What is Cosmetic Surgery?

For any number of reasons, most people today are concerned about their appearance. An underwhelming appearance, which can result from what may seem to others like "small" deviations, can have devastating effects on the social life and career prospects of the individual.

The main factors that have an impact upon appearance are heredity and aging. When it comes to genetics, of course, different individuals have different experiences. Everyone has their own unique features, and sometimes these features are a source of trouble for the individual. Beyond just things like the features of the face, even the development of the body is subject to specific genetic factors. While many people may have the idea that body shape can be accurately controlled via diet and exercise, the truth is that some people accumulate more fat in some areas than others. This means that, even with a healthy diet and rigorous, regimented exercise, many people have a difficult time eliminating excess fat from particular areas; most frequently among these are the legs, the torso, and the neck. Aging, naturally, is something that affects 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. Luckily, the progress of methods and technologies means that cosmetic surgery is actually a not inconvenient way of dealing with these issues. Pretty much any aesthetic problem can be solved through surgical means.

Cosmetic surgery has actually been practiced for over 4 millennia. It was first practiced in India around 2000 BC. Cosmetic surgery crossed a major threshold in terms of popularity with the development of the Hollywood film industry; then, like now, many film actors and actresses gained their famous features with surgical assistance. Today, many cosmetic procedures are widely available, and are priced in such a way that millions of people have undergone cosmetic surgery in the last few years alone.

In 2008 in the United States alone, over 1,760,000 cosmetic surgical procedures were performed (all data collected by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery). 90 percent of recipients were female, but the proportion of men receiving cosmetic surgery continues to grow yearly as well, perhaps as stigmas involved become less pronounced and men are now judged on their looks as well. The most popular cosmetic procedures are breast enhancement, liposuction, blepharoplasty, which is cosmetic surgery for the eyelids, abdominoplasty, which is also known as the "tummy tuck", and breast reduction, while procedures most commonly performed on men are liposuction, rhinoplasty (cosmetic surgery for the nose), blepharoplasty, gynecomastia (male breast reduction), and hair transplantation.

People aged 35-50 years are most likely to undergo cosmetic surgery; this is because aging is the main factor which leads to people seeking cosmetic surgery, as hereditary aesthetic issues are, in most cases, taken care of at an earlier age. Over 70% of people say that they are not embarrassed to say that they have received cosmetic surgery, which indicates that cosmetic surgery is accepted by society.

Each cosmetic surgical procedure requires its own amount of time and requires attention to its own concerns. Similarly, the amount of time required to recuperate from each operation is directly related to the nature of the procedure itself; some procedures call for no more than two weeks of recovery time before the patient can return to his or her previous daily activities, while some procedures may entail several months of recovery time. During recovery, the patient has to adhere to the directions detailed by the surgeon with respect to treatment of the area (using dressings, compression garments, ointments and so on), what kind of forms of activity to avoid (strenuous physical activity usually has to be avoided for at least a couple of weeks), clothing-related issues (loose-fitting clothing is usually recommended following any type of surgery; after a face lift, the patient is usually instructed to wear button-down shirts instead to pull-over articles of clothing such as t-shirts and sweatshirts, as these can cause damage to the recovering face when being put on), and dietary and similar considerations (smoking, for example, must be ceased following any type of surgery).

Any type of surgery involves some risk of complications. Scarring will result from any procedure which requires incisions. Swelling can occur in the short term, but swelling or irritation that persists past the period indicated by the surgeon indicates a problem. Some individuals will experience an allergic reaction to anaesthetic, which is used in the majority of surgical procedures. Cardiovascular problems and other medical issues can prevent people from undergoing elective surgeries including cosmetic surgery. Please consult with a physician in order to determine if cosmetic surgery is a good option for you.


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