The risk of affecting the patient's overall health is one of the most common complications. The surgery may cause infections, excessive bleeding, blood clots, pneumonia, increased sensitivity or paralysis.

Sometimes, the patient needs a second intervention, because of the unsatisfactory results.

Some risks are related to anesthesia (respiratory shock, allergic reactions, malignant hyperthermia, coma, death). The doctor must be informed about the medical history of the patient, taking all necessary measures to prevent the occurrence of any side effects.

Patients suffering from heart and lung problems or obesity are prone to higher risks during anesthesia.

Other side effects such as nerve injury, occurrence of hematoma and tissue dissection are usually the result of surgical errors. Make sure that your doctor is experienced enough.

It is very important for the patient to realize that the benefits of cosmetic surgery won't change radically his life and won't solve his problems. Not every surgery is successful and the success of such a procedure is very subjective.

Poor aesthetic results (including contour irregularities, asymmetries or visible scars) can be devastating for patients. Moreover, some people may be affected by pain, nerves injury or permanent paralysis.
There are some specific risks of cosmetic surgery, such as necrosis death (of epidermal cells), asymmetry (moderate or severe) - may require a second surgical intervention, numbness or tingling, folded skin, wrinkles and scars.

Women are more predisposed to develop complication, especially those who take oral contraceptives or follow hormone replacement therapies. Other factors that contribute to the occurrence of side effects are: the emotional and mental health of the patient, certain medications or supplements, the consumption of alcohol and tobacco.

However, there are good reasons when you look in the mirror and see the face resembling your parents or an older age image of you that you are not ready to accept yet. Therefore, thinking about having a face lift is something valid to process in your mind and see if it is the right choice for you.

Myth: Cosmetic Face Lift is a surgery that includes the whole face.
Fact: Cosmetic Face Lift Surgery is a lower face and neck lift procedure and it does not include the upper half of the face.

One of the physical reasons why individuals, particularly women, seek the surgery for something, like,

- the skin of the cheeks are sagging or loose

- Pronounced skin folds around the nose area especially with a facial expression like laughing can be very visible

- The skin folds on both sides of the mouth

- Lost of contour between the neck and the face due to the falling down of the skin where the chin is and down the neck.

The Face Lift Surgery can improve the lower face by reducing the pronounced folds around the nose and the mouth. But these folds don’t completely disappear.

And you will have the same effect in the neck area where the skin can be lifted, and you will end up with a noticeable appearance and visible contour line to distinguish the neck from the chin.

As you know by now from reading the fact and myth lines, there are limitations of what a face lift can improve and what it can’t. Let’s go over these limitations so you know what to expect.

Face Lift Limitations

Although you can have satisfying results with this type of surgery by enhancing the look of the neck and lower part of the face, nevertheless, it does nothing to enhance the look of your upper face region which are the eyelids and the forehead areas.

It also won’t improve the texture, discoloration (for example, a lack of a vivid complexion), and wrinkles of the skin if you have any of those. These improvements are done through different procedures like using Botox, superficial peels, and filler injections to name some.

Options other than Face Lift

An excellent cosmetic surgeon can distinguish between the need of a face lift or Liposuction procedures. There are many women who have tight skin that is not loose, but they do have a fatty tissue accumulation on the neck where the neck line goes up to the chin which has disappeared.

If you have both loose skin and a fat accumulation on the neck area, it is advised by renowned cosmetic surgeons to perform a face lift rather than liposuction surgery.

Things to Watch For

If the whole face which includes, eyelids, forehead, lower face and neck, all need improvements, then maybe you should consider performing a whole face surgery. Of course, it will cost more money and that way you can have an appearance uniformity where you will look younger with the whole face. Not only will the lower part. keep the face synchronized and harmonized because that is the whole idea of performing cosmetic surgery.

Face Lift Recovery

With everything going nice and smooth, so to speak, the reduction of the swelling and bruising will take between 7 to 21 days on the average depending on your body’s ability on how fast it can heal. The stitches can be removed as early as five days and may be as long as 12 days. And most likely there will be cheek numbness that will last two weeks or longer.

Many cosmetic surgeons will allow their patients to go back to work within a week. However, the after-surgery appearance might be something to consider because you will look…well let’s put this way--somewhat different!

Many women want to improve any undesirable skin signs after pregnancy, and others want to reverse weight gain effects. All these general reasons have one objective, and that is that people want to be satisfied and happy with the way they look and feel after the Cosmetic Surgery.

