55 minPlastic Surgery and Body Image: A Surgeon's Honest Take
With Dr. Rady Rahban
Guest on the show
Dr. Rady Rahban
Board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon in Beverly Hills with more than 20 years in practice and host of the podcast Plastic Surgery Uncensored.
Episodes with Dr. Rady Rahban
55 minWhat Rady talks about
Ep. 365: Plastic Surgery and Body Image: A Surgeon's Honest Take
You've done the work. You lift, you track your macros, you've changed your body. Yet some days you look in the mirror and it still doesn't feel like enough. In this episode of The WarriorBabe Show, Nikkiey Stott talks with board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr. Rady Rahban about the mental side of body image: what he listens for in a consultation, why he turns patients away, and how social media has turned our insecurities into a business.
Dr. Rahban is blunt. In his view, no surgery ever takes the place of being in shape, and leaner patients get better results, so he sends overweight patients out to work on their weight first. He explains why he almost never does liposuction, why no amount of crunches will close a diastasis, and why the first question to ask before any procedure is who you're doing it for.
His message is to drop the all-or-nothing thinking. Exercise, good nutrition, hydration and rest are the baseline for everyone. Surgery is an optional tool for the right person, at the right time, for the right reasons. If you've ever wondered where plastic surgery fits next to your strength training and nutrition, this conversation gives you an honest framework for thinking it through.
- Before booking any procedure, ask yourself who you're doing it for; Dr. Rahban says the answer needs to be you, and surgery won't save a struggling relationship.
- Dr. Rahban says no cosmetic surgery ever takes the place of being in shape, and leaner patients get better results than overweight patients.
- He sends overweight patients away to work on their weight first, and says that if a surgeon doesn't tell you you're overweight when you know you are, you should walk out.
- He almost never does liposuction because it removes fat in small chunks, loosens the skin and leaves irregularities; his ideal candidate has a small amount of fat in good skin.
- Liposuction photos taken on the table or in the first six months are useless because patients are still swollen, and many post-op photos hide loose skin by arching.
Common questions
Should I lose weight before getting plastic surgery?
Dr. Rahban says leaner patients get better cosmetic results than overweight patients, and when overweight patients come to his office he sends them out to work on their weight first. You don't have to be skinny, he says, but in his office you can't be overweight.
Is liposuction worth it?
Dr. Rahban says he almost never does it. He explains that liposuction plucks fat out in small chunks, leaves skin looser and causes irregularities like dents and ripples, so only about one in a hundred people who come to him are good candidates: a small amount of fat in good skin.
Can exercise fix diastasis recti?
According to Dr. Rahban, no amount of crunches or core work will close a diastasis. Working your core strengthens the obliques and rectus muscles, which he says you should do, but the gap won't sew itself back together.
What should I ask myself before considering plastic surgery?
First, who am I doing this for, and the answer should be you. Second, where am I in my journey, including whether you've tried to lose weight for body procedures. Third, whether you're in a place where you can be selfish for a period of time without being overwhelmed by guilt.
How does social media affect body image?
Dr. Rahban compares social media to getting postcards from a perfect island that doesn't exist. Filters, swollen post-op photos and endless curated images mean you can't tell what's real, and he says constant comparison affects even the most secure person.
Why are some people unhappy after plastic surgery?
Dr. Rahban says it comes down to being the wrong person having the wrong surgery: a bad candidate physically or emotionally, or a surgeon who did a poor job. Good candidates whose surgery goes as planned are, in his experience, almost always thrilled.