Plastic Surgery: Questions You Should Ask Before Going Under The Knife

Plastic surgery today has undergone a wide acceptance by society. Its popularity is most likely due to popular television shows and celebrity surgeries having removed the stigma to the point where it is considered an attainable and reasonable means of improving the appearance for almost anyone.

Additionally, the advancement of plastic technology means that many procedures are now quite common and offer very little risk. There are now limitless possibilities with plastic surgery, whether it is in the face, body or limbs. If your body bags, wrinkles, sags or pouches or if you feel something is too large, too small or even the wrong shape, cosmetic surgery can probably fix it. However it is important to keep in mind that no surgery is risk free and any person seriously contemplating plastic surgery should take the time to ask important questions as a part of their pre-surgery research.

One of the most important questions to ask, is "what are the risks?" And since all surgery carries some inherent risks, this is an aspect of cosmetic surgery that should be considered carefully before making a final decision. Even if your doctor is experienced and the risks are minimal you may still develop complications either during or after your surgery. You should therefore be sure to thoroughly review your health history with your doctor before commencing with any plastic surgery.

A good cosmetic surgeon will take your reasons for surgery into consideration and will be honest about the risks. Are you sure the risks outweigh the potential benefits? What, if any, follow up will be done by the surgeon? Will the doctor make adjustments if needed? How will complications be handled? How much time will you need to recover and what are the expected side effects of surgery?

Another important consideration you should carefully examine is your reason for plastic surgery.

Although the makeovers on television may give the impression that cosmetic surgery can improve the quality of your life it is vitally important that you have a realistic outlook on the impact of surgery.

When discussing cosmetic surgery with a doctor, they should also tell you the options that are available and any alternatives to surgery. You shouldn't be pressured into unnecessary surgery. An informed consent document should be signed prior to surgery.

Fourthly, since not all surgical procedures need to be preformed in a hospital, another critical part of your research should be to thoroughly investigate the accreditation of your surgeon. You should check to make sure that your plastic surgeon is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgeons (ABPS) or a similar a organization in your country.

Ask the surgeon if they have hospital privileges. Having hospital privileges means that a hospital committee has approved the doctor's training and competency to meet their criteria for performing a similar operation in their facilities. Also, even if your surgery is performed in an office, verify that there will be appropriate medical personnel on hand and that the facilities are clean and medical waste is properly disposed of.

You should ask your personal physician for referrals as well. It is important that you find a surgeon that you feel comfortable with. You want to feel free to ask questions and to make certain they understand what you are hoping to achieve - after all, this isn't a hair cut - you want it to be right the first time.

Last, but not least, cost is an important consideration when thinking about plastic surgery. And while this may be the first questions that comes to some people's minds, in reality you should only consider this after determining whether you really need surgery. Costs vary widely and should not be the basis for your decision. The qualifications of the doctor and your comfort with him or her are of far greater significance than the cost since you will undoubtedly pay more if you encounter complications or are unhappy with the results.

Furthermore, depending on the reason for the surgery you may have some of the costs covered by insurance or state run medical programs. However, if cosmetic surgery (also called 'elective') is not seen as a medical and necessity it will not likely be covered by insurance.

In conclusion, if you are considering plastic surgery, be sure to take your time to do proper research before making your final decision. Be sure to make the price of the surgery itself only one of the determining factors and not the only one. After all, there are other things that are more important than money.

Sandra Clair writes for Lasik Eye Surgery Information which provides information on Lasik eye surgery, including LASIK Cost, LASIK Eye Surgery, LASIK Eye Surgery Canada, LASIK Eye surgery Price, LASIK Eye Surgery Risks, LASIK MD, LASIK Plus, LASIK Surgery and LASIK Vision Institute

Non Surgical Facelifts - Two Options for a Natural, Youthful, Stunning Look

Before you take the option of going under the surgeon?s knife you should consider a non surgical facelift.

Because their natural they look natural and you will not encounter the problems that many plastic surgery patients have i.e it?s obvious they have had a makeover or they look totally unnatural in their appearance.

Today more women are taking the natural option and you should to. In previous articles we discussed Restylane and Mestotherapy.

Here we will cover the other two major natural facelift procedures. Lets look at them and there advantages.

1. Intense Pulsed Light (IPL)

This treatment works in a similar way to a laser and sends a nigh intensity pulse into the skin.

By heating the lower levels of the skin, it effectively destroys excess pigment and thread veins.

At the same time it will stimulate the growth of collagen in the skin itself.

The Result

The results are very good in terms of fading sun spots (a tell tale sign of aging) and also helps repair broken veins, pigmentation marks and plumps up the skin at the same time.

The Cost

The cost of the treatment is around $500 making it a very competitively priced option although depending on the skins condition a few sessions may be necessary.

2. Isolagen

This innovative treatment takes Fibroblasts from your own skin (normally behind the ears) and then clones them and they are then inserted into your face to improve appearance, targeting wrinkles are skin that is sagging or drooping.

It takes a couple of sessions to do of about 1.5 hours each and the insertions are done with needles and up to 80 injections can be done.

The Result

If done by an experienced and reputable salon then the results can be stunning and can lead to a fantastic reversal in the signs of aging, of skin tone and overall look.

Check out past cases your salon has done in the past as results can vary considerably depending on who is administering the treatment.

Cost around $6,000. Not the cheapest option, however one many women have used and have had great results.

In this series of articles we have covered 4 of the most popular procedures, so what is the best one?

Well, that really is down to what you need done and the skill of the person administering the treatment.

Do your homework and decide which natural facelift technique is for you before choosing. Keep in mind they are natural, safe and a great alternative to the surgeons knife.

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