Almost everyone has concerns about some aspect of the appearance of their face.  Many people might never experience big problems with the rest of the body, even the tummy, buttocks, upper arms or otherwise, or they might simply think that things like these aren’t all that important, because they’re covered under clothing, however, the face, as the most easily visible area of the body, is a cause for concern for just about everyone.  Aesthetic issues involving the face, of course, don’t just come from aging; many individuals have always had aspects of their appearance with which they’re uneasy, whether or not these lead to unpleasant attention.  These problems can include unusual shapes or aspects to the nose or chin, excess fat or, conversely, a lack of volume in the face, especially in the lips or cheeks.  Injuries, post-surgical scarring, and damage from sun exposure are some of the other causes that often negatively affect the appearance of the face.

Further consequences can result from this kind of self-consciousness regarding facial features.  A lack of confidence is often among these issues.  The individual’s social life is also liable to experience detrimental effects.  Even the career prospects of the individual can suffer.

For these reasons and more, a constantly growing number of people are receiving face lifts.  The statistics referenced in this article are provided by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

Perhaps the best known form of facial cosmetic surgery is the face lift.  Face lifts were performed over 132,000 times in the US in 2008.  A face lift primarily targets the skin and other underlying tissues of the face, which are affected by the passage of time in that, as we age, our skin loses its elasticity, which in turn leads to loose, saggy-looking skin.  Excess tissues are also sometimes excised as part of the face lift operation, and the remaining tissues are then lifted and tightened.  Incisions are usually made in the natural folds of the skin, in areas such as the skin behind the ear.  The resulting scarring is therefore nearly impossible to see under normal circumstances.  More targeted variations on the standard face lift are also offered by some surgeons.  The upper, lower, and mid face lifts, among others, are some examples of this type of procedure.

Rhinoplasty, or surgical reshaping of the nose, is another well-known procedure.  Over 152,000 rhinoplasties were performed in 2008 in the United States.  There are a number of reasons as to why a patient may consider a rhinoplasty: it could be for aesthetic reasons, including a reduction in the length or width of the nose, removing the hump from the upper bridge, repositioning the nose or altering its angle, or repairing crookedness.  In addition to that, rhinoplasty cosmetic surgery is also often performed on individuals who experience difficulty breathing properly due to the shape of the nasal bones or tissues or the septum.

Blepharoplasty was carried out over 195,000 times in the US in 2008.  Blepharoplasty is cosmetic surgery for the eyelids.  The eyelids are often chosen as a location for surgery because of the large role they play in determining the overall appearance of the face.  Drooping or hollow eyelids and bags under the eyes, which occur in almost everyone sooner or later, can make the individual appear to be more tired than he or she actually is, and therefore, younger-looking eyelids make the whole face look more youthful.  There are several techniques and approaches to blepharoplasty.  There’s lower eyelid surgery, which counters the appearance of bags below the eyelids, and upper blepharoplasty, which works to tighten the upper eyelids and rejuvenate the appearance of the eye area, along with correction of certain issues with eyesight caused by drooping of the upper eyelid.  Another especially popular type of blepharoplasty is Asian blepharoplasty, which adds an additional fold in the upper eyelid for patients of Asian descent.  All forms of blepharoplasty generally involve only very small incisions, which are made in the folds of the eyelid itself, or across the eyelash line, leaving negligible visible scarring.

 All types of surgery involve risks, and may be inappropriate for individuals with some types of allergies or other medical conditions.  Individuals must be aware of the limits of realistic expectations with regard to correction, and adhere to a a variable period of recovery after the operation.  In order to determine whether facial cosmetic surgery is the best option for you, please consult with a surgeon.