Season 8 of Botched is back on E! across Africa, in a fresh new office. The popular series will have everyone in stitches as the ultimate doctor duo take on some of the most complex cases. Here, Dr Paul Nassif lets us into the mayhem ahead.
Glamour: What would you attribute the success of the show to?
Dr Paul Nassif: Well, I think it has that secret sauce, you know, of helping patients, the cautionary tale, the great makeover, changing someone’s life. You have crazy scenarios and situations. And then you have the bromance! I think all those together are fantastic.
Glamour: What can viewers expect from S8?
Dr Nassif: We’ve had a refresher. We’re doing interviews a little differently – we have a lot of interviews that we do together, Dr Dubrow and I. The way we’re doing things in the show is a little different, and you’ll see me a little bit more relaxed. Hold on to your seat because you’re going to see the procedure which results in the most incredible transformation.
Glamour: What are some of the misconceptions around plastic and reconstructive surgery?
Dr Nassif: A lot of folks sometimes think that there are no risks in plastic surgery, but it’s real surgery, and problems can occur! I mean, you never know exactly, so you have to be very careful and make sure you do the right research, because the last thing you want to do is end up on my show.
Glamour: What are some of the reasons your patients cite for opting for this route?
Dr Nassif: Well, you know, a lot of patients may have something on their body that they dislike, or it bothers them and makes them feel insecure. That’s fine. Or they might have already had plastic surgery that just didn’t go well. Or they naturally age, and they just want to rejuvenate and look better. All these are good reasons, but plastic surgeons also have to be psychiatrists and psychologists so they can study the patient to make sure they are great patient candidates with realistic expectations.
Glamour: Do you ever suggest alternative treatments in a case where you genuinely believe that surgery is not necessary or is it completely up to the patient?
Dr Nassif: It’s always a combination – we always want to listen to the patient and see what they want. Then, we are the responsible ones, we’re the ones that are supposed to lead the patient and say, ‘everything you said I agree with’, or ‘nothing you said I agree with’, or there’s a mix. Usually there’s a mix, where some of the procedures, or some of the looks that the patient wants to achieve are valid, and then the other half are not valid, and maybe make them look not normal, or unusual, shall we say. We do turn away, especially patients who are trying to have surgery for the wrong reasons – we absolutely don’t operate on them.
Glamour: What do you wish some of your patients knew about plastic and reconstructive surgery?
Dr Nassif: Well, right now what’s happening is the patients are becoming realistic, and they know what they want, and they’ve studied before coming in – that’s always a great patient. But if they’re coming in with some photos of some patient that doesn’t even look like them, and they have all types of unrealistic questions, then we know that we have a problem with that patient.
Glamour: We’ve come a long way with regard to technological advancements, what are some of the trends we can look forward to?
Dr Nassif: What I always say is, it keeps getting better every year. Skin tightening, taking care of your skin, is something that different types of lasers take care of, and we have those at all of our facilities. So, there’s resurfacing, tightening, all these things for the skin – I think maybe in ten more years, we’ll be using the knife a lot less frequently.
Glamour: Is there an ideal age to get plastic surgery?
Dr Nassif: You know, it really depends, I mean listen, it’s nice to get it while your skin is in great condition, and your elasticity is great. That’s always the best time to get it if you can.
Glamour: For viewers who may not necessarily have access to you, what goes into choosing the perfect surgeon?
Dr Nassif: For one, you want to make sure that doctor has a good reputation, and that you’ve seen a lot of before and afters. Ensure that you’re happy with the training of the doctor, and that they’re facial plastic surgeons. Look at reviews, look at social media, and make sure what you’re seeing is happy patients overall – not 100% but a good number overall. You have to make sure you find the right doctor, and the right surgeon to do your procedure.
Glamour: I can imagine the devastation that accompanies a botched procedure, what’s your advice to someone going through this?
Dr Nassif: Our priority is to make sure that they’re prepared mentally and physically. So mentally, if they’re depressed, we have to work on that, and we always make sure that they are physically ready to have any surgery, it’s really important to make sure you’re physically stable. But on the same point, you have to be psychologically stable.
Glamour: What do you love most about your job and what’s your biggest takeaway from this season?
Dr Nassif: I mean it’s fun! I get to operate! And the older I get, the better I get. I mean this is a great thing – I’m on a TV show which helps patients, and I’m a surgeon who helps patients. So those are all incredible. Even though I can’t get 100% perfection, the goal is to help as many people as possible, and I’m so blessed that I’m able to do that.
Glamour: What's your take on the standard of beauty in 2023?
Dr Nassif: As long as the young folks are not filtering themselves so much that they think they really look like that, then they go to a doctor and say ‘make me like this’. God willing that doctor’s going to say, ‘No. You look fine. Leave it alone!’
Botched premieres on E! across Africa on Sundays at 6:10 PM.
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