We Spoke To A Montreal Plastic Surgeon About The Biggest Surgery Trends In The City

Plastic surgery has always been something that has intrigued me. The talent and precision that must go into each procedure are incredibly impressive.  

As cosmetic procedures, both surgical and non-invasive, grow in popularity, many people, including many in Montreal, have been opting towards getting some vanity work done and there is no shame in that.  

I did however, have some questions and I found the perfect person to answer them for me. Karl Schwarz is a Montreal native who has been using his talent and ability on patients around the city for over a decade.  

His clinic performs everything you can imagine in the medical aesthetic world, from botox, fillers and lazer hair removal to breast augmentations and tummy tucks. His team of highly trained and well natured professionals are sure to help you with whatever you are looking to fix.  

I was fortunate enough to get to pick his brain a little about plastic surgery trends in our city.  

How long have you been practicing in Montreal?  

I have been in practice for twelve years. Before that, I was in the US doing my training for a period of sixteen years.  

What made you want to become a plastic surgeon?  

For me, it was not one sudden epiphany; it was something that started growing. I realized early on in my university career that medicine was something I was interested in.

As time passed, I narrowed it down to surgery and when I got to med school I decided I wanted to do orthopedic surgery. However, the more I was exposed to plastic surgery, the more I realized that I loved it so it was kind of a slow process where I fell in love with plastic surgery and everything about it.

What makes you stand out as a doctor?  

I think the most important thing is honesty and being straightforward with patients. I think it is so crucial in all fields of medicine, so I would say my honesty. I am also very result driven. I am very proud of my work and I am meticulous in trying to get the best results in each patient.  

What are the most popular procedures in our city?  

On the surgical side, we do a lot of rhinoplasty, which is a nose job and a lot of mommy makeovers, which include breast augmentations with or without a breast lift, and tummy tucks.

How often do you perform them?  

Several per week!  

You have been doing this for so many years, do you find there has been an increase in people wanting to get work done?  

I would say that those two surgeries have been popular for a long time, they are just becoming even more popular as the years go on.  

Why do you think more people are doing them?  

There is less of a taboo, people are realizing that they are safe procedures that do make a difference to individuals. 

How has the work people have been doing to themselves changed throughout the years?     

There is a trend of people wanting to look a bit more natural and not overdone. That goes for nose jobs and breast augmentations also. That is the one trend I see in the industry. I have always been one that liked to create more natural results but in the last decade I have noticed more patients coming in and wanting a natural look.  

I know a lot of men are reluctant to talk about having procedures done, do you feel like the amount of men you see as patients has increased?  

It used to be that less than one percent of my patients were men, now I would say men represent anywhere between ten and fifteen percent of my patient population, so much more promenent than it was before.  

Do you know why that is?  

Amongst men now it is less taboo, we talk about it a bit more. The one thing that has made them feel more comfortable is that we have things that are a lot less invasive like botox or when it is for men “brotox.”  

That has made men much more comfortable coming to the clinic and then they discover there are a ton of other options, some surgical some not that they are interested in doing.

Let’s talk a little about injections, do you find Botox and fillers are popular in our city?  

That is where the biggest growth in the aesthetic world has happened. It is incredibly popular because it appeals to all ages and genders, it is not invasive, there is no downtime and they are safe and effective treatments. It has grown exponentially in the last decade.    

Do you think some people are abusing the fillers and botox? Or that it is too much being done at a young age? 

I do, I think there always has been on the surgical side also. As doctors our job is to keep the patients safe and part of that is knowing when to tell a patient no, either because they are too young or it is too early or simply because it is too much.  

When I see a person that has had too much injected or too many surgeries I never blame that person because they trusted a doctor to do these treatments so it is up to that doctor to say no. It really is important to think about the person in front of you and tell them when something is not right for them, for whatever reason that may be.   

What advice do you have for anyone thinking about having any work done?  

To start, you want a board certified plastic surgeon for surgery meaning you are certified by the Royal College of Sergeons Canada. Also, find a doctor with a good reputation. Word of mouth is great, because you are getting the recommendation from people who know first hand and have worked with that doctor before.  

I would also say to find someone they trust and that they connect with, because it is really important to feel comfortable with your doctor.  

The last thing is to find someone who does a lot of those procedures. If you want a breast augmentation, find a doctor who performs several of those a week, not only a couple of months, this goes for any procedure. With practice comes expertise and if somebody does a few of any procedure they are less likely to be good.  

---

You can follow Dr. Karl Schwarz and his work on Instagram here.