The University of California, Los Angeles scientists conducted a study about cosmetic surgery; they found that twenty three percent of men and 48 percent of women showed willingness towards cosmetic surgery, while another 23 percent women and 17 percent of men expressed “possible interest”.

Twenty one percent of women and 11 percent of men in the survey would describe themselves as unattractive.

The popularity of cosmetic surgery continues to grow in the United States and abroad. There are many types of cosmetic surgery available today. Some of the more popular procedures include:

• Tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) A procedure that flattens the abdomen by removing excess fat and skin and tightening muscles of the abdominal wall.
• Nose Surgery (Rhinoplasty) A procedure that reshapes the nose by reducing or increasing side, removing a hump, narrowing the span of the nostrils or change the angle between the nose and upper lip. This procedure is sometimes performed to help relieve certain breathing problems.
• Forehead lift (brow lift) This procedure is performed to minimize forehead creases, lift drooping eyebrows and reduce hooding over the eyes. This surgery can also help erase furrowed forehead and frown lines by removing excess tissue, altering muscles and tightening the forehead skin. This procedure is commonly performed on people over 40 years of age.
• Breast Augmentation:  (Augmentation Mammoplasty). This procedure enhances the size and shape of the breasts by using inflatable implants filled with a saline solution. This procedure is often used to help reconstruct breasts after breast cancer surgery has been performed. 
• Breast Lift (Mastopexy) A procedure that raises and reshapes sagging breasts by removing excess skin and repositioning remaining tissue and nipples. This procedure is most often performed on women over the age of 40.
• Liposuction (Suction-assisted lipectomy) this procedure can improve the body shape by removing exercise-resistant fat deposits with a tube and a vacuum device. Common locations for liposuction include chin, cheeks, neck, upper arms, abdomen, buttocks, hips and thighs.

• Laser Face Resurfacing – A procedure that smoothes the face and smoothes fine wrinkles by using a carbon dioxide laser device that treats layers of damaged skin. Softens lines around the eyes and mouth and minimizes facial scars and unevenly pigmented areas.

• Facial Implants – These are used to change the basic shape and balance of the face using carefully shaped implants to build up a receding chin, add prominence to cheekbones and reshape the jaw line.

• Hair Replacement Surgery – A procedure used to fill in balding areas with a patient’s own hair using a variety of techniques including scalp reduction, tissues expansion, strip grafts, scalp flaps or clusters of punch grafts (plugs, miniplugs and mircroplugs) This procedure works best on men with male pattern baldness after hair loss has stopped.

 You and your surgeon should have a lengthy discussion prior to your procedure so that you have a clear idea of what to expect. It is absolutely essential that you and your surgeon completely understand each other.

New advances in cosmetic surgery continue to surface so you should research your options before deciding to have a cosmetic procedure. Because insurance does not cover cosmetic surgery in most cases, people who want to have the procedures may want to do cost comparisons. In many cases plastic surgery can be performed offshore at a fraction of what the procedures cost in the United States. By carefully researching your options you can make an informed decision about the type of cosmetic surgery that best fits your lifestyle and your budget.