Urban Legends II: Fiction as Truth

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Approximately 3 years ago I mentioned how a “general knowledge”  erroneous statement about breast implants pervaded the Internet. This urban legend that implants need to be exchanged after 10 years just will not go away, no matter how many facts and the truth are published.Perhaps the origin of this misinformation stems from several clinical papers published 8-10 years ago reporting that saline implants showed a higher rate of deflation after 10 years. The percentage was still in single digits. It takes only one person to mis-interpret the data and set off  our penchant for “dirty laundry” gossip served up as knowledge. Everyone who serves up this “news” can take  credit for being “current” and “smart”.

Other urban legends include limitations on number of face lifts one can have; no face lifts possible because of sun burns; and two-fold recurrence of fat following liposuction. All are a result of mis-interpretation leading to mis-information.