The goal of cosmetic surgery is to improve a person's appearance and, thus, self-esteem and self-confidence. Cosmetic surgery can be performed on any part of the face and body.

For the face

• Chin surgery
• Cosmetic dentistry
• Eyebrow/forehead rejuvenation (brow lift)
• Blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery)
• Otoplasy (ear surgery)
• Rhinoplasty (nose surgery

Because cosmetic surgery can bring lasting and dramatic changes to the outside appearance, it is important to understand how these changes may affect you on the inside. Before making an appointment to see a cosmetic surgeon, you should consider your motives for wanting to change how you look.
Many physical characteristics can be successfully changed through cosmetic surgery; others cannot.

Good candidates for cosmetic surgery:

• Have realistic expectations about what can be accomplished.
• Understand the medical risks, physical effects during healing, how the surgery will affect them personally and professionally, what lifestyle changes may accompany the