Cosmetic Surgery and Procedures

Overview

What are cosmetic surgery and procedures?

Cosmetic surgery and procedures are techniques that change, restore, or enhance your appearance. There are many reasons for changing or enhancing your looks. Suffering from burns or other trauma, being born with a birth defect, or wanting to "improve" parts of the body are all motivations for having cosmetic surgery and procedures.

What are the general types of cosmetic surgery and procedures?

Cosmetic surgery generally includes:

• Reconstructive surgery. Reconstructive surgery is typically performed to improve a noticeable scar, skin condition, or malformed body part caused by injury, surgery, disease, or a birth defect. These conditions can have a strong impact on your day-to-day life, affecting social, employment, and recreational opportunities as well as your self-esteem.
• Elective cosmetic surgery. You may seek cosmetic surgery if you are unhappy with some aspect of your appearance, such as a large nose, small breasts, wrinkles, or “love handles.” These kinds of flaws don't bother everyone who has them—some people wouldn't consider them flaws at all—but, for some, they can affect self-image and confidence. Cosmetic surgery is one way to address them.

Non-surgical cosmetic procedures typically include those that enhance your appearance, such as Botox injections to smooth wrinkles, laser resurfacing to improve acne scars, or sclerotherapy injections for small varicose veins and spider veins.

This topic focuses primarily on elective cosmetic surgery and procedures rather than reconstructive surgery.

Why are cosmetic surgery and procedures done?

For most of us, whether we like it or not, physical appearance influences how we see ourselves and how others see us. The size, shape, and look of our bodies may affect how we feel about ourselves and, in some cases, how we function. There is nothing wrong with wanting to change the way you look. Some people do this through diet, exercise, and other lifestyle changes. Some have cosmetic surgery, especially if they are unhappy with a specific aspect of their body or appearance that surgery can change.

Are there risks involved?

The decision to have cosmetic surgery should not be taken lightly. Surgery always involves some level of risk. Complications can occur. There is no guarantee that you will get the results you want. Talk with your doctor to measure the possible benefits of cosmetic surgery against the possible problems or dangers that could result from surgery.

Are cosmetic surgery and procedures right for me?

For people who are unhappy with their overall appearance rather than just a specific aspect of their appearance, cosmetic surgery is probably not the answer. They are unlikely to be satisfied with the results of a single cosmetic surgery procedure and may fall into a pattern of having one procedure after another, which can be risky and damaging to the body as well as quite costly. It is important to have realistic expectations about how cosmetic surgery may or may not affect your life. Appearance is only a small part of who you are.

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Author:	Kathe Gallagher, MSW Carrie Henley	Last Updated: October 31, 2006
Medical Review:	Patrice Burgess, MD - Family Medicine Martin Gabica, MD - Family Medicine James D. McMahan, MD, FACS - Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Donald Sproule, MD, CM, CCFP, FCFP - Family Medicine
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