Cosmetic Surgery

Types of Cosmetic Surgery

A wide range of procedures are encompassed by cosmetic surgery including surgical procedures for the face and body. Some common facial cosmetic surgeries include rhytidectomy (face, brow, forehead, chin, or cheek lifts), rhinoplasty (nose reshaping), blepharoplasty (reshaping of the eyelids, frequently to create a double eyelid fold), chin and cheek augmentation (insertion of an implant into the chin or cheek), and liposuction (removal of fat). Cosmetic surgery procedures include mammoplasty (breast implants, reductions, and lifts), abdominoplasty (removal of fat and skin from the abdomen), liposuction (removal of fat), labiaplasty and vaginoplasty (reshaping and augmentation of the labia and vagina), and implants (such as buttock and calf augmentation).

In the 2000s, the market for less invasive cosmetic procedures burgeoned in North America, and the definition of cosmetic surgery widened in response. These procedures are commonly performed with no or local anesthetic in cosmetic surgery clinics, dermatology practices, spas and salons, and comprise chemical and laser treatments, as well as injectables. Chemical peels involve the application of acid to the skin, which causes the dead skin to eventually peel off and reveal smoother skin underneath. Chemical peels are often used to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, acne scars, age spots, and photodamage. Laser procedures use concentrated laser beams to kill bacteria that causes acne breakouts, to reduce cellulite, to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and saggy skin (called a laser facelift), and to remove hair. Injectables include “fillers” such as collagen and fat to reduce the appearance of wrinkles or augment small areas of the face such as the lips, fillers such as hyaluronic acid (brand name Restylane) to fill in wrinkles, and botulinum toxin (brand name Botox) to paralyze and relax the facial muscles, which smooths out wrinkles.

Cosmetic surgery is a highly controversial topic worldwide, and as a result, cosmetic surgeons are often required to justify performing cosmetic surgery. The practice of cosmetic surgery is commonly viewed as oppositional to the practice of medicine because doctors operate on bodies that are healthy and do not require surgery in order to restore or improve function. Two interrelated solutions exist to address this view of cosmetic surgery. The first solution is to classify some surgeries as “reconstructive,” a term which suggests that the surgery will restore the affected body parts to an original or normal state. The boundary separating cosmetic and reconstructive surgeries changes depending on the historical and cultural milieu. For example, the implantation of fat or silicone implants after a mastectomy is currently considered and labelled “breast reconstruction.”

...