Cosmetic Surgery Procedure – Is It Really Your Choice?

• The average price for a cosmetic surgery procedure in 2005 was $1,100. However, overall plastic surgery cost that year went down 4 percent
• Plastic and reconstructive surgery is performed as necessary and for medical reasons while cosmetic surgery is completely elective and done for aesthetic purposes only
• Common surgical cosmetic procedures include liposuction surgery and microdermabrasion treatment

In recent years, cosmetic surgery has become increasingly popular. More options are becoming available, and many are affordable enough for the average consumer. The question remains though: is getting cosmetic surgery a good idea? Before you make that choice, there are some facts and information you should know.

Don’t Jump on the Bandwagon

You may be considering cosmetic surgery or procedures because you believe lots of people are having work done to improve their appearance and to reduce the signs of aging. In 2005, the numbers of people having these procedures done actually dropped by 4%. Of course, that was still about 11.5 million procedures but you have to remember that people receiving Botox or similar treatments need multiple procedures done through the course of a year so the number of people involved in cosmetic surgery is not as large as you might think.

While the number of procedures may not be that huge, the price tag is quite high. The total cost for cosmetic surgery in 2005 was $12.4 billion. That averages out to nearly $1,100 per procedure.

Know Your Options

Although cosmetic surgery is sometimes confused with plastic surgery, the two are very different so be aware of this when looking at the options available to you. Plastic surgery is usually done for medical reasons, such as reconstructive surgery after a mastectomy. Cosmetic surgery, on the other hand, is completely elective and is done purely for aesthetic reasons.

With these procedures, you can actually choose between surgical and non-surgical procedures. The former are the least popular and include procedures such as liposuction surgery, breast augmentation, and rhinoplasty (nose jobs). With non-surgical procedures, the most popular are botox injections, Restylane treatment, laser hair removal, chemical peels, and microdermabrasion treatment.

Before you have any procedure done, you need to make sure you understand the pros and cons so you can set up a realistic expectation of what the results will be and so you can decide whether the potential risks are worth the effort. Many of these procedures are quite safe, especially when done by highly experienced professionals.

Making the Right Choices

First, be sure you want cosmetic surgery for good reasons. If you’re just looking for a confidence boost or if you’re trying to save a relationship, these are never good reasons to undergo any type of procedure. However, if you are genuinely unhappy with some part of your appearance then that could be a good reason.

Second, you want to pick the right physician for the procedure as well. Today, cosmetic procedures are being done by a wide range of people with little or no experience in the area. You must be careful to choose a physician who knows what he or she is doing and has experience in cosmetic surgery matters.

One of the best examples of why this is important is Botox injections. When these injections are done incorrectly and too frequently, you could literally lose the ability to move the muscles in your face responsible for making expressions. A knowledgeable physician knows how to use the chemicals appropriately so this does not occur.

The information supplied in this article is not to be considered as medical advice and is for educational purposes only.