Using Celebrities as Cosmetic Surgery Inspiration

The latest “big thing” when it comes to celebrity cosmetic surgery inspiration is Meghan Markle. The future wife of Prince Harry has the most requested nose at the moment for female rhinoplasty.

When asked why the public looks to celebs for inspiration, Dr. Philip J. Miller, a New York-based plastic surgeon told The Huffington Post, “I think, first and foremost, people find individuals attractive and then they go about wanting to emulate their facial features.” Dr. Miller named Jennifer Lopez, Scarlett Johansson and the Kardashian family as popular celebrity choices.

New Jersey plastic surgeon, Dr. Ramtin Kassir, said he sees patients daily that have celebrity photos as reference for a procedure. While Dr. Kassir was not a fan of this practice in the past, he now sees the idea of using celebrities as inspiration differently. “I want them to bring that in, because it’s better than them not bringing anything in and then having unrealistic expectations.” Once they bring it in, I can say, ‘Yes, I think you have facial features similar to Angelina Jolie and I think your nose is doable, where I can get it thin enough or narrow enough or short enough. But you can’t look like Scarlett Johansson. It’s just a different look, and that’s unrealistic.”

Dr. Miller did note that doctors need to set realistic expectations for patients when it comes to changing their look. What happens when a person asks for a change that the doctor doesn’t agree with?

Miller said, “What I tell those patients is, ‘Listen, when you get the urge to do something, come back to me so I can tell you that you shouldn’t get it done,’ as opposed to ‘Keep looking, because I guarantee you will find someone who will operate on you, but that doesn’t mean that it’s the right thing to do.”

(This story originally appeared on huffingtonpost.com)