Routine — Yawn, yawn, yes I know it’s a boring answer but routine plays an essential role in health, achieving your goals, and reaching your potential. Routine helps to establish a sense of progress that you can monitor. Simply allowing an extra 10 minutes in the morning to eat breakfast and check my site’s statistics has increased my motivation to reach goals that really matter and disregard the outside noise that can set me off course.
The term Blue Zones has been used to describe places where people live long and healthy lives. What exactly does it take to live a long and healthy life? What is the science and the secret behind longevity and life extension? In this series, we are talking to medical experts, wellness experts, and longevity experts to share “5 Things You Need To Live A Long, Healthy, & Happy Life”. As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Annabelle Baugh.
Annabelle Baugh is the Founder of Cosmetic Surgery Advancements a company that provides cosmetic surgery patients with advice and information. Annabelle wants stricter regulation when it comes to cosmetic surgery and patient safety. She started her company after finding out her Allergan breast implants had been withdrawn due to a link with cancer, now known as breast implant associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL).
Thank you so much for joining us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’?
Absolutely, my backstory really started over 25 years ago when I had my first breast augmentation. Eleven years later in October 2019 I was shocked to find out my breast implants had been withdrawn from the worldwide market due to breast implant associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL), a cancer of the immune system, and at that time 33 women had died. Further to exhaustive research, I decided to put together a resource for other women who may be concerned. Shortly after I was contacted by women asking for information and help to find good plastic surgeons. It was then I realized that regulation around who can perform cosmetic surgery in the UK and US is extremely lax. Looking back, I realized that I was extremely fortunate to have found my plastic surgeon, Douglas McGeorge FRCS (Plast) who spent hours talking to me and helping me to make the right decisions. After reading numerous reports of patients suffering from lifelong complications and even fatality at the hands of non-specialist surgeons, I felt I wanted to do something to protect vulnerable people who might not be as lucky as I was to find a skilled and ethical plastic surgeon.
Can you share with us the most interesting story from your career? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘takeaways’ you learned from that?
Not long after I started my company and launched my website, I wanted to find a way to gain publicity. I spoke to a PR company who said I didn’t have enough authority and my company was too small to be taken seriously. Feeling strongly about my mission I ignored this advice and started to share my story with editors of well-known publications, aimed at women. After months of continuous pitches and adding content to my site, I finally ended up being featured extensively in an article that was published in Cosmopolitan this March. The lesson I learned is to never believe you are too small or insignificant to make a difference or be taken seriously, the takeaway I learned is that persistence is key to achieving results.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person you are grateful for who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
My stepdaughter, Hannah whom I refer to as my non-biological daughter or NBD, has been a great source of support and inspiration. She gives me valuable feedback on articles and marketing ideas and is always there to kick me up the bum when needed. Most of all whenever I feel a little defeated I only have to look at her and how hard she has had to work to build her career while in and out of hospital with Chrones. She has had to have life-saving surgery and had a stoma bag for over a year but she always keeps trying and pushing forward. I couldn’t have a better inspiration and having her in my life has been a huge part of my success.
You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Respect — By respecting other people and the work they have done I have built key relationships. An example of this is when I reached out to Professor Peter Hollands after reading his book The Regeneration Promise: The Facts Behind Stem Cell Therapies. He agreed to support my mission and provided a testimonial for my website which has increased my credibility. This in turn resulted in my voluntary role with the NHS Implant Framework which has provided further valuable contacts and support.
Transparency — By being transparent and sharing your own experiences you build trust. I have done this by sharing my breast augmentation journey in an article recently published in the PMFA Journal. This has helped to build recognition and separate me from the huge corporations whom I am competing with.
Integrity — To me, this means demonstrating adherence to my moral and ethical principles even if they may reduce potential avenues for revenue in the short run. One case of which I have tried to show my integrity is by my recent contribution to an article in Cosmopolitan about the worldwide withdrawal of Allegan textured breast implants due to a link with lymphatic cancer, called breast implant associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL). Although this may be seen as a negative issue that I should not be publicizing, if I want to promote plastic surgery, my moral standpoint is patient safety should always come before profit. By speaking openly about BIA-ALCL I hope to build a foundation of honesty and integrity, which is critical when you want people to be confident in you and trust in what you advocate.
Ok, thank you for all that. Now let’s shift to the main focus of our interview about health and longevity. To begin, can you share with our readers a bit about why you are an authority in the fields of health, wellness, and longevity? In your opinion, what is your unique contribution to the world of wellness?
An authority in wellness is a very strong way to describe my knowledge. I believe that my personal experience with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) and cosmetic surgery has helped me realize that when it comes to wellness, authenticity is not often emphasized enough as a core component of what boosts fulfillment and self-esteem.
My research into cosmetic surgery has also centered around mental health and how feeling authentic and strong in your own skin can increase your health, and mental wellness and even add years to your life. My unique contribution to this sector, I hope, is to help people realise that strength comes from choosing not to trade authenticity for approval, in a world where cosmetic surgery is often considered vain and selfish
Seekers throughout history have traveled great distances and embarked on mythical quests in search of the “elixir of life,” a mythical potion said to cure all diseases and give eternal youth. Has your search for health, vitality, and longevity taken you on any interesting paths or journeys? We’d love to hear the story.