However, there are reasons for Plastic Surgery for the sake of satisfying another person; for example, husband/wife, and/or boyfriend/girlfriend. And that can be a big mistake.

How many stories have we heard similar to these?

I have decided to have Breast Augmentation Aesthetic Surgery because my boyfriend kept asking me to do it so I can look more beautiful to him…

Or vice versa

A boyfriend explaining how he went through financial difficulties because of the Cosmetic Surgery Expenses for a pectoral implant to look more impressive and masculine for his girlfriend…

Therefore, you should only decide for the sake of your own advantage, and only after carefully researching it thoroughly if it is worth going through all the obstacles that come with Cosmetic Surgery or not.

Let us briefly discuss some of the common reasons for Plastic Surgery, like, Tummy Tuck Surgery, and Breast Lifting Surgery.

Tummy Tuck Surgery (abdominoplasty)

For some women loose skin on the tummy region can happen because of pregnancy, chronic overweight, or the back and forth cycle of gaining and losing weight which the last two causes are also applicable to men, too.

The good news is that Tummy Tuck Surgery can provide a solution to loose skin, an abdomen sticking out due to excess body fat in the lower abdomen, and lax fascia. You can end up with satisfying results as your skin will be tighter, and the abdomen area can look leaner.

Breast Lifting Surgery (Mastopexy)

Breast lifting is completely different than breast augmentation, where in Breast Lift Surgery the Cosmetic Surgeon will raise the breast nipple by removing excess breast skin.

The above two cosmetic major surgeries will most likely have some undesirable side effects after the surgery, and one that stands alone is permanent scars. Make sure you are fully aware of not only what the anticipated benefits are but what surgery side effects you might have afterwards.

Knowing the credentials of a Doctor and from which medical school she/he graduated from is the basic information you want to know about. Someone graduated from Harvard is usually a good indication of that person’s intelligence.

It is well-known that to be accepted in the Plastic Surgery Residency Programs you must be graduated from medical school and be one of the top surgical residents.

To become a Cosmetic Surgeon the individual must have a Doctor of Medicine or Osteopathy Degree. Then next, is to follow one of several routes where a doctor will spend up to six years in an incorporated Plastic Surgery Residency Program.

For example, a doctor will spend three (3) years in the general surgery field, and then another two (2) years in the cosmetic/plastic surgery field. Some of the terms to be familiar with are:

Orthopedic surgeons: doctors that deal with bones

Neurosurgeons: doctors that deal with the brain

Otolaryngologist surgeons: doctors in the field of ear, nose, and throat specialty.

Urologist surgeons: doctors who are specialized in the male and female urinary tract and the male reproductive organs.

Oral surgeons: surgeons of the mouth, jaw, teeth, gums and other soft tissues of the head.

Dental surgeons: surgeons who are specialists in teeth, like, teeth implants, whitening, dental bonding and bridges, to name some.

The American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS)

The next step is look for a doctor who is board certified through ABPS which on top of the previous credentials mentioned above, has to complete a written test within the first year of her practice, then an oral test in the following year, and also meets the ethical and moral standards that are established by the ABPS.

There is a yearly average of 20% not passing the board certification, and most of those doctors will come back and redo the tests.

For YOU it is important to choose a cosmetic surgeon who is Board Certified as a minimum qualification. Don’t be confused with a doctor who is board certified (a good thing) and a doctor who is affiliated with professional associations/clubs/organizations!!

Many of these associations have different membership requirements, and they can vary from being too flexible to very rigorous membership requirements. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons and American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery are the primary ones with stringent membership rules. And also watch for irrelevant degrees of plastic surgeons where they are lined up next to his or her name.

A Word or Two About Self-Designated Boards

The American Board of Plastic Surgery does not recognize any of the self-designated boards. So watch out before you consult with a Cosmetic Doctor who is only certified from those Self-Designated Boards. Here is a list of some:

- The American Board of Cosmetic Breast Surgery.

- The American Board of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

- The American Board of Cosmetic Plastic Surgery.

- The American Board of Laser Surgery.

- The American Board of Plastic Esthetic Surgeons.

Not Every Legal Cosmetic Surgeon is QUALFIED

To maintain high standards and ensure the safety of patients there are three primary organizations who grant accreditation for office and freestanding facilities to perform Cosmetic Operations..

These rigorous standards are created similar to the standards of hospital’s surgical facilities in terms of safety equipment, qualified staff (for example; nurses and administrators), and qualified physicians.

There are three major organizations for accreditation which are…

- The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care

-American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities

-The Joint Commission