Contoura Facial Plastic Surgery - Podcast #3 Decisions start with good information Dr. Roberto Garcia

Transcript

You’re listening to the Confident Choice Podcast with me, Dr. Roberto Garcia, a double board-certified facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon. Honest conversations and expert advice about the decisions that make you feel your best.

Welcome, everybody, to Episode 3 of The Confident Choice. I’m your host, Dr. Roberto Garcia, from sunny Ponte Vedra Beach. Last week, we had a great podcast where we talked about common things to find and consider during the consultation process—and what we, as surgeons, are looking to discover. We also discussed what we think is important for you, the patient, to be asking and considering during that process.

If you have a chance and weren’t able to hear it, go back and find that episode on all social media platforms. You’ll be able to get a lot of very useful information. That last episode kind of segues into what I want to talk about today, which is: what are the common fears of facial plastic surgery, and why do they exist?

It’s interesting because, as I’ve thought about this over the years, I’ve come to the conclusion that people are afraid of plastic surgery because of a fear of the unknown. They’re not 100% sure or confident they’ll be happy with the result. You know, it’s like those movie scenes from the ’80s and ’90s where someone has plastic surgery, their whole face is bandaged, and then a week later—by the way, your face is never bandaged for a week, and if it is, you should be concerned—the surgeon removes the bandages, and the person looks in the mirror and says, “Oh no, this is not what I wanted.”

It’s not like that.

The word “plastic” in plastic surgery comes from the Greek term plastikos, which means “to mold.” And it’s in that process of molding that patients can feel uncomfortable. It brings up the fundamental question in our field: transformation versus preservation.

There are times when transformation is acceptable, and times when it’s not. I always aspire to the concept of preservation, especially when it comes to aging face surgery. What I’m really getting at is that, in any aging face situation, the way you keep a natural look is by altering what I call the “aging delta.”

Let me explain. You take a 45-year-old person who becomes 55. They don’t like what they look like at 55. You’re not altering an entire lifespan of aging—you’re altering that 10-year delta. That’s how you maintain a natural look.

A patient might say, “I really liked how I looked at 25.” Well, so did I—but that doesn’t look right on a 55-year-old, and it will never happen naturally. You have to age gracefully, as Sophia Loren once said. It’s about a timeless, almost endless form of beauty, where how aging has affected you is just a few years behind the number on your driver’s license.

You don’t need to look 25 or 35 when you’re 55. You can look great in your 40s—elegant, naturally beautiful, and appropriate for your stage in life. That’s the idea behind preservation of beauty: altering that delta between when you felt confident and now, when you’re noticing changes.

There are times in our field where some level of transformation is appropriate—rhinoplasty, ear surgery, chin surgery—where we’re altering the skeletal structure to create better facial balance. But even then, transformation must fall within the framework of harmony.

If I transform a nose so that it no longer draws negative attention, that’s acceptable. But if I transform it in a way that now draws attention to itself, that’s not good. The same applies to ear or chin surgery. The goal is always to allow other features—the natural beauty of the face—to stand out.

Ultimately, everyone wants a natural look. In all my years of practice, I can count on one hand the number of patients who have said, “I don’t want natural—I want everyone to know I had surgery.” That’s a red flag. When a patient says they want to look like a completely different person, it raises concerns about their mindset, and it may mean they’re not ready for surgery yet.

In the past—even into the early 2000s—plastic surgery often produced unnatural results. Surgeons didn’t fully understand how the face ages. I remember an older surgeon saying, “I’ve been doing it this way for 40 years,” and I responded, “Then you’ve spent 40 years perfecting doing it wrong.”

Today, thanks to a deeper understanding of facial anatomy, aging patterns, and tissue preservation, we’re seeing much more natural results. You no longer see those overly “done” faces as often. Instead, you might watch the news and be shocked to learn a newscaster is 65 or 70 because they look so natural.

As a specialty, facial plastic surgery has evolved tremendously, and I’m proud to be part of it. The best work is almost invisible—you wouldn’t notice it unless you saw a before-and-after side by side. As I tell my patients, you won’t walk into a room and have people notice what you had done.

In fact, people might say, “You look great—are you glowing?” That’s the goal.

I had a patient once who wanted to be a guest on the podcast. She shared how people would sense something was different but couldn’t pinpoint it. That’s exactly what we’re aiming for.

Let me share a story. Years ago, a young girl came in with her mother. She had been cyberbullied about her nose. They were both in tears. It broke my heart—she reminded me so much of my own daughter.

After working through the emotional side of things, it became clear her intentions were right. We decided to correct her nose over Christmas break. I also suggested she switch to contact lenses and change her hairstyle.

She went back to school in January. Not one person noticed she had surgery—but the bullying stopped completely.

One teacher asked if she had done something different with her eyes. She said she got contact lenses, and the teacher told her she looked beautiful.

The change was dramatic—but subtle. We took a feature that was disproportionate and brought it into harmony with her face. That’s the essence of what we do: we’re not adding beauty—we’re removing the distractions so natural beauty can shine.

That’s one of the most inspiring parts of this field.

Now, let’s move into my favorite segment.

My dad used to tell me something that stuck with me. And it reminds me of Michael Jordan, one of my favorite athletes. He didn’t make the varsity team at first, but he outworked everyone. While others were resting, he was practicing.

I went to high school with Chipper Jones—he was always the first on the field and the last to leave. What separates success from mediocrity is the willingness to work when others aren’t.

My dad always said: if you’re studying while everyone else is studying, you’re not getting ahead. But if you’re working when others are resting, that’s where growth happens.

Talent alone doesn’t define success. The world is full of smart people who never apply their abilities. What matters is consistency, discipline, and effort.

Be the first one in and the last one out. Don’t complain about the work—it’s building your character, your future, and your legacy.

With that, I’m signing off. Our next episode will be about recovery—what it’s really like. And trust me, we’ll make it fun.

I’ll close with our mantra:

Good decisions always come from good information.

I hope you all have a great week. Thanks again for everything.