or

A New Kind Of 'Coming Out' Party

A CBS 2 Special Report

Nov 26, 2003 11:48 pm US/Eastern
NEW YORK (CBS) From nose jobs to liposuction, 12-million patients go under the knife for plastic surgery every year. But often, all that work is hush-hush. Patients love the self-improvement, but won't shine a spotlight on it, at least until now.

Before cosmetic surgery 16-year-old Amanda Braizin was called 'big nose' and 'ugly.'

Liposuction and tummy tuck helped bring gym goddess Roz Kaufman from a size 10-12 to a size 2.

You're invited to a party where women and men are celebrating their new and improved selves, and want the whole world to know it. As CBS 2’s Cindy Hsu explains, it gives "coming out parties" a whole new meaning.

"How does it look from the back?"

It may look like your ordinary fashion show.

"How about a big round of applause for model number one."

But these models have a different reason for walking the catwalk, they're showing off their new looks.

"I had cosmoplast in my lips and botox in my forehead."

"I've had liposuction, breast augmentation."

"I've had botox, I'm having a tummy tuck."

These patients are wearing their surgeries on their sleeves, proudly announcing their nips and tucks to family and friends at a Bethpage, Long Island coming out party in their honor.

"A coming out party is something that's actually a recent fad," says Dr. Rod Rohrich, President, American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

Dr. Rohrich says parties like these are sprouting up all over the country, “People are just proud of how they look and it's no longer taboo to have cosmetic surgery."

Dr. Stephen Greenberg knows this firsthand. This party is just one of a string of shindigs he throws for his patients, "Patients really want to tell their friends and other people about their cosmetic surgery procedures - so, they're no longer hiding."

Patients like 16-year-old Amanda Draizin, whose recent nose job was actually televised. She's now a plastics poster child strutting her stuff with her mom, Mindy, by her side.

What a change from the old days, "People used to call me big nose and ugly, and it really hurt me."

Amanda says she had no self confidence, even hid behind glasses she didn't need, until she got her nose done, and she's proud of it, "I can't think of a better way to show off my happiness. This party makes me feel great."

"I have a good body now." That's why Roz Kaufman is strutting her stuff. But the self-proclaimed gym goddess wasn't always like this, "I'm a size two, whereas before I began I was maybe a size 10 to a 12."

She not only had liposuction, but got a tummy tuck and her eyes done, too, "When I walk out there and I'm smiling, it gives women everywhere confidence."

While the parties may boost self-esteem, some psychologists are concerned they'll lead patients to expect a Cinderella-like transformation.

"When people walk into the party and receive all the compliments, it may setup some unrealistic expectations that that's what's going to continue the further they move out from the post-operative period," says Dr. David Sarwer, psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine.

But these patients aren't worried and continue to put on a show as their friends and familycheer them on.

"She's my inspiration."

"I’m very, very proud of them."

Participants say other patients should take part in the "coming out" experience. They describe the feeling as incredible and say others should just 'go for it' and feel proud of what they've done.