When having plastic surgery performed, many patients would love to know how they are going to look after healing has taken place. Although this has been virtually impossible to predict until recently, a new 3D printing company known as MirrorMe3D will be able to make this dream a reality for patients, thanks to their new found ability to successfully create a 3D printed face.
Founded by a Plastic Surgeon
MirrorMe3D is a 3D printing company that was founded by a well-known New York plastic surgeon, Carrie Stern. The company takes 3D scans of patient’s faces – or other body parts that are going to undergo any form of cosmetic surgery – and has them printed out in a variety of different sizes. Plastic surgeons can then take these models and show them to their patients so that they can see beforehand how the procedures they have chosen to have done will alter their appearances.
Value of 3D Printing
Carrie Stern started the 3D printing company after he realized just how valuable 3D printing can be to the plastic surgery industry – in fact; many plastic and cosmetic surgeons already have the 3D scanners in their practices. However, they would now be able to use MirrorMe3D to make it a lot easier for their patients to understand exactly how their bodies would actually be changing after having surgery carried out. Stern stated in this regard, “Patients are not good at understanding 3D simulations on a computer screen.”
Taking Showmanship to the Next Level
Although the vast majority of surgeons end up taking photos of their best work to show their prospective clients in the future, MirrorMe3D takes the concept of showmanship to the best possible level – the company’s website states in this regard, “MirrorMe3D will put an exact replica of you in your hands.” While Stern has admitted that some people have been “a little taken aback” by the extremely lifelike 3D images that have been created, the response received from patients and surgeons has been nothing short of incredible.
Relatively Affordable
At the moment, the average cost of a 3D printed face can start from as low as $60 for a small bust to around $300 for one that is life-sized. Stern has also mentioned the fact that it is not only patients who are considering having plastic surgery done that are purchasing the 3D printed face busts; many other people simply cannot resist the opportunity to own a life-sized version of their image. It has also become popular for people to purchase the busts as gifts for friends and family members.
When Bruce Springsteen told the world in his 1984 hit song, “Dancing in the Dark,” that he wanted to change “his clothes, his hair, his face,” there was no way that he could ever have envisioned that a 3D printed face model would be able to let him see the results thereof beforehand. However, a tool and feature as handy as this could soon become commonplace in all plastic surgeon’s practices.
