I was recently approached by a reporter with a thought-provoking question: He asked whether people should divulge their cosmetic surgery or whether it’s better to keep the information to themselves.
The journalist’s purpose was to have “an honest conversation about our relationship with aging” – a topic that’s much too big for a simple blog post. But at its most basic level, the question was very interesting, and I’d like to explore it further.
First, I want to address my specific responsibilities and duties with regard to this question. When patients have surgical procedures, there are laws regarding the protection of health information. Physicians can’t divulge medical information without the consent of the patient. That’s very clear and straightforward.
But whether a patient should share the information on their own is an entirely different question.
One of the things that I take tremendous pride in is how consistently my patients tell me that, after whatever procedure I’ve performed for them, their friends have asked whether they changed their hairstyle, or are wearing new makeup or jewelry. It’s very gratifying to know that my technique provides the improvement they were looking for in such a subtle way.
Dr. Adam Scheiner
At the point that the question is asked, some patients divulge their treatment, and some do not. And in my opinion, that is as it should be. The question of whether to tell is up to them, just as the decision to have surgery was up to them.
One patient told me that she has been very upfront with her friends and family about having her procedure, explaining why she made the decision and how happy she was with the outcome. Still, that same patient was absolutely furious when she learned that her sister had told her friends, who live three states away, about the surgery. You might wonder, why would my patient have cared about virtual strangers when she was so free with the information herself.
When I asked her, she said that it was not her sister’s information to share and that though she had indeed shared the information with friends and family, the decision about who to tell – and who not to tell – had been specific and intentional. My patient said that she didn’t broadcast her surgery to her entire social media community, her neighborhood, or the cashier at the local pharmacy. She had entrusted the information with the people who she knew cared about her, would celebrate her decision, and would not sit in judgment of her – and her sister’s sharing the information with strangers took away her autonomy.
We live in a world where information is free-flowing, and though that’s generally a good thing, people still have a right to privacy. Just as choosing to have cosmetic surgery is entirely up to you, it is also information that is yours and yours alone to share or not to share. My goal is for you to be happy with how you look and with the decision that you made, whether you want to keep it a secret, broadcast it to the world, or keep it between you and a select few.