Plastic surgery alters a person's appearance and can be done for aesthetic or for reconstructive purposes. While reconstructive surgery is performed to set right a physical abnormality, cosmetic plastic surgery aims at enhancing a person's appearance through surgical and non-surgical procedures. Surgery to improve your looks, popular as it is, is still a matter of controversy. So regardless of your reason for wanting a procedure, there are many things that you should know about plastic surgery.

Points to Consider about Cosmetic Surgery

The significance of plastic surgery is increasing by the day. More and more men and women are going in for various aesthetic procedures to enhance the way they look. Popular procedures that can help preserve youth or make a person look younger range from breast augmentation, rhinoplasty, abdominoplasty and buttock enhancement to face, thigh, neck and arm lifts. Procedures can be traditional and invasive or performed using very effective, non-invasive technology. Before you make your decision, consider the following:

• Reason for wanting aesthetic surgery: For people in the entertainment industry, it's often a matter of €survival'. Many others believe that attractive looks can help them land a good job and climb the career ladder faster. For most people in general, looking good is simply a matter of boosting self esteem and confidence. Regardless of your reason, surgery to improve your appearance should be a personal choice. It should not be done to please someone else.

• Find the right plastic surgeon: The first step should be to find the right surgeon. You should browse the web to find the surgeons experienced in the procedure you want done. Besides reviewing the surgeon's credentials, ask for referrals from your family physician, and friends and relatives who have had plastic surgery.

• Surgery center: Make sure that the surgery center is accredited by the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (AAAASF). This would ensure safety and efficacy.

• Ask questions, be well-informed: Talk to your surgeon and ask him about all you need to know about the procedure. You have to tell him about your medical history, so that he can decide if you are a good candidate. Look at before and after photos of patients with successful results for the procedure you are interested in. This would give you an idea of your surgeon's skill. Make your decision to go ahead after your surgeon explains all the benefits and risks involved.

• Have realistic expectations: It is important that you have realistic expectations about what cosmetic surgery can do for you.

• Cost: Make sure you ask your plastic surgeon about cost so that there are no hidden elements. Having the surgery done in a hospital is more expensive than having it done in the surgical facility attached to a doctor's office. Most procedures are expensive, and if done for aesthetic reasons, not covered by insurance. Look for a facility that offers convenient financing options.

• Follow post-surgical instructions: The final results of your cosmetic plastic surgery procedures depend a lot on how well you follow after surgery precautions and instructions.

The website of your surgeon will have important information on surgical procedures designed to enhance your looks. Collect credible information on all you need to know about plastic surgery before you make the important decision to go ahead.