Sure, some women book their post-pregnancy boob jobs and tummy tucks faster than they buy their Bugaboo strollers, but what to tell the kids?
Michael Salzhauer, M.D., F.A.C.S., a board-certified plastic surgeon based in Bal Harbour, Florida, pondered the same question when his 4-year-old daughter quizzed him about his nose job and an idea for a children’s book was born.
Your book helps kids?
Dr. Salzhauer: “Cosmetic surgery is difficult for young children to understand. Moms often come to my office with their kids and they don’t know how to answer their questions appropriately. Doctor’s offices can feel scary for children and then they tend to fill in the blanks with their imagination. I created the book as a tool to help open the communication process with children on what was going to happen to their mother so that they wouldn’t be frightened.”
What should you tell your kids pre-surgery?
Dr. Salzhauer: “Let them know that Mommy is going to be bruised and swollen and in bandages. It’s okay to feel sad and confused and ask questions. Assure your kids that Mommy needs to rest but you’re not ill and you’ll be fine.”
And what about the controversy the book invites?
Dr. Salzhauer: “This book is meant to be a guide for parents who have already decided to undergo plastic surgery and help explain to their children why Mommy looks different. I recognize the controversial element to the book but it doesn’t promote plastic surgery. I teach my own four kids that beauty has many definitions — it’s not only physical.”
Read more about mommy makeovers
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10 Questions to ask your doctor before having a cosmetic procedure
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