventurous and want to remain in shape"

Feel Good Fix-Its
“I feel absolutely fabulous now. I believe it’s really improved my life and I would not only recommend it but I wouldn’t mind getting it done again!” says Rita, 28, a mother of two children, who has undergone a boob job.

“Cosmetic surgery is not the horrible thing that everybody thinks it is — where you look like your skin is held back with a rubber band,” says Ivy Stevens, an airhostess who needs to look good at all times and so decided to go in for a facial surgery. “It was a smart move on my part. Everybody told me I looked tired after I returned even from a short two-hour flight. After consultation,

I decided on a laparoscopic brow lift and a laser resurfacing of the skin,” she says, very pleased with the results.

At A Glance
•Remember that your plastic surgeon isn’t a miracle worker. Have realistic expectations and discuss their achievability with your surgeon.

•Rhinoplasty gives you the option to reshape your nose, trim a blobby end or remove a ‘bump’ from the bridge of your nose.

•With the help of procedures like mastopexy and augmentation mammoplasty, you can enlarge breasts with improved silicone implants, give sagging boobs a breast-lift and reshape breasts that have lost form post child-birth.

•Choose liposuction for spot reduction on hard-to-get-rid-of fat places like thighs and buttocks.

•Get rid of wrinkles, contour a sagging chin, fix a fading jawline or wrinkled eyelid and eliminate a ‘turkey neck’ with a range of facial surgeries.

•Choose a plastic surgeon with rock-solid credentials

Barbie’s Got It
She’s over 40, has had 150 different jobs (including paleontologist, rock star and presidential candidate), and she’s been dating the same guy since 1961!
For years, Barbie’s been under feminist fire for having a figure that probably defies anything Mother Nature could ever create.
• If Barbie’s figure had to be a real person’s, it’s guestimated to be a 39-18-33 — don’t even bother asking your plastic surgeon for this!
• In 2000, Mattel gave Barbie, a belly button!

Possible Surgery ‘Blues’
It is true that all surgical procedures, no matter how simple they are, involve a certain degree of risk and a possibility of complications. And no matter what type of plastic surgery you’re considering, the most important thing is choosing the right surgeon.

Suggests Dr Pandya, “The surgeon should be qualified and should have had training in Plastic Surgery. He/she should have specialised in aesthetic and cosmetic surgery and should belong to the Association of Plastic Surgeons, India. Most importantly the person should have the experience to handle surgeries with comfort and ease.”

To find a reliable plastic surgeon, one can enquire at major hospitals and institutions, or approach the Indian Association of Plastic