My Book

All over the world, plastic surgery is doing amazing things for people. But what happens on the inside? What’s it like to prepare for and recover from a cosmetic procedure? How does someone decide what to change and when –and when to stop? How can a patient prepare for the reactions they will get from other people—and from themselves? And what if the result doesn’t match expectations? What then?

Finally, there is a book written by a psychologist who can answer these questions and more. In Saving Face Without Losing Your Mind, Los Angeles-based psychologist Dr. Alan Goodwin draws on his years of helping patients approach the cosmetic procedure process with confidence, humor, and grace. Saving Face Without Losing Your Mind takes you directly into the therapy room. By using the very same tools his patients use, such as succinct journaling exercises, clear and relevant self-screening tools, and grounding and empowering meditations, mantras, and affirmations, you will personally experience the way mindfulness-based psychotherapy can transform the way you cope with universal sources of struggle such as uncertainty, lack of control, change, loss, aging, and fear.

If you are planning a cosmetic procedure, this book will be an indispensable companion at every stage of the process. But Saving Face Without Losing Your Mind is an uplifting, transformational resource for anyone seeking to cope with the reality of change. Everyone and everything is constantly evolving. Change requires each of us to make room for the inevitable joys and challenges life sends our way. Saving Face Without Losing Your Mind provides the tools needed to cope with all forms of change, whether occurring within ourselves, or outside of ourselves.

"I loved this book! Any person of any age who is considering undergoing a cosmetic procedure will benefit from reading this book. As a surgeon specifically focused on cosmetic dermatology and plastic surgery, I often see patients who struggle with feelings about the way they look. Dr. Goodwin’s wonderful new book, Saving Face Without Losing Your Mind does a beautiful job of balancing humor (it’s extremely hysterical at times) with insights into the deep emotional pain many patients feel. There are also great tools in this book for coping with the many emotions that can arise before and after a procedure. I’m so happy there is a go-to resource for patients that discuss inner conflict or self-doubt at any stage of the process."

—Jason Emer, M.D., FAAD, FAACS, Board Certified Dermatologist, Cosmetic Dermatologic Surgeon, and featured expert on "The Doctors," and contributor to Huffpost, Cosmopolitan, and other major publications. Beverly Hills, CA

“This recently published book, Saving Face Without Losing Your Mind, is informative, interesting and helpful for those considering any facial cosmetic procedure...I particularly appreciate the format in which Dr. Goodwin shares patient sessions that address their concerns/worries and anxieties, but wisely includes clinical information that helps eliminate or soften the fears. He shares the questions that should be asked of the cosmetic surgeon at consultation and has an excellent discussion on how to sort through the maze of doctor selection. He understands that while there is desire, the brain’s folio of pushbacks is what prevent a rational and logical decision-making process. For all of us, when decisions are to be made, the brain kicks in with a list of “Do” and “Don’t” reasons. The “Don’ts” are often influenced by lack of knowledge. Dr. Goodwin’s book hits the target on the identification of such and placing them in perspective.”

— Dr. Robert Kotler, MD, FACS, Beverly Hills Rhinoplasty and Facial Plastic Surgeon

"Dr. Alan Goodwin’s treatise on the psychology of cosmetic surgery is a must for many people. Who are those people? The majority of us who are feel insecure with our appearance. The majority of us who have anxiety over having cosmetic surgery. The majority of us who are unsure of whether going under the knife is the right answer to the distress we feel when we look in the mirror.

Plastic surgeons are trained to 'screen out' people who are not good psychological candidates for cosmetic surgery. But let’s face it—the dozen or so hours of lectures a surgeon receives during residency training do not a psychologist make… Many surgeons do send some patients for 'psychological clearance' prior to surgery. But most don’t. As a result, some people are unhappy with their cosmetic surgery, even if the procedure was performed flawlessly. Many of those people would do better spending time with Dr. Goodwin talking and meditating, rather than being sliced, lasered, injected, and suctioned.

If you have even a tiny doubt whether you should undergo cosmetic surgery, read this book first. And if the doubt persists, see a psychologist before seeing the plastic surgeon."

—Arthur W. Perry, MD, FACS, plastic surgeon in New York and New Jersey, adjunct associate professor of surgery, Columbia University, author of Straight Talk about Cosmetic Surgery.