The Facts About Cosmetic Surgery

January 8th, 2010 by author

For whatever reason, most individuals today are concerned about their appearance. An unsatisfactory appearance, which can be determined by any of a variety of factors, is likely to result in at least a small degree of social consequences and other problems, and the effects can often be devastating.

An individual’s appearance is affected most commonly by heredity and aging. In terms of genetics, of course, different individuals have different experiences. Everyone has different features, and sometimes these features are cause for concern. Facial features aren’t the only thing determined by heredity. Although most people may have the idea that body shape can be completely controlled via diet and exercise, the fact is that some people accumulate more fat in some areas than others. This means that, even with a healthy diet and extensive, targeted exercise, many people have a hard time eliminating certain problem areas of fat buildup; these often include the legs, the torso, and the neck. Aging, naturally, is something that gets to everyone, and time makes its mark on virtually every area of the body.

A cosmetic procedure is really the only way to deal effectively with many aesthetic issues. Thankfully, the advancement of methods and technologies means that cosmetic surgery is actually a reasonable way of dealing with these issues. Just about any aesthetic issue can be addressed using surgical methods.

Cosmetic surgery isn’t as recent a concept as it may seem. It is thought to have originally been developed in India around 2000 BC. It wasn’t until the advent of the Hollywood movie industry, though, that cosmetic surgery gained serious popularity; as today, many celebrities gained their famous features at least in part through cosmetic surgery. Now, many cosmetic procedures are practiced around the world, and are priced in such a way that millions of people have been able to undergo cosmetic surgery in recent years.

In 2008 in the United States alone, over 1,760,000 cosmetic surgical procedures were performed (all data provided by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery). Although women accounted for 90 percent of all recipients, the number of men seeking cosmetic surgery continues to increase, which may be at least partly because corresponding stigmas have diminished and males are now expected to pay more attention to their looks as well. The most common cosmetic surgeries are breast augmentation, liposuction, blepharoplasty, which is cosmetic surgery for the eyelids, abdominoplasty (also called the “tummy tuck”), and breast reduction, while the most popular procedures for men are liposuction, rhinoplasty (cosmetic surgery for the nose), blepharoplasty, gynecomastia, or male breast reduction surgery, and hair transplantation.

In terms of age, the group most likely to seek cosmetic surgery are people aged 35-50; this suggests that aging is the main factor which leads to people seeking cosmetic surgery, as genetics-related aesthetic issues are, in most cases, taken care of earlier than this. Over 70% of people report that they are not ashamed to say that they have undergone a cosmetic surgical procedure, meaning that cosmetic surgery is a socially accepted practice.

Each type of cosmetic surgery takes its own amount of time and requires its own set of precautionary measures. By the same token, the amount of time required to achieve full recovery from a given operation is directly related to the extensiveness of the procedure itself; some procedures take as little as two weeks of rest before the patient can return to his or her previous daily activities, while other procedures may entail several months of complete rest. During recovery, it is imperative that the patient adheres to the instructions provided by the surgeon in terms of how to care for the area (which may involve applying dressings, compression garments, ointments and so on), which activities to avoid (strenuous physical activity must usually be avoided for at least two weeks), clothing-related issues (following any type of surgery, loose-fitting clothing is usually recommended; following a face lift, the patient is almost always instructed to wear button-down shirts because t-shirts and sweatshirts must be pulled over the face to be worn and can cause irritation to the recovering face when being put on), as well as dietary and similar issues (smoking must be ceased after any type of surgery).

Complications are always possible following cosmetic surgery, as with any type of surgery. Scarring results from any method which requires incisions. Swelling can occur in the short term, but long-term swelling or irritation is a sign that a more serious problem may have occurred. Some individuals will experience an allergic reaction to anaesthetic, which is used in virtually all surgical procedures. Individuals with certain medical conditions, particularly cardiovascular problems, may be considered unsuitable for cosmetic surgery. Please consult with a physician in order to find out whether you are a suitable candidate for cosmetic surgery.