Hilary Percival speaks to Emirates Woman Magazine about what it’s really like to be a cosmetic surgeon’s wife.

Many women recoil in horror at the thought of allowing their husbands to choose a new item for their wardrobe. Yet some trust them to make much more permanent changes to their appearance.

In this fascinating article by Emirates Woman magazine – ‘To have and to hold, to nip and to tuck’, 5 women who are married to consultant cosmetic and plastic surgeons are interviewed to find out what it is like to have a cosmetic surgeon for a husband. They also reveal their personal attitudes towards cosmetic surgery and comment on whether they have personally had any procedures performed, by their husbands, or otherwise! Hilary Percival is the wife of our own surgeon Nick Percival, though in her mid 50’s she has little more than some injectable fillers, however she does talk about the possibility of getting eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty).

As she says in her own words;

‘I don’t feel under pressure to look perfect because of my husband’s job. I think it’s an American thing to have the ‘trophy wife’ and sometimes when we go to international meetings I see some horrendous sights – I can’t see how it could be beneficial to the surgeon’s practice.

I always recall going to a plastic surgery meeting in Greece and my youngest son asked what had happened to the wife of a prominent American plastic surgeon. He thought she had been involved in some terrible accident rather than having have numerous cosmetic surgery procedures!

I’ve been blessed with ‘good genes’ and have always taken a lot of care with my appearance. My reason for considering a cosmetic surgery procedure is to give me a little help to reverse the effects and signs of ageing. I started having fillers and Botox about 10 years ago to soften facial lines and to add a little volume to my lips. So far none of my friends have ever noticed what has been done but I often get comments after a treatment to say I look well so I think it’s worth it.

Before I met my husband I had a fairly typical view of cosmetic surgery – that it was an activity reserved for vain people or old women with more money than sense. Now I have a better insight into the benefits, if done for the right reasons. I’m considering having my eyes done in the future, as that’s the area of the face we interact with most. I think it is best ‘value for money’ cosmetic surgery procedure’