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Are you considering cosmetic surgery? What are some essential things you should know about such procedures? Cosmetic surgery, also known as plastic surgery, is a surgery that is done to improve the appearance of the body. These procedures can help treat issues such as sagging skin, wrinkles, abnormal facial and body features, etc.

What is Cosmetic Surgery For?

However, cosmetic surgery is not limited to improving your appearance. The procedures, alongside other surgical support services, are also used to treat medical conditions. For example, facial plastic surgery can be used to restore the appearance of someone after an accident or due to a congenital disability. Therefore, they are just as crucial as other non-cosmetic surgical procedures.

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the number of cosmetic surgical procedures performed in the U.S.A. has been rising for several years. Cosmetic surgeons offer several, from minimally invasive to more complex operations. This article will look at various cosmetic surgical procedures and all you need to know about them.

Top 10 Common Types of Cosmetic Surgical Procedures

Plastic surgeons offer several types of cosmetic procedures and surgical support services. Below is a look at some of them, the benefits they offer, ideal candidates, and other interesting tidbits about them.

Cosmetic Breast Surgery

Cosmetic breast surgeries are one of the most common plastic surgical procedures. They involve surgery to improve the shape or appearance of the breasts. These procedures include breast augmentation (enlargement), breast reduction, breast lift, breast implant removal, and breast implant revision. They are primarily performed on women, although breast reduction procedures are also offered to men to remove excess glandular tissue in the chest.

Of all the various types of cosmetic breast surgery, breast enlargement is one of the most common. Popularly known as a ‘boob job’ in the media, they are performed to increase the size of the breasts, improve breast size symmetry, or offer a more rounded breast shape. Individuals who have experienced weight loss or gone through pregnancy can also receive breast enlargement to restore the lost breast volume.

One fascinating thing about breast augmentation is that it was one of the earliest plastic surgical procedures. The first known procedure was performed in Germany in 1895 by Doctor Vincent Czerny.

Interestingly, the surgery was not meant for cosmetic reasons but to restore breast symmetry to the patient after undergoing tumor removal.

Cosmetic breast surgeries are pretty expensive — a procedure such as a breast enlargement costs about $4500 on average. However, the price might be higher based on other factors such as location, the surgeon used, and other surgical support services offered. Usually, these surgeries are not covered by insurance providers are they are considered cosmetic. However, you can get insurance coverage if you make a case for medical necessity.

Cosmetic Dental Surgery

Cosmetic dental surgery involves various cosmetic dentistry procedures that help to improve a person’s mouth and teeth appearance. Unlike other dental procedures, these procedures aim to enhance aesthetics and giving you a brighter smile. For this reason, they are usually offered as part of smile makeover treatments.

However, cosmetic surgeries and other surgical support services offered during such procedures also have non-aesthetic benefits. For example, they can treat teeth problems such as cavities and sensitivity. They can also improve oral health by fixing teeth, gum, and jawbone issues.

Cosmetic dental procedure costs vary depending on the invasiveness. Minimally invasive procedures such as braces, veneers, crowns, and implants cost between $200 and $7,000. However, the more complex ones, such as jawbone correction surgery, can cost between $20,000 and $40,000, especially if you are not insured. And like with most cosmetic procedures, they are not usually covered by most insurance providers unless they are for medical reasons.

Facelift Surgery

Facelift surgery is one of the top cosmetic facial services that improve facial appearance, giving a more youthful look. Medically, the procedure is referred to as rhytidectomy, derived from the Ancient Greek words ‘ritis,’ meaning wrinkle, and ‘ektomi,’ meaning excision.

As the name suggests, facelift surgery lifts and tightens the skin around the facial region, giving off a smoother and younger appearance. It is ideal for people experiencing visible signs of aging or other facial skin issues such as sagging and loose skin, wrinkles, sunken cheeks, and poor jawline definition.

Since it aims to ‘ treat’ aging, facelift procedures are trendy. However, it was not always the case. There was significant animosity against cosmetic facial surgeries at their advent in the early 1900s. At one time, the American medical community even attempted to ban the procedure. As a result, the first facelift surgeries were often performed in secret.

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the average cost of a facelift procedure is $8,005. Unfortunately, since these procedures are almost always aesthetic, they are not covered by insurance. Therefore, if you plan to get one, you will either have to pay out of your pocket or consider other options, such as a loan.

Tummy Tuck Surgery

Tummy Tuck is a popular type of body sculpting surgical procedure that helps improve the shape and appearance of the abdomen. Also known as abdominoplasty, it removes excess skin and fat deposits and restores weakened muscles in the abdominal region. As a result, it can help fix issues such as loose and sagging skin and give off a more appealing appearance.

Tummy tuck procedures are primarily cosmetic. However, they can offer additional benefits such as improved core strength and posture, back pain relief, and improved mobility due to the removal of fat and excess skin. However, the procedure is not intended to be a weight loss tool or a substitute for diet and weight loss. Most people usually get tummy tuck surgery to remove excess skin after losing weight.

On average, tummy tuck surgical procedures cost about $6,154. However, depending on the surgeon and other surgical support services, such as medical tests and anesthesia, you might pay more.

Lip Augmentation

Lip augmentation refers to cosmetic surgical procedures that add volume to thin lips, giving them a plumper and more youthful appearance. Lip augmentation procedures include lip fillers and lip implants, which are minimally invasive. You can also get a lip lift or fat grafting, which are more invasive and complex.

