Why are people, typically women, urged to go for drastic measures concerning cosmetic surgery? It often results from a person’s lack of acceptance to one’s physical appearance which can lead to low self-esteem, depression and even suicidal tendencies. Media plays a significant role in portraying the perfect figure and appearance. There’s so many possible reasons why a person considers going under the knife. Whatever your reason may be, it’s essential that you know the pros and cons that go along with it.

PROS

1. Enhance Appearance –

In most cases, plastic surgery is performed to enhance one’s appearance. If a person isn’t happy with how they look, there’s a way to change that. These days, there’s procedures to enhance almost any part of the body even the sexual organs. Some people have done so many surgeries that they look like a completely different person. Others, for some odd reason, go under the knife to look a particular way including like an animal. That’s how they prefer to look; thus, they feel like it enhances their appearance. However, for most people, getting plastic surgery means more than just having a beautiful face or a perfect body. It could mean having a better life in general. There are many types of procedures under this umbrella. Here are a few of them:

• Facelift
• Brow/forehead lift
• Eyelid Lift
• Ear reshaping
• Hair replacement surgery
• Nasal surgery
• Nose reshaping
• Lip augmentation
• facial implants
• Chin, cheek, or jaw reshaping
• Cleft palate and cleft lip
• Craniosynostosis (craniofacial anomaly)
• Oral and maxillofacial surgery
• Breast augmentation
• Breast reconstruction
• Breast reduction in men with gynecomastia
• Breast Lift
• Tummy tuck (abdominoplasty)
• Liposuction
• And many many more

2. Boosts Self Confidence –

A person’s confidence level and self-esteem are believed to improve after getting cosmetic surgery. Once you start to love how you look, you develop more confidence and feel better about yourself. This is especially for those who were born with a certain deformity, or the ones who suffered from accidents and only plastic or reconstructive surgery can fix. Having low self-esteem contributes to a miserable life or depression. If the source of your depression is something that can be addressed by plastic surgery, you may consider having it but make sure to determine the root cause of your concerns before going under the knife because surgery isn’t a cure for other deeper issues or conditions that you may have.

3. Promotes Overall Health –

Plastic surgery could also affect overall health for the better. Take a large breasted woman for example. Having a large pair of breasts could cause back pain and bad posture. This may be a reason why a woman isn’t able to do regular exercise because too much weight is being carried around on their chest. Imagine having to jog with them? While many women would only dream of having large breasts, there are those who would trade them for cup A just to get the weight off their shoulders.

4. Better Relationships –

Plastic surgery could strengthen your social skills as you leave your insecurities in the past. Plastic surgery may pave the way to a better social life and even having a romantic relationship. It could take a person out of the shadows and start to explore the benefits of being around other people.

CONS

1. The Risks Involved –

Undergoing plastic surgery always has accompanying risks. They are:

Infection – Infection is a risk that’s present in any surgery. Anything that involves having a cut or wound is prone to getting foreign organisms in the body. This could result in a much bigger problem. Though doctors give post-op care instructions to all patients, this doesn’t ensure infection will be avoided. Some complications can include:

• Hematoma – This is a pocket of bloodsimilar to a large, painful bruise. It’s a risk in almost all surgeries. Treatment may include additional operations to drain the blood.
• Organ Damage – This is common in liposuction where internal organs may be traumatized or punctured when the surgical probe is pushed too hard or too far. This could also be fatal if visceral perforations are severe and not diagnosed right away.
• Nerve Damage – Plastic surgery may cause numbness and tingling, this could be signs of nerve damage. Some women who undergo breast augmentation surgery permanently lose nipple sensation. Others who have face surgeries sometimes don’t feel their cheeks anymore. That’s when a facial nerve gets damaged.
• Seroma – When blood serum pools under the skin that looks like a large blister, it’s a condition called seroma. This results in swelling and could be very painful. It’s common after a tummy tuck. Seromas are drained with a needle to avoid infection. This effectively removes them, although there’s a chance that it could re-occur.
• Blood Loss – Blood loss is potentially dangerous if it results in a drop in blood pressure. If blood loss isn’t controlled during or after surgery, it could be fatal.

2. Scarring –

Plastic surgery, though it’s meant to enhance the appearance, could also leave permanent visible scars. It can be disappointing to see a scar after an effort to look better. Some physical problems may not always need you to go under the knife. For example: say you want to have bigger thighs or buttocks, you may consider bodybuilding instead. This could save you a lot of trouble from a painful recovery period and permanent scars.

3. Dissatisfaction –

We can’t dismiss the fact that people are insatiable. It’s possible that the result may not be what’s expected, or, because of a very satisfactory result, a person could still want more, and more. Women going through breast surgery, for example, may have contouring or asymmetry problems with their pair after. Plastic surgery only deals with the aesthetics and not the mental and emotional aspect. No matter how good the surgeon is, if the person isn’t satisfied with how it turned out to be, there’ll always be dissatisfaction.

4. Expensive –

Plastic surgery procedures can cost you an arm and a leg. It’s one of the major cons. The prices of these procedures could cost you a lifetime of savings. This is why plastic surgery isn’t for everybody. That could be a blessing and a curse. Imagine having a world where you meet a person and the next day, he or she could have a different face. But, it can be disappointing for those who have an inborn deformity but can’t afford to have surgery.

5. Get Botched –

If you fall into the wrong hands, you can end up getting botched. Sad, but true, some surgeons could do major damage instead of fixing you up. This usually happens as a result of looking for cheap procedures. Falling into the wrong hands is something that you wouldn’t want to happen. Extensive research is needed before you make any commitment with a surgeon. You can take advantage of telemedicine benefits in searching for the right one. You don’t have to spend time, effort and money to meet up with a surgeon just to discuss what you want to accomplish. This could all be done using modern technology and the internet. Surgeons have been using AWS HIPAA (Amazon Web Services – U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability) with their practice, and you should be protected by the HIPAA act of 1996 to keep your identity and personal information confidential.

If you’re planning on getting a procedure done, take this list of pros and cons as your deciding factor. You should be able to determine if it’s really for you.