Prof. Werner Mang
Cosmetic surgery “to go” is becoming increasingly popular
Prof. Dr. Mang has been a cosmetic surgeon for more than 30 years.
© Bodenseeklinik
Cosmetic surgery is more in demand than ever. Prof. Dr. Werner Mang explains in an interview why this is and which interventions he considers unnecessary.
Here a nose job, there a breast lift and a little botox injection. If you want to repair smaller or larger blemishes, see a plastic surgeon – even in times of corona. Because although public life has been largely at a standstill for more than a year and people are rarely out and about in larger groups, the desire to optimize their appearance has increased, Prof. Werner Mang (71) from the Bodensee Clinic.
The doctor has been working in the field of aesthetic medicine for decades and thinks: “Natural cosmetic surgery, yes, no!” But in the past few years he has recognized a tendency, which he reports on in his book “The Abyss of Cosmetic Surgery” (Gräfe and Unzer). In an interview with the news agency spot on news, he explains what it is and why cosmetic surgery was booming during the corona pandemic.
During the Corona crisis there were repeated reports of a boom in the field of cosmetic surgery. How come Which operating theaters are particularly popular in times of corona?
Prof. Dr. Werner Mang: I am always amazed that the urge for cosmetic surgery grows in times of crisis. In the past Corona year, no big vacation abroad was possible and we all have to wear face masks in public places anyway. So many of them had the money they needed for an operation and there is no swelling behind the mask.
Another reason for the increase is that today you can see your wrinkles relentlessly in video conferences and at Facetime. You used to look in the mirror once a day and that was it. But now you are constantly confronted with drooping eyelids, bags under the eyes and facial wrinkles.
“Smaller” interventions with Botox are often carried out at a young age. At what age should you start at the earliest?
Mang: The boom in Corona times is beauty treatments “to go”. You come in the morning and go home in the afternoon or spend a few days in the clinic. The most common cosmetic operations “to go” are botox, hyaluronic acid, laser therapy, thread lift, mini lift, double chin, body contouring.
I’m not a big botox fan: not botox before the age of 30. What happens with too much botox can be seen with some moderators and actors.
When do you think plastic surgery is necessary and when do you advise your patients against it?
Mang: I refuse about ten percent of my patients if – due to the Internet – they want nonsensical interventions such as mega-breasts with silicone implants over 600 grams, cut out ribs to have a waist like Victoria Beckham, liposuction with a body measure -Index of 20 and less, barbie dolls noses and octopus lips. All of these are horrific desires that are floating around on social media.
However, cosmetic surgery can also be beneficial, especially if it has been performed by a good specialist and helps people. In my opinion, this includes the entire aging surgery: drooping eyelids, bags under the eyes, facelifts. For boys and girls who are uncomfortable with a long humped nose or who have difficulty breathing, nose surgery can help. Just like girls who inherited riding breeches from grandma and are ashamed of them in the swimming pool – you can suck it off wonderfully. Away with the fat. Even girls who have huge or uneven breasts often do not feel comfortable in their own bodies. All of these are medically indicated cosmetic surgeries.
In your book you report, among other things, about a twelve-year-old girl who sought advice because she was dissatisfied. You criticize influencers and TV shows like “Germany’s next top model”. Which false ideals of beauty are conveyed there and what are the effects?
Mang: And that’s where we come from. [Mark] Zuckerberg and Co. created monsters because influencers and shows like “Germany’s next top model” convey false ideals of beauty. Faces and breasts are edited with Photoshop – this has nothing to do with natural beauty and is a real horror for our youth. A third of 12 to 16 year old girls today are dissatisfied with their appearance. Something is going wrong in our society and abysses are opening up in cosmetic surgery.
Almost every week young people sit with their parents in my office hours and have absurd wishes and then I try to advise fatherly that beauty is not everything, that there is a lot of lies and deception on the Internet and that they should finish school and do sports first. I keep getting thank you letters. For me, this is the greatest success of my more than 30 years as a cosmetic surgeon. I don’t think it’s expedient that Heidi Klum calls her breasts Hans and Franz and sometimes puts them on public display. She doesn’t need that at all. What’s going on in our society?