According to the American Society for Plastic Surgeons, there were 10.
3 million cosmetic surgery procedures performed in 2005, showing an 11% increase since the year 2000.
All of those procedures have an often-hidden psychological affect on the patient.
Because cosmetic surgery is closely tied to the way we look to others and ourselves, a careful examination of your psychological state, both pre-operatively and post-operatively, should be a high priority to you and your cosmetic surgeon.
Your pre-operative assessment of yourself should examine the reasons for wanting a procedure.
The more invasive and appearance altering, the more important this self-evaluation becomes.
It is imperative that you are honest with yourself and your physician for the reasons in wanting the surgery.
Any miscommunication in this area could affect your satisfaction with the outcome of the surgery.
Honest self-evaluation is necessary so that you and your physician can establish an effective treatment plan.
If the physician determines that you are seeking cosmetic surgery for the wrong reasons, he or she may dissuade you from pursuing surgery.
Ensure that you make your wishes known to your plastic surgeon clearly - relate to him or her the desired outcomes and expectations.
Some people may feel embarrassed or pressured by family members to give a phony reason for desiring surgery.
If you are merely looking to improve your appearance, don't confuse the doctor by claiming that you are looking to relieve a functional symptom.
The doctor may not fully understand what you are seeking, which may cause dissatisfaction with the final result.
It is not a good idea to claim a functional problem to try to secure insurance payment for a procedure that would otherwise not be covered.
Many people accept getting plastic surgery for major complications, such as a cleft palate or correcting a broken nose.
Some people may not understand your desire to get a procedure for purely aesthetic reasons.
Often, our physical appearance causes low self-esteem and excessive shyness or embarrassment.
With some conditions, improvements will be obvious, and increased self-esteem is immediate.
However, if fixing one problem is going to lead to dissatisfaction with other areas and cause you to continue in a cycle of surgeries, it may be best to avoid starting in the first place.
Weigh the psychological benefits of the perceived problem before the surgery with how you expect to feel after the surgery.
Cosmetic surgery cannot make people like you or love you.
Getting a cosmetic surgery procedure should be solely your decision.
Be careful not to let the opinions of others determine for you whether or not you should have a procedure done to enhance your looks.
If you do succumb to pressure from someone else, you may regret it later.
Likewise, if you decide not to go through with a procedure that you really desire, you could spend the rest of your life wishing you had gone through with it.
The decision whether or not to have a procedure is up to you.
Make sure you know what to expect by conducting research on the procedure, the physician you choose, and case studies of similar procedures.
The more you know, the more you can mitigate post-operative psychological problems.
After the surgery, be ready for some potentially drastic changes, especially if the procedure affects your facial appearance.
Remember, with any major surgery there is an extensive physical recover period.
Your appearance may be considerably changed and the final results not realized when you first look in the mirror.
Sometimes the physical recovery will take several weeks.
Beware of post-operative depression setting in.
Knowing that this type of depression is common and usually occurs about three days post-operatively will help you prepare yourself as you recover physically.
With radical changes, it may be a while even after physical healing before you are comfortable with your new appearance.
Others may be critical of your decision to have surgery.
Be prepared to handle these critics with a clear response determined ahead of time.
Many people who knew you pre-operatively may express negative opinions verbally and non-verbally to your new look.
Remember, if you are satisfied with the results, then the surgery was a success.
Cosmetic surgery will not create self-esteem - a good dose of that must be in place even before electing surgery.
While conditions that are more serious seem reasonable to most people, some believe that cosmetic surgery is unnecessary and may criticize you for it.
If you prepare yourself mentally for the challenges and make an honest assessment of the reasons you want the procedure, you will be happy with the outcome.
Long after the physical healing is over, there may be some psychological adjustments to make as you get accustomed to the new you in the mirror.