How much time do you spend judging your appearance? I’m sure we’ve all wished we could change something about the way we looked. Moreover, I’m sure we’re all guilty of using a filter now and then. But what happens when our need to change a perceived flaw goes too far? How do we differentiate between insecurity and a deep-seated mental health crisis? This is why Longevity LIVE has created Wellness Wednesdays – a weekly Instagram interview at 19h00 SAST hosted by the founder of the World of Longevity, Gisèle Wertheim Aymés that will help you on your health and wellness journey. Joined by a different expert each week on @longevity_live. Gisèle and her guests will help you take baby steps with facts and points.
Wellness Wednesday ft Dr. Vivian Jandera
Dr. Vivian Jandera
Dr. Vivian Jandera is a qualified plastic surgeon and a member of the Association Of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons Of Southern Africa (APRSSA). In fact, she was the first woman elected president two years ago. She offers her services across the spectrum of plastic and reconstructive surgery. Dr Jandera is also a registered Restylane and Botox trainer. This offers you peace of mind when considering either Facial Cosmetic Surgery, Body Cosmetic Surgery, Breast Surgery or Aesthetic medicine as you can have faith that for your result she will only consider the best products and the latest proven techniques.
Now, when we think of plastic surgery, chances are that your first will be one of the Kardashian sisters or a memorable episode of Botched. However, the purpose of plastic surgery has always been to help people.
“I think we forget, because of the age we live in now with much social media and celebrity and of course technology, we forget that the foundations of plastic surgery really come from helping people. Plastic surgery was created to help people who had incredibly traumatic events happen to their bodies,” explains Dr. Jandera. She explains that the concept of plastic surgery boomed around the time of the Second World War, “So people started to survive with horribly deforming injuries and a group of surgeons got together and basically started the specialty of plastic surgery.”
The demand for surgery
Now while plastic surgery was initially formed out of a need to address deformities resulting from wars and other accidents, it wasn’t long before the demand grew to address the flaws that we were born with.
“I think plastic surgery has become more advanced. Definitely in the 60s. And around that era, it was very much for the movie stars and the celebrities and people like that. But I think it’s become a lot safer. It’s become a lot more well-defined as to what can be done.” says Dr. Jandera. She adds that thanks to television and social media, plastic surgery has just become popularized so much more.
“It’s amazing how much more information patients have access to,” she says, “The average patient that comes to see me now, and they practically know everything about the procedure, okay, sometimes they haven’t got quite the right angle on it. But there certainly are so much more well informed. The more educated people are, the better choices that they’re going to make. So I’m all for it.”
It’s all about self-care
Maksim Shmeljov/Shutterstock
If we’re going to be living longer, shouldn’t we at least try to look the part? People are leading a healthy and holistic lifestyle, but they want a look that matches the lifestyle that they’re actually having,
“They’re eating healthily, they’re doing everything right. And every time they walk past the mirror, they get a fright” says Dr. Jandera, “So if you can do a little thing, isn’t it just an added aspect of self-care?”
How far is too far?
The pandemic has definitely affected the way in which we view ourselves. Coupled with the rise in eating disorders, the amount of time that we now spend on ZOOM meetings has also led to an increased demand for plastic surgery.
“I think people have noticed things about themselves, which they don’t usually because you don’t spend as much time seeing yourself as you do in ZOOM meetings. So we’ve had a lot of increase in facial work, birds for things that because people can see you frown and people can see your forehead.”
Unfortunately, some of the requests that patients have can be quite detrimental to their overall health.
“Look at the Brazilian Butt-Lift for example,” says Dr. Jandera, “The statistics came out and revealed a high mortality rate of up to one in 3000, especially in countries like Brazil where the surgery is quite common.” As such, Dr. Jandera adds that moratoriums have been put out on the surgery until more research comes out.
Oleg GawriloFF/Shutterstock
It’s all an illusion
“If you go into social media, you think it’s just the thing to do, and it’s so easy. It’s actually all so fake because there are filters and there are ways to make something look better afterwards when it isn’t a lot better.” says Dr. Jandera, adding that it takes a certain kind of person, sort of attention seeking kind of celebrity person. Unfortunately, the problem arises when this behavior is seen as the norm.
“If younger people are having a great time, take selfies of everything, when they go home and feel that they’re not looking fabulous in a selfie, they’re completely devastated.” shares Dr. Jandera. She reminds us that a selfie distorts your features, so chances are the thing that you’re moaning about is not actually on your body.
“I think it’s very important to know that when you see something on social media, it is just that social media. People want to get the likes and I noticed that it’s really not all that real. I think it’s our job to put a bit of reality into that.”
WATCH THE INTERVIEW
The video interview with Dr. Vivian Jandera contains the entire dialogue of this interview, and you can watch it below.
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