Have you always wondered what the difference is between cosmetic surgery and plastic surgery? Or maybe even thought that the two things were the same? You are not alone. The confusion is probably due to the fact that a lot of plastic surgeons focus on cosmetic rather than plastic surgery, so the two terms are often used interchangeably. However, the two are not the same, they are two closely related specialties within surgery, but they do not have the same purpose. In this article, we will have a closer look at the differences between the two.
What is cosmetic surgery?
When you seek out a plastic surgeon in order to change something on your body that you are not happy with, that is cosmetic surgery. The focus here is to enhance the appearance of a specific body part for cosmetic reasons, such as aesthetic appeal, symmetry, and proportion of the body. The surgery is not done to restore function. Cosmetic surgery can be done to almost any part of the body and below we have compiled a list of the most typical cosmetic changes that people seek out.
Types of cosmetic surgery procedures:
- Breast Enhancement: Breast Augmentation, Breast Lift, Breast Reduction
- Facial Contouring: Rhinoplasty, Chin, or Cheek Enhancement
- Facial Rejuvenation: Facelift, Eyelid Lift, Neck Lift, Brow Lift
- Body Contouring: Tummy Tuck, Liposuction, Gynecomastia Treatment
- Skin Rejuvenation: Laser Resurfacing, Botox, Filler Treatment
What is plastic surgery?
Plastic surgery is performed in order to restore normal function and appearance due to birth defects, trauma, burns, or disease. Plastic surgery is intended to correct dysfunctional areas of the body and is, by definition, reconstructive in nature. Thus, the core difference between the two specialties is the type of need that the client has.
Types of plastic surgery procedures:
- Breast Reconstruction
- Burn Repair Surgery
- Congenital Defect Repair: Cleft Palate, Extremity Defect Repair
- Lower Extremity Reconstruction
- Hand Surgery
- Scar Revision Surgery
What to look for in a surgeon?
Whether you are seeking a cosmetic or plastic procedure, you should do some research before choosing a surgeon. Choose a well-known clinic and a surgeon specialized within the area of your need.
We recommend looking at things like:
- Medical certificates: Do they have their certification in order?
- Experience: Are they specialized within the type of surgery you want? Check the bio on the website.
- Client reviews: Can you find positive client reviews online? Most clinics have these listed on their website.
- Renowned clinic: Is the clinic well-known?
Before any type of surgery, it is important to do enough research. Learn more about the procedure you are interested in and find the right surgeon. Also, be sure to prepare questions before the consultation so you can be sure the procedure is right for you.
Are both plastic surgery and cosmetic surgery for all genders?
Now that we have clarified what some of the differences are between cosmetic surgery and plastic surgery, you might still have some questions in terms of what kind of gender both types of surgery are for.
Both cosmetic surgery and plastic surgery are becoming more popular every day – especially among women
A global examination from the year 2019 shows that the number of people who are getting either cosmetic surgery or plastic surgery done is increasing every day. For many decades both cosmetic surgery and plastic surgery have been most popular among women.
A lot of women have a wish to get a boobjob, and cosmetic surgery can therefore be the answer in order to satisfy that wish. In fact, breast enlargement operations are still one of the most popular procedures that women get done. There is also a greater number of women compared to men who want specific procedures done like facelifts, but lifts or liposuctions, where unwanted fat is removed from a specific body part.
Though there, in general, are more women than men who are getting both cosmetic surgery and plastic surgery is done to themselves, there has lately been seen an increasing number of men that find it desirable to have some kind of procedure done to their body.
That is because more men are starting to see the benefits of changing something about their own bodies that they are not satisfied with. Studies are showing that the type of men who are getting either cosmetic surgery or plastic surgery done typically are men who are in their fifties. And what kind of procedures are they getting then, you might ask?
Many men in their fifties want to get those kinds of surgery done where their heavy eyelids are operated on and fixed to be less heavy. Another kind of surgery among men that is seen more often is the removal of bags under their eyes. Though those two types of procedures are some of the most popular among men, there is also another kind of surgery that for men has become more popular in the past few years. It is seen that more and more men want to have their feminine-developed breasts removed from their bodies.
That is because many men have a wish to look more masculine and that is a wish that can come true by having a cosmetic procedure done to themselves. It is great that the diversity is becoming bigger of what kinds of genders are getting either cosmetic surgery or plastic surgery done.
That is because it should be fully acceptable and completely allowed to want to be having something changed about your own body in order to feel more comfortable and get better self-esteem, no matter the gender.
It is still seen that most of the doctors and surgeons are men
If we take a look at what type of gender most of the surgeons are, then you will notice that most of the doctors and surgeons are males. Overall you will notice that more men are hired in these kinds of jobs. In many clinics, it is seen that there is a big amount of male staff hired. An example of a clinic where a lot of the surgeons are men could be Baerumplastikk. Though many surgeons are men, it does not have any influence on the quality of a procedure. The result of both cosmetic surgery and plastic surgery is as mentioned defined by other things like experience and reviews.
