Plastic Surgery Advice

The name ‘plastic surgery’ comes from the Greek word ‘plastic’, which means to ‘mold or reshape’. Thus, plastic surgery refers to molding and reshaping of a part of the patient’s body through surgery. The surgeon uses the patient’s own tissues, including tissues from another location of the body. He may also reshape the existing tissues to give a better look. These days even hard silicone rubber is used as a popular graft for remodeling.

Reconstructive Surgery and Cosmetic Surgery

Plastic surgery encompasses both reconstructive surgery and cosmetic surgery. Reconstructive surgery is done for a medical cause, whether it is a birth defect such as a cleft lip or fusion of toes or fingers or an acquired disfigurement due to burns, trauma, or diseases etc. Cosmetic surgery, on the other hand, is a personal choice done to enhance the physical appearance and the self-esteem of the client. Examples of cosmetic surgery include breast augmentation, liposuction, and facelifts.

Plastic surgery can be done for cosmetic purposes on almost every part of the face, breasts, and abdomen. Scar revisions and liposuction can be done on almost any part of the body.

Plastic surgeries usually take 2 to 3 hours to complete. Depending on the procedure performed, the patient may be able to return to normal activity immediately or may need a typical recovery period of around one to two weeks.

Complications

Usually, the patient may experience only a slight discomfort. However, as with any other surgery, there are the risks of bleeding, infection, and impaired healing of the incision wound. Some of the procedures may have certain specific complications. For example, there may a leakage within an artificial breast implant following a breast augmentation surgery.

Common Surgeries

The most popular cosmetic surgeries are breast augmentation surgery, nose jobs, and facelift and eyelid surgery. Though most patients undergoing cosmetic surgeries are females, in recent years many men are also going under the knife to enhance their appearance.

Plastic surgery can be done to treat congenital anomalies such as a cleft lip or palate, joined or extra fingers or toes, abnormal positioning of the opening of the male urethra and for abnormalities of the ear or jaws.

It can help in the treatment of a facial fracture, including those of the jaw, nose etc. Plastic surgery also helps in treatment of nerve or tendon injuries. It can be a great help to correct skin loss due to trauma or infection. It provides hope to people with amputated or cut body parts. Re-implantation of such parts is possible because of plastic surgery.

Burns can lead to contracture of the hand, neck, axilla (armpit), elbow, foot etc. Plastic surgery helps to treat such conditions.

Sometimes reconstructive surgery is done to treat non-healing wounds or ulcers due to injury, diabetes, or burns.

Many people choose cosmetic surgery to correct facial or eyelid wrinkles, and scars from burns, trauma or infections etc. Liposuction, tummy tucks, nose-jobs, breast implants or reductions are some of the other popular types of cosmetic surgery.

Plastic, reconstructive, and cosmetic surgeries have an important psychological component that needs to be addressed along with the physical need for such surgeries.

Medical Insurance

In the US, insurance providers do not provide cover for most cosmetic surgeries, as they are only a personal choice and not a physical requirement. However, insurance may cover reconstructive surgeries, which are prescribed by a surgeon to improve bodily function or to give the patient a near normal appearance.

Plastic surgery is no longer the domain of celebrities. All types of people pursue plastic surgery as a means of enhancing their satisfaction with their appearances. From mothers in their early 30s to baby boomer men in their 60s, plastic surgery has increasingly been accepted as a path to self improvement.

The entrance of plastic surgery into the mainstream is evident in the statistics about plastic surgery. Comprehensive survey data is collected by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons every year, and the results reveal the surprising popularity of plastic surgery among different demographic groups. Baby boomers are getting breast lifts, upper arm lifts, and facelifts, and mothers are not shy about turning to the “mommy makeover” procedures to rejuvenate their bodies.

In 2006, 11 million cosmetic procedures were performed in the United States. These procedures included plastic surgery and minimally invasive cosmetic treatments such as BOTOX® Cosmetic. Of the people receiving plastic surgery or cosmetic treatments, the overwhelming portion remain women who make up 90 percent of patients. However, men are showing a rising interest in cosmetic plastic surgery. The number of men pursuing cosmetic procedures has risen 8 percent between 2000 and 2006.

Baby Boomers and Plastic Surgery

At this time, the 40 to 54 age group, which includes both men and women, seeks plastic surgery the most often. With nearly 5 million procedures in 2006, this age group accounted for 45 percent of total patients. People age 55 and over made up one quarter of cosmetic procedures in 2006 at 26 percent. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons both of these age groups combined displayed a 12 percent rise in cosmetic procedures from 2005 to 2006.

