Cosmetic surgery

Cosmetic surgery, also known as plastic surgery, is an area of medicine that encompasses a wide spectrum of elective procedures, including breast enhancement, body contouring, facial alterations, and anti-aging.

Popular cosmetic surgery procedures include:

Who is a cosmetic surgeon?

Any licensed physician can legally offer cosmetic services. Cosmetic surgery is not a specialty area recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialities (ABMS), i.e. there is no ABMS member board that awards certification in Cosmetic Surgery.

The specialty designation "cosmetic surgeon" is also unregulated, so even doctors who have not been trained in performing cosmetic procedures may refer to themselves cosmetic surgeons or cosmetic specialists.

On RealSelf.com, the term "cosmetic surgeon" describes any doctor who meets the criteria set by our policies to be designated as a plastic surgeon, facial plastic surgeon, oculoplastic surgeon, or dermatologic surgeon.

Cosmetic surgeons may or may not choose to offer reconstructive surgery procedures.

Preparing for cosmetic surgery

To determine whether you should undergo a procedure, the best course of action is to obtain reliable information from a credible source - doctor or surgeon you trust with your well-being.

Information of that sort requires a thorough understanding of all options available (both surgical and non-surgical), and it should be provided by someone who understands your aesthetic sensibility and your goals.

Cosmetic surgery before and after

The best scenario involves sitting down with your cosmetic surgeon as he or she displays to you unaltered before-and-after photos of patients who have had surgery.

There are subtle aspects noticeable in each photo that often get overlooked on websites, but may be explained in person.

Photos provide an excellent method for evaluating the surgeon's skills and their aesthetic taste.

Financing cosmetic surgery

There are plenty of financing options available for cosmetic procedures. Needless to say, it is wise to ensure you can afford the payments. Just because someone will give you credit (which many practices will), doesn't necessarily mean you should finance a procedure.

Cosmetic surgery gone bad

Bad cosmetic surgery outcomes resulting in low patient satisfaction can occur for many reasons, including:

Unrealistic patient expectations
Choosing an inadequately trained surgeon
Having a procedure for which you are not a good candidate

Issues like infections, drug reactions, implant rejections and skin necrosis (wound healing problems) are potential cosmetic surgery risks that your doctor should discuss with you before you commit to cosmetic surgery.