Lip augmentation is one of the most common cosmetic procedures in the US. One of the reasons for the rising popularity is the increased obsession with celebrities who are seen as having perfect lips, be they natural or fake. Interestingly enough, the procedure is not limited to women only — men have also been getting lip procedures to improve their smiles.

However, the increasing popularity of lip augmentation has also led to safety concerns about the procedures. There have been cases of severe allergic reactions due to some of the ingredients used in lip fillers. Therefore, before getting the procedure, you should talk to a specialist, say a gluten allergy doctor, for proper advice. Better yet, you should have the surgery done in a certified clinic, where you can get appropriate surgical support services.

The cost of lip augmentation procedures varies depending on the invasiveness. For example, lip filler procedures cost between $600 and $800. On the other hand, more invasive procedures such as implants or grafts cost between $2,000 and $6,000.

Buttock Lift Surgery

A buttock lift, popularly known as a butt lift, is another body contouring cosmetic surgical procedure that improves the appearance of the buttocks. It involves the removal of excess skin and fat from the buttocks region, creating a more toned and smoother (skin) appearance.

Generally, butt lift surgery won’t add volume to the buttocks. However, the Brazilian Butt Lift procedure can help to increase the volume using fat deposits from other body regions. For this reason, it is commonly offered alongside a tummy tuck procedure – with the removed abdominal fat being transferred to the buttocks.

Butt Lift and the Brazilian Butt Lift procedures are trendy, mainly due to the growing obsession with having a ‘perfect butt’ on social media. But unfortunately, it is also one of the riskier cosmetic surgeries, with several reported complications and deaths. For this reason, you should only get the procedure from a certified surgeon and a reputable clinic where you can receive proper surgical support services.

Furthermore, you should observe all the necessary post-surgery care guidelines to help you recover faster. For example, it is recommended to wear compression clothing to aid in recovery, and most clinics will offer you proper garments for this. As an alternative, a maternity support hose can also come in handy by providing compression to your tummy and buttocks.

Regarding cost, buttock enhancement procedures range between $4,800 and $5,500. Since they are usually cosmetic, they are rarely covered by most medical insurance plans.

Botox Injections

Botox Injections are a type of non-invasive cosmetic surgical procedure used to improve facial appearance. It involves using fillers and injectables on the face, which are made using botulinum toxin type A, the cosmetic form of Botulinum toxin. The injections are another type of plastic surgery procedure whose popularity has been heavily influenced by the entertainment industry and social media.

Despite their popularity amongst celebrities, Botox injections also have an exciting history. The Botulinum toxin is derived from the Clostridium botulinum bacterium, discovered by accident due to food poisoning. After that, the Japanese used the bacterium as a biological weapon during World War before further research into the toxin led to its use for treating crossed eyes and eye twitching. During these treatments, doctors discovered that the injections helped reduce facial wrinkles and lines.

Botox injection procedures are affordable since they are non-invasive. A typical in-office treatment for injections costs between $300 and $600. Home-based injections are cheaper, but it is advisable to receive treatment from a certified cosmetic surgeon to reduce the risk of side effects.

Liposuction

Liposuction is another body sculpting cosmetic surgery used to improve the body’s appearance. It is similar to butt lift and tummy tuck in that it removes excess fat deposits from the body. The difference is that the procedure can be used on the hips, thighs, chest, back, arms, and necks, in addition to the abdomen and buttocks.

Liposuction surgery was developed due to an increasing interest in body contouring. The procedure used today was invented in 1974 by father and son cosmetic doctors Arpad and Giorgio Fischer. Since then, cosmetic surgeons have used them to improve the body shape and image of people with excess fat deposits.

Despite its aesthetic benefits, liposuction also offers several functional and health benefits. Removing excess fat from the body can increase mobility and lead to a healthier lifestyle. It can also reduce the risk of several health problems caused by excess fat, diabetes, heart disease, etc. However, despite the apparent benefits, liposuction is not recommended as a substitute for weight loss or a healthy lifestyle.

On average, liposuction procedures cost about $3,637. However, the cost can be higher due to other factors, such as location and the surgical support services offered. Also, since the procedure is mainly for aesthetic reasons, it is not usually covered by medical insurance.

Cosmetic Eye Surgeries

Cosmetic eye surgeries are surgical procedures that help improve the eyes’ appearance. The most common one is eyelid surgery, which is medically known as blepharoplasty.

Eyelid surgery is done on the upper or lower eyelids to improve their appearance. It has several aesthetic benefits, such as treating loose and sagging skin, bags under the eyes, and drooping eyelids. It also helps remove wrinkles, excess skin, and fat deposits around the eye region.

However, eyelid surgery can also offer functional benefits. Besides giving you a youthful appearance, it can also help improve your field of vision. Likewise, other cosmetic eye procedures, such as cataract eye surgery, can offer both functional and aesthetic benefits such as improving vision, increasing eye appearance, and improving self-confidence.

The average cost of cosmetic eye surgery is about $4,120. However, the price may vary depending on the location, the surgeon used, and other surgical support services offered. As for insurance, most providers will not cover purely cosmetic procedures. However, ones like cataract surgery, which has a medical necessity, are usually covered.

Cosmetic procedures and surgical support services offered by plastic surgeons might seem superficial. However, the improved appearance of one’s body can do wonders for their confidence, moods, and self-worth, leading to numerous mental health benefits. Furthermore, most procedures offer additional benefits that can improve your physical and physiological health. If you are considering getting such procedures, the above are some of the top cosmetic surgical procedures and all you need to know about them.