Ever looked in the mirror thinking “if only my face was less wrinkly” or “I wish my breasts were bigger”? There’s nothing wrong with this sort of wishful thinking! Many people think about the same kind of things and many of them have looked to cosmetic surgery to enhance the appearance of their face and body. In fact, over 200,000 Australians undertake some type of cosmetic surgery every year.
But what exactly is cosmetic surgery? And what types of cosmetic surgery are there? This article will provide you with a complete in-depth guide to everything about cosmetic surgery!
What is cosmetic surgery?
Cosmetic surgery is defined as surgical procedures which are performed to enhance the physical appearance and aesthetic of a patient. Many people often confuse cosmetic surgery with plastic surgery. The two are related but ultimately two different types of procedures.
Cosmetic surgery is purely concerned about improving the appearance of patients. This type of surgery is not performed for medical reasons. Cosmetic surgery can be performed on many areas of the body. On the other hand, plastic surgery is a reconstructive surgery which focuses more on repairing and reconstructing physical or birth defects.
Cosmetic surgery is performed by a professional cosmetic surgeon. Qualified surgeons often have years of study and training under their belt.
What types of cosmetic surgery are there?
Whatever your concern might be, there is usually a type of cosmetic surgery that can address it. The most popular types can be grouped in 5 main categories:
- Facial Contouring
- Facial Rejuvenation
- Skin Rejuvenation
- Breast Enhancement
- Body Contouring
Facial Contouring
Procedures within this category are focused on altering the overall shape of the face. These surgeries include:
- Rhinoplasty: more commonly known as a nose job, rhinoplasty involves changing the shape of the nose. This can include surgery on the tip of your nose, reducing the ‘dorsal hump’ on the bridge of a nose, and narrowing the nostril base for a more narrow profile.
- Genioplasty: otherwise known as chin enhancement surgery, genioplasty improves the contour of the chin and jawline. This is done by either repositioning the chin or inserting implants to change the chin’s appearance.
Facial Rejuvenation
Rejuvenation procedures are focused on bringing your face ‘back to life’ and making it look younger. These surgeries include:
- Face lift: a face lift is done to overcome sagging cheeks and loose skin. This in turn lifts cheeks and provides fullness to your eyes and face. This can be done by traditional surgical methods or by less invasive techniques such as a thread lift.
- Blepharoplasty: this procedure is more commonly known as eyelid surgery. Eyelid surgery is performed to correct the puffiness, sagging and drooping of the upper eyelids. It also removes excess skin under the lower eyelids. Blepharoplasty improves the appearance of your eyes and gives you a younger look.
- Neck Lift: a neck lift (also called cervicoplasty) utilises either surgical cuts or liposuction to tighten the muscles and skin in the neck.
Skin Rejuvenation
Similar to facial rejuvenation, skin rejuvenation improves the appearance of your skin. This gives you a more youthful appearance. Different types of skin rejuvenation procedures include:
- Anti-wrinkle treatments: also called botox, this procedure involves injecting a bacterium called Clostridium botulinum into the skin. This blocks signals from the nerves that cause muscle contractions. Muscles no longer contract and wrinkles and creases are softened.
- Chemical peel: a chemical peel involves applying a chemical solution to the skin which ‘peels’ off the outer layer skin of skin. This causes new skin to take its place.
- Microdermabrasion: this is a non-invasive procedure which uses controlled spray of fine aluminium oxide crystals to remove the outer layer of skin. This reveals a younger, more radiant skin underneath.
- Laser resurfacing: by using highly concentrated beams of light energy, skin tone, texture and appearance are greatly improved.
Breast Enhancement
Perhaps the most commonly performed type of procedure, breast enhancements include a range of surgeries to alter the look of a patient’s breasts.
- Breast augmentation: breast augmentation is an incredibly common procedure. Surgeons insert a silicone-based implant to enhance the shape and size of the breasts.
- Breast lift: breast lifts are another type of enhancement which lifts sagging breasts and restores their firmness, perkiness and overall aesthetic.
- Breast reduction: not everyone is looking to increase the size of their breasts. For those with naturally large breasts, their size can often reduce their quality of life. A breast reduction reduces their size by removing fat and excess tissue.
Body Contouring
Body contouring surgery (also known as body lift procedures) focuses on improving the shape of your body. Surgeries include:
- Liposuction: liposuction removes excess amounts of fat to improve the shape of a patient’s body. There are many different types of liposuction including tumescent, ultrasound and laser. They each have different advantages and the type used will largely depend on your cosmetic surgeon. However, all of them are designed to reduce fat deposits and is a procedure that improves physical appearance.
- Tummy tuck: a tummy tuck is performed to achieve a flat and toned abdomen. A tummy tuck can be performed in full or partially, depending on the extent of improvement the patient wishes to have.
- Labiaplasty: labiaplasty involves the alteration of the labia to improve the overall appearance of a woman’s vagina. Labiaplasty can also be done to alter the shape of the mons pubis.
Some cosmetic surgery procedures don’t fit into these 5 main categories but are still considered to be a type of cosmetic surgery. This includes procedures such as spider vein treatment, buttock lift and bat ear correction.
Looking to get one cosmetic work done?
If one of your cosmetic concerns has appeared on this list, you can be sure that there is a cosmetic surgeon who can help you. For those in the Sydney area, Dr. Qin and his team at Northern Beaches Cosmetics are the best solution to your problems. At your consultation, we work closely with you and discuss how to achieve your ideal appearance! Contact us now to book your first consultation!
