Plastic Surgery

Cosmetic Plastic Surgery

Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Overview

What is cosmetic plastic surgery?

Cosmetic plastic surgery is performed in order to change one's appearance. For some it may mean redesigning the body's contour and shape, the elimination of wrinkles, or eliminating balding areas. Others may choose varicose vein treatment or breast augmentation. There are a number of cosmetic surgery procedures that men and women can choose from in order to create an image that makes them feel more confident and comfortable with their appearance.

Although health insurance rarely covers the cost of cosmetic procedures, the number of individuals deciding to undergo cosmetic plastic surgery continues to grow. An estimated 1 million cosmetic procedures were performed in 1998 -- a 50 percent increase from the year before.

And it is not just women who are opting to enhance their appearance through surgery. Statistics show that the number of men having liposuction -- the removal of fatty tissue -- has tripled since 1992. In addition, the number of men having facelifts has almost doubled.

What are the most common plastic surgery procedures?

The most common cosmetic procedures are listed here by their common or descriptive names. The medical term for the procedure is enclosed in parentheses.

breast augmentation or enlargement (augmentation mammaplasty)
chemical peel
chin, cheek, or jaw reshaping (facial implants or soft tissue augmentation)
dermabrasion
eye lid lift (blepharoplasty)
ear pinning (otoplasty)
facelift (rhytidectomy)
forehead lift
hair replacement/transplantation
liposuction (lipoplasty)
nose reshaping (rhinoplasty)
tummy tuck (abdominoplasty)
spider and varicose vein treatment (sclerotherapy)
breast reduction (mastopexy or reduction mammoplasty)
plumping / collagen or fat injections (facial rejuvenation)

This page was last updated on: March 21, 2008.

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