Nip, Tuck & Teach? Doctor Says Plastic Surgery Popular For Teachers In Summer Months

NEW YORK (WLNY) -- Back to school season is right around the corner, but before teachers return to the classroom, some of them are taking advantage of the summer break -- to get a little touch up.

As TV 10-55's Katie McGee reports, some doctors say plastic surgery among educators is on the rise.

Francesca Roth is one teacher who is looking to enhance her look before the new school year.

More: Addicted To Perfection? Man Has 117 Plastic Surgeries

She hosts classrooms of seventh and eighth grade students, and admits the  effects of Father Time are starting to get to her. While she works out nearly every day to stay in shape, some things can't be changed by exercising.

"After awhile, you see your face change, and body changing," Roth said. "You can not lift weights with the face, so you need help," she said.

She recently paid a visit to Dr. James Marotta to receive collagen injections. She was pleased with the results -- so much so, in fact, that she said she will return for more.

"I just don't like to look tired," Roth said. "Next year I would like to have my eyes done, and I think I will probably do it in the summer."

Dr. Marotta said he sees 10 to 12 teachers a month during the summer. It's a trend, he says, which may be due in part to critiques they hear in the hall.

"I hear from older teachers that they feel maybe patronized by younger teachers, and so they feel that in order to keep their jobs and stay young and fresh, they need to refresh their look," the surgeon said.

Others may be motivated by the comments from kids.

"Children can be brutally honest," said Dr. Marotta. If somebody has something that sticks out, they want to downplay that facial feature."

As he points out, the summer is the ideal time for teachers to visit a plastic surgeon.

"They like to do it during the summer months, because they can have the procedure done, they have time for recovery, and then they can kind of slip back into their daily routine without people perceiving that they've actually done something," said Dr. Marotta.

The areas being addressed can vary according to age.

"The older teachers... usually it's facial rejuvenation surgery," said the plastic surgeon. "So they may have a brow lift or upper-lower eye lid surgery.  They may have a face lift."

As for the younger teachers -- nose jobs are a popular procedure.

Jessica Ziskin, a kindergarten teacher, had her nose tweaked in August 2011. The summer gave her time to heal.

"Nobody noticed," she said. "It was so subtle and natural, and that is what I wanted."

According to Dr. Marotta, teachers do come in for surgery year round, but during the school year, he typically sees less invasive treatments like Botox.

The beginning and end of summer break is when he sees an influx of patients wanting more invasive work done.

For most cosmetic procedures, two weeks of downtime is all you need. But for major facial surgery, a month is optimal.