People in the 40 to 54 age group and especially the age 55 and over group represent the famous baby boomer demographic. With a large segment of the population aging, the rise in cosmetic procedures makes sense, but the youthful attitude of many baby boomers prompts them to seek plastic surgery. Healthy and active lifestyles are becoming the norm for people as they enter their 50s and 60s, and the desire to look young is a natural reaction.

Data from the ASPS surveys indicate that since 2005 tummy tucks have increased 7 percent, breast lifts are up 11 percent, and facelifts went up an impressive 22 percent for the baby boomer age groups.

Mothers and Plastic Surgery

The Los Angeles plastic surgery procedures of breast augmentation, tummy tucks, and breast lifts are often dubbed “mommy makeover” surgeries. Although not all women who undergo these procedures are mothers, they do provide women unhappy with how pregnancy has changed their bodies with attractive options for rejuvenation. Among women of childbearing years, typically ages 20 to 39, plastic surgery is on the rise. For example, within this age group tummy tucks were up 9 percent in 2006 over the previous year and breast lifts rose 11 percent.

According to the ASPS, more childbearing women are turning to plastic surgery due to busy schedules and their need to return to their careers quickly after becoming mothers. However, other contributing factors are the broader availability of qualified plastic surgeons across many regions and the appeal of the results that can often be achieved. Tummy tucks for example are sometimes the only way to achieve a firmer and smoother torso once skin has been stretched by multiple pregnancies.

Furthermore, women often have a deep personal desire to slim and firm up their bodies after childbearing in order to boost their self image. Some women can take considerable pride in looking good after having children, and revitalizing some of the physical firmness of their pre-pregnancy bodies provides much satisfaction.

The types of people that seek Los Angeles plastic surgery and their reasons for wanting to enhance aspects of their physical appearances are diverse. Plastic surgery attracts women and men of all different ages. No single stereotype of the plastic surgery patient exists. People generally have a natural desire to improve and maintain their appearances according to their personal preferences, and for some people this includes plastic surgery.

r of men that have undergone cosmetic procedures has grown over recent years. Many men desire cosmetic procedures between their late 30’s and 60’s to appear more youthful and in some cases, because of the impact that cosmetic procedures may have on their career. The following tips can be useful for men considering cosmetic procedures.

1. Facial rejuvenation requires special considerations for men, especially for men that experience sensitivity with shaving. Botox and Hyaluronic Acid Injections produce immediate results and do not require recovery time.

2. Liposuction easily improves flanks and breasts on men that are two of the most difficult places for men to reduce weight in.

3. Liposuction results can be enhanced and maintained through diet and exercise.

4. Neck liposuction, chin enhancement, and brow lifts may be alternatives to facelifts for men.

5. Liposuction can produce an etched appearance for the abdomen and pectoral area.

6. Male Breast Reduction is a commonly requested procedure that is safe, effective and does not require a large recovery time.

7. Nose Reshaping has evolved with advanced techniques that include scarless rhinoplasty.

8. Eye lid surgery may be coupled with or an alternative to a brow lift that will improve the appearance of anger and overhanging fat deposits or skin.

9. Men have thicker skin that is more apt to tighten up after plastic surgery than in women.

10. Hair Transplantation is offered in a variety of techniques. It’s important to research the variations in technique and methodology.

2007 Statistics of Cosmetic Procedures Performed on Men

The American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery produced the following statistics of the most commonly requested cosmetic procedures that men requested in 2007, as follows:

Over 300,000 Botox Over 185,000 Laser Hair Removal Over 85,000 Microdermasion

Nearly 84,000 Hyaluronic Acid (Restylane or Hylaform)

Close to 58,000 Liposuction Over 63,000 Laser Treatment Close to 32,000 Rhinoplasty Over to 32,500 Eye Lid Surgery Over 20,000 Male Breast Reduction Close to 16,500 Hair Transplantation

Appearance is an important aspect of modern life. People today not only want to feel good inside; they also want to look good outside. To achieve this end a lot of men and women elect to undergo plastic surgery procedures each year. The results are often dramatic and permanent, so it is important that the patient knows what to expect and that he or she chooses a plastic surgeon wisely. Patients seeking advice on plastic surgery procedures and referral to a plastic surgeon may turn first to word of mouth from their friends and family who may have already undergone a plastic surgery procedure. The Internet is also a common place to look for a good, qualified plastic surgeon.