Former Olympic swimming champion Rebecca Adlington has recently discussed going under the knife for rhinoplasty surgery. The 24 year old has always struggled with her appearance, stating, “Every day I look in the mirror and go, ‘God, I’m not pretty’.” It is unfortunate that anyone would feel this way about their self image, especially someone like Rebecca, who has so much going for her. She continued on by stating, “I’ve got a very big nose. That’s what most of the negative comments on Twitter are about – my nose. People say, ‘Oh God you look like a dolphin’, or ‘I didn’t realize they let whales into the Olympics, but at least you should be able to swim faster with a nose like that’.” If she does end up having rhinoplasty surgery, it should be for personal reasons, and not because of pressure from others.
Rebecca has said that she never sought attention for her looks, but rather, for her amazing talent as an Olympic swimmer. However, it is clear from her comments that the appearance of her nose bothers her. Double board certified facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon, Dr. Benjamin Stong, who is not affiliated with Rebecca Adlington, stated, “When deciding to undergo plastic surgery, patients need to want to have the surgery for themselves, and not for others. Patients should find a thoroughly trained, board certified physician for the best possible outcome, and discuss at great length the expectations they have for surgery, and what goals they are trying to accomplish. This will lead to the best possible result.”
Plastic surgery is something that is extremely personal, and we always advise patients to do it for themselves, and for the right reasons. If Rebecca truly wants to have rhinoplasty surgery, it could make an impact on her own self image, as it has done for many people who have undergone the surgery. We see patients every day who report that surgery has been life changing in a very positive way, and this proves that when done for the right reasons, plastic surgery can be a wonderful option for patients.
