Cosmetic Surgery Procedures | Plastic Surgeons and Clinics | Cosmetic Surgery Doctors and Techniques

Cosmetic Surgery

Cosmetic surgery or plastic surgery is surgery that reshapes the face or body. When we talk about cosmetic surgery, we're usually talking about surgery designed to produce an aesthetic change in appearance.

Millions of cosmetic surgical procedures are performed in the United States each year. People may have cosmetic surgery to take years off an aging face, to look slimmer, or simply to look better.

Facial cosmetic surgery

Facial cosmetic surgery is growing in popularity. Facial procedures include facelifts, eye lifts and forehead lifts. Though they are not surgery, Botox injections and cosmetic wrinkle fillers are sometimes included in this category. If you are thinking about getting facial plastic surgery, take into consideration factors such as your age, your overall health, your bone structure, the texture of your skin, and your coloring.

Before deciding to have facial cosmetic surgery, you should:

• Discuss it with a doctor and get a referral to a specialist in the fields of dermatology or aesthetic plastic surgery.
• Make sure you know about all possible side effects.
• Select a doctor who is qualified to do the procedure and one who is certified by an appropriate medical board.
• Be realistic in your expectations about the benefits you want to achieve.
• Be aware that insurance does not usually cover elective procedures.

Body cosmetic surgery

There are also many cosmetic procedures that can alter the way your body looks.

• Body contouring through plastic surgery can involve tummy tucks, breast lifts, thigh lifts, arm lifts and more. In these types of procedures, skin is removed and re-draped.
• Liposuction is another type of procedure, in which fat underlying the skin is suctioned out, using a suction pump and steel tube.
• There are also laser procedures, which can be used for a variety of things. Lasers are surgical tools can cut through tissue without causing excessive bleeding. Procedures that can be done with lasers includescar removal, aging skin resurfacing, skin rejuvenation, hair removal, sunburn damage repair and tattoo removal.

Additional laser procedures include sclerotherapy, which is surgery to remove varicose veins.

It is important that anyone considering cosmetic surgery be realistic in their expectations. It is also important to choose a qualified doctor to do these types of procedures. Questions to ask a cosmetic surgeon include:

• are you certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgeons?
• how many years have you been practicing?
• how many times a year do you perform the procedure I'm considering?

Membership in a society or board-certification doesn't guarantee success. But some boards related to cosmetic surgery do require medical training prior to certification, such as the American Board of Plastic Surgery or ABPS (which certifies doctors in plastic surgery of the face and body) and the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery or ABFPRS (which certifies physicians in the field of facial plastic and reconstructive surgery). Other boards in related fields include the American Board of Otolaryngology (ABO) which certifies physicians in head and neck surgery, and the American Board of Dermatology which certifies doctors in the field of dermatology or skin care. In Canada, all medical specialties are certified by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Canadian organizations also include the Canadian Society of Plastic Surgeons, the Canadian Society for Aesthetic (Cosmetic) Plastic Surgery. In Great Britain, plastic surgeons can be members of the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons or BAPRAS. In Australia, cosmetic surgeons may be members of the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons. When considering cosmetic surgery, keep in mind that these types of procedures are generally not covered by insurance.

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Updated June 2009

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