At A ‘Plastic Party’—

Plastic Surgery: Those Who Have It Can Now Flaunt It

“Persian Peels,” “medical microdermabrasion,” “redefining beauty,” and finally, the ability to “believe in transformation” are all possible according to the brochures at Advanced Cosmetic & Plastic Surgery in Danbury.

Enjoying a longtime beauty affair with one aesthetician who introduced her to a world that can include plastic surgery is Newtown resident Marcia Izzo, who recently hosted a “plastic party” with a roomful of invited guests eager to learn more about procedures both surgical and nonsurgical.

Ms Izzo said, “This is about anti-aging, looking good and feeling good.”

In her case, “It’s personal,” she said.

Although nonsurgical, Ms Izzo’s treatments are “a step beyond a facial.” Although she is still undergoing the process, it seems to be working, she said.

Contrary to previous concepts of plastic surgery, several elements have conspired to literally put a new face on the process, according to publicity statements issued by the plastic surgery office.

The release cites “media attention, a congested market, and affordable procedures” for making plastic surgery “more mainstream and widely accepted.”

Ms Izzo said, “I think you should do what you want to do for yourself.”

She considers the market’s trend of a more popular view of plastic surgery, saying, “I think people are doing what makes them feel good.”

Most of all is the positive word of mouth many patients pass along following their visit to the doctor’s office.

As stated in the release, Dr Boris Goldman noted, “A lot of this can certainly be attributed to the fact that patients now brag…rather than denying and hiding it.”

Hoping to introduce others to her positive experiences, she welcomed other women to learn more at a “party” held at Dr Goldman’s office on May 19.

Chris Fairchild was specific in describing her reasons for attending Ms Izzo’s plastic party.

“I can afford it, I am just here to get up the nerve,” she said.

With her was Claudia Coopersmith who offered further reasons behind their desire to consider plastic surgery.

“We are both around people all the time,” she said, explaining their professions have them in contact with the public constantly. “I think more and more women my age are out in the working world.”

Ms Coopersmith added, “We want to look our best and feel perky.”

Ms Fairchild expanded on her friend’s thoughts, saying, “This is to look in the mirror and not look tired.” The friends agreed that they wanted to find out more, and “this is the place to do it,” said Ms Fairchild.

In a private interview, Dr Goldman explained, “Baby boomers are still working and they want to be competitive.” The generation is showing signs of aging, he said.

Approaches to youth have become less invasive and occurring at a younger age, he said.

“We see a 45–55 crowd who want to feel and look good,” he said. “There is a real evolving of nonsurgical procedures,” he explained, referencing Botox as an example.

Although the price of almost everything else has risen, Dr Goldman notes that the plastic surgery has not jumped in price.

“It’s not as expensive as it used to be [comparatively],” said Dr Goldman. “It’s less for a facelift than to remodel your kitchen.”

Curiosity and excitement marked conversation as the doctor prepared a slideshow at the plastic party detailing different approaches to beautification. Before he began his educational talk, he stressed that the afternoon was meant as an informative sessions highlighting various procedures.

He offered discussions on both downsides and advantages to different procedures while stressing, “Unrealistic expectations don’t help anyone.”

When describing more invasive surgeries, he talked about his approach to not only lifting flesh into a smoother appearance, but also injecting a natural shape to the brow, for example.

The injections are “a helpful way of shaping the face, it’s aesthetic,” he said, switching slides. His presentation offered a series of before and after photos and many profile shots.

Offering a glimpse of the philosophy behind his approach, he said, “Plastic surgery is really a marriage between art and science. You have to have a sense of what looks good on a patient.”

He also noted some disadvantages to surgery, saying that patients run small risks of infection, scarring, or bleeding.

Aside from introducing information to those interested in procedures, he had another motive for hosting the gathering.

“There are so many things coming along and new procedures that people are inundated with, things they hear and their information may not be exactly true,” he said. “I wanted to educate people on what’s safe and what’s true.”

However, the surgery might also provide a much-needed boost in certain cases.

“This is an elective procedure and ideally people should not be judged on how they look, but that’s how it is, and it can be devastating.” He talked of one young boy with little self-confidence and a quiet nature. The boy’s ears embarrassed him, explained Dr Goldman. The ears stuck out and were extremely noticeable when the boy wore a baseball cap, he explained.

“We did his ears and by the next time I saw him he was a totally different boy,” he said.

He also has a sense of who is the wrong candidate for plastic surgery, saying, “This should never be done to please someone else, we weed those out.”