How Does Plastic Surgery Work

Larger text sizeLarge text sizeRegular text size When you hear of plastic surgery, what do you think of? A Hollywood star trying to delay the effects of aging? People who want to change the size of their stomachs, breasts, or other body parts because they see it done so easily on TV? Those are common images of plastic surgery, but what about the 4-year-old boy who has his chin rebuilt after a dog bit him? Or the young woman who has the birthmark on her forehead lightened with a laser? Just because the name includes the word "plastic" doesn't mean patients who have this surgery end up with a face full of fake stuff.

Plastic surgery is a special type of surgery that can change a person's appearance and ability to function. procedures correct defects on the face or body. These include physical birth defects like cleft lips and palates and ear deformities, traumatic injuries like those from dog bites or burns, or the aftermath of disease treatments like rebuilding a woman's breast after surgery for breast cancer.

Common cosmetic procedures include making the breasts larger (augmentation mammoplasty) or smaller (reduction mammoplasty), reshaping the nose (rhinoplasty), and removing pockets of fat from specific spots on the body (liposuction). Some cosmetic procedures aren't even surgical in the way that most people think of surgery — that is, cutting and stitching.

Most teens don't, of course (how long is plastic surgery residency). But some do. Interestingly, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) reports a difference in the reasons teens give for having plastic surgery and the reasons adults do: Teens view plastic surgery as a way to fit in and look acceptable to friends and peers.

How Much Is Facial Plastic Surgery

According to the ASPS, more than 200,000 people 19 years and younger had either major or minor plastic surgical procedures in 2013. Some people turn to plastic surgery to correct a physical defect or to alter a part of the body that makes them feel uncomfortable. For example, guys with a condition called (excess breast tissue) that doesn't go away with time or weight loss may opt for reduction surgery.

Other people decide they want a cosmetic change because they’re not happy about the way they look. Teens who have cosmetic procedures — such as (surgery to pin back ears that stick out) or (a procedure that can help smooth or camouflage severe acne scars) — sometimes feel more comfortable with their appearance after the procedure.

Reconstructive surgery helps repair significant defects or problems. But what about having cosmetic surgery just to change your appearance? Is it a good idea for teens? As with everything, there are right and wrong reasons to have surgery. Cosmetic surgery is unlikely to change your life. Most board-certified plastic surgeons spend a lot of time interviewing teens who want plastic surgery to decide if they are good candidates for the surgery.

Many plastic surgery procedures are just that — surgery (how much does plastic surgery cost). They involve anesthesia, wound healing, and other serious risks. Doctors who perform these procedures want to know that their patients are capable of understanding and handling the stress of surgery. Some doctors won't perform certain procedures (like rhinoplasty) on a teen until they are sure that person is old enough and has finished growing.