Cosmetic Surgery

Cosmetic Surgery

Cosmetic surgery is performed to reshape structures of the body and to change a person’s appearance for cosmetic rather than medical reasons. Some want to change a feature they have never liked. Others seek to look younger. There are a number of cosmetic surgery procedures that men and women can choose from to create an image that makes them feel more confident and comfortable with their appearance.

It should be said that cosmetic surgery will not make you look like someone else. But it may give you greater self-confidence and add to your sense of well-being. If you are healthy with realistic expectations and a positive outlook, you are a good candidate for cosmetic surgery. The decision is personal and should be done for yourself, not to meet someone else’s expectations or to try to fit an ideal image.

Cosmetic surgery is usually not covered by health insurance because of being elective. However, the number of people deciding to have cosmetic plastic surgery continues to grow. Like any form of surgery, cosmetic procedures need recovery time, healing and proper care. Risks include problems related to anesthesia and surgery, excessive bleeding, infection, scarring and failure to heal.

Differences between Cosmetic and Plastic Surgery

There is a common misconception that cosmetic surgery is same as plastic surgery. These are two similar-sounding professions with completely different procedures and goals. The main differences are created on the terms of the purposes and the training of each of these fields.

Cosmetic surgery is elective and focuses on enhancing appearance through surgical or non-surgical techniques. This type of surgery can be performed on all parts of the body.

Plastic surgery is defined as a surgical specialty focused on reconstruction of facial and body defects due to birth disorders, burns, trauma, and disease. It is reconstructive in nature and is usually performed on areas of the body that do not function properly.

Expectations of Cosmetic Surgery

Before you undergo any cosmetic procedure, it is important to get a full explanation of the anticipated results and think carefully about your expectations. You should not be swayed by advertisements that promise amazing results. A cosmetic procedure may improve your appearance and self-confidence, but it will not necessarily deliver your ideal body image or change your life. You should ask your doctor about possible side effects or complications after the procedure at your consultation. Then, you should have a cooling off period to think about your decisions.

Why Do People Want Cosmetic Surgery?

Some people have unrealistic and unreasonable expectations and their hopes go way beyond what a cosmetic surgery can do. They may undergo it to try to please someone else. However, many people have thought about the procedure they are considering carefully and have good reasons for seeking it. They understand the risks of the procedure and are undergoing it for themselves. Knowing why you want a cosmetic surgery procedure and whether your goals are reasonable and realistic will help you decide whether to get the procedure or not. Thus, you should ask yourself the following questions:

• What is your motivation?
• What are your expectations?
• why do you want to change?
• Are you doing it for someone else, or for yourself?
• How long have you wanted to do this?

Most Common Cosmetic Procedures

The most common types of cosmetic surgery include rhinoplasty, tummy tuck, breast augmentation, blepharoplasty, otoplasty, facelift, Botox and dermal fillers.

Rhinoplasty

Rhinoplasty refers to a surgical procedure that reshapes or repairs the nose to improve an individual’s appearance and also the way they breathe. So some people opt for rhinoplasty for cosmetic reasons and some others for medical reasons, such as birth defects or breathing problems. The surgery options include both the outer tissues to make it look better, while it also clears and reconstructs the inner passage to improve respiration.

Cosmetic reasons for rhinoplasty:

• Increase or reduce the size of the nose
• Change the shape of the bridge
• Narrow or widen the nostrils
• Reshape the nose tip
• Straighten the crooked nose
• Change the angle between their upper lip and nose
• Correct problems following an injury
• Correct birth defects
• Relieve or improve breathing problems

Tummy Tuck

Tummy tuck, also known as abdominoplasty, is used to improve the shape of the abdomen. A tummy tuck removes excess fat and skin and tightens weakened or separated muscles in the abdomen in order to improve the profile. This type of cosmetic surgery should never be considered a replacement for exercise and weight loss. During this surgery, the surgeon makes an incision based on the type of a tummy tuck. For example, a full tummy tuck will require a hip to hip incision, and scarring is a distinct possibility and a mini tummy tuck requires smaller incisions and targets below the belly button. Through the incision, the surgeon removes excess skin and tighten the abdominal muscles to restore a smooth, flat abdomen.

Note that if you are a woman considering having children, you should delay this procedure. Because abdominal muscles that are tightened during the procedure will be torn after future pregnancies. Also, patients committed to losing weight should do so before undergoing this procedure.

Breast Augmentation

Breast augmentation, sometimes referred to as a “boob job”, is a type of cosmetic surgery which increase the size of the breasts or change their shape. The procedure involves using breast implants or fat transfer to increase the size of the breasts. When the size of the breast is increased by placing breast implants under breast tissue or chest muscles, the procedure may also be called breast implant surgery. Breast augmentation surgery can also restore breast volume lost after weight reduction or pregnancy, improve balance of breast and hip contours, or achieve a more rounded breast shape. It is a way to enhance self-image and self-confidence.

Blepharoplasty

blepharoplasty or eyelid surgery is one of the most commonly used cosmetic surgery. However, in some instances, an eyelid surgery is required to help improve a patient’s eyesight. Blepharoplasty deals with the contours of the upper and lower eyelid space. This surgical procedure can remove excess skin, muscle and sometimes fat from the eyelids. In some cases, people might need only skin removed but not muscle or they might need the procedure done on both upper and lower eyelids.

Facelift

A facelift, also known as rhytidoplasty, is a procedure in cosmetic surgery that aims to give a more youthful and fresher appearance to the face. It reshapes the lower half of the face by repairing and removing sagging, or wrinkled skin on the face. During this procedure, facial tissues are lifted, excess skin removed, and skin replaced over repositioned contours. Neck lifts or forehead lifts are commonly done along with facelifts. There are many different types of facelift, but generally the surgeon will make incisions above the hairline from the temples, down in front of the ear, underneath your earlobe and behind the ear. Through the incision, the surgeon can remove excess skin, pull the remaining skin backwards and upwards and stitch it into its new position.

Dermal Fillers

Dermal fillers, also called soft tissue fillers, are substances designed to be injected beneath the surface of the skin to add volume and fullness to areas that have thinned due to aging. This thinning is common in the lips, cheeks, and around the mouth. These injections are a (minimally invasive) non-surgical procedure in cosmetic surgery. Dermal filler results vary, depending on which filler is used but they usually last for 3 to 6.

Different types of dermal fillers are designed to be injected to various areas of the face, they may:

• plump up lips
• decrease or remove wrinkles under the eyes
• fill in shallow areas on the face
• soften static wrinkles, especially on the lower face
• soften the look of recessed scars

Botox Injections

Botox injections are used to reduce the appearance of wrinkles caused by facial expressions and muscle movement by temporarily paralyzing muscles. Botox is made from a neurotoxin called botulinum toxin that is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. This cosmetic treatment will not work on laugh lines and wrinkles caused by sagging or loss of plumpness in the face. Note that results of Botox injections are not permanent and repeated injections are necessary for continued wrinkle-reducing effects. People also use Botox to treat excessive sweating, muscular disorders, migraines, and some bladder and bowel disorders. Muscle-relaxing effect of Botox usually lasts for 3 to 6 months.