My search for health and vitality has been an internal journey as I found the courage to change my body and appearance through cosmetic surgery. I suppose it would be fair to say that three breast augmentations, rhinoplasty procedures, and liposuction have helped me along a path to love myself more, which is key to both physical and mental wellness.
Based on your research or experience, can you please share your “5 Things You Need To Live A Long & Healthy Life”? (Please share a story or an example for each)
Routine — Yawn, yawn, yes I know it’s a boring answer but routine plays an essential role in health, achieving your goals, and reaching your potential. Routine helps to establish a sense of progress that you can monitor. Simply allowing an extra 10 minutes in the morning to eat breakfast and check my site’s statistics has increased my motivation to reach goals that really matter and disregard the outside noise that can set me off course.
Social Network and Support — Nurturing your social network and support are vital to ensure you have a supportive social circle that you can depend on. Your social circle can also help you to remain physically and mentally active through shared interests and interaction. And I am not talking about spending all day on social media, science has shown that physical interaction is key for mental health, and taking part in activities in person, rather than virtually, can be more inspirational and rewarding.
Daily exercise and getting outside — Now I am not talking about trying to get a toned stomach or slimmer thighs when I refer to exercise. My focus is on keeping fit and feeling healthy. It is so easy to not realize you are unfit until you find yourself taking part in a charity walk or your child’s sports day. Daily exercise for me includes going up and down my stairs an extra time (even if I crawl due to my osteoporosis), and either walking around my garden or using my wheelchair to go to see the horses in the nearby fields.
Nuts — The ones you eat! I mean what could be easier? Full of antioxidants and health-enhancing properties, nuts have many beneficial properties, including lowering blood pressure and inflammation, both key to a healthy and long life! Although I can’t say it is due to the copious amounts of almonds, cashews, and pecan nuts I eat, I do have low blood pressure and lower inflammation in my joints than would be expected, due to my mobility issues.
Wine — Not drinking lots of it but enjoying wine in moderate amounts has been indicated to reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and neurological disorders. Scientific studies have even associated moderate alcohol consumption with a lower risk of premature death!
Can you suggest a few things needed to live a life filled with happiness, joy, and meaning?
I believe that the first and foremost part of living a life of joy and reaching your potential is to find your authentic self. As long as you are trying to live up to someone else’s expectations or in accordance with how you think society deems you should behave, you will lack belief in what you are capable of. To live with meaning means to find true meaning in what you do every day. Your life accomplishments will never bring you meaning and joy if the way you achieved them meant giving up on your ethics and what makes you feel good about yourself.
Some argue that longevity is genetic, while others say that living a long life is simply a choice. What are your thoughts on this nature vs. nurture debate? Which is more important?
Research certainly indicates that genetics play a part in longevity and can decrease your risk of developing health disorders, diseases, and premature death. But I am of the strong belief that science has also shown that genes are not solely responsible for how long we live or how healthy we are during our life span. Although you could inherit a predisposition to certain genetic characteristics that might decrease your body’s ability to fight a disease or disorder, this is often triggered by environmental or lifestyle factors. Otherwise, all identical twins would have the same lifespan!
Saying that many people will do all they can, such as keeping active, eating well, and looking after their mental health, and still end up with a serious disorder or disease, such as high blood pressure or cancer. I think the most important thing anyone can do, is test for genetic disorders. That way you can choose to take precautions and even have elective surgery, for example if the BRCA1 or BRCA2 hereditary breast cancer gene is detected.
Life sometimes takes us on paths that are challenging. How have you managed to bounce back from setbacks in order to cultivate physical, mental, and emotional health?
When I am met with a setback, I first allow myself time to be disappointed, frustrated, and even angry. By getting rid of negative emotions, I am able to release stress and have true clarity to reassess where I went wrong and make impactful decisions on how best to move forward.
This may mean changing my initial goal, although most often I find it requires a different perspective that I gain from my social network and my long-suffering husband. If you don’t have a partner (or even if you do) I recommend a rescue animal. Dogs are great, but if you are short on time or often out, ferrets make great dog substitutes. Both dogs and ferrets love to be walked, which helps to keep you physically healthy, and just owning a pet has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life?
Authenticity is about being true to who you are, even when everyone around you wants you to be someone else. This is still relevant for me but was especially poignant when I decided to have plastic surgery over 25 years ago, when it was considered by many people a vain and selfish thing to do.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
The Authenticity Movement — I believe if everyone is encouraged and supported to be their most authentic self then key qualities such as transparency, integrity, and acceptance will become a natural part of life. This would bring unity and trust between opposing groups and could end conflict, inspire change and bring meaning and fulfillment into everyday activities.
What is the best way for our readers to continue to follow your work online?
Please sign up for my newsletter at cosmeticsurgeryadvancements.com or connect with me on Linked or Twitter.
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent on this. We wish you only continued success.
You’re very welcome and likewise, I look forward to the growth of your publication and future inspirational articles and interviews you will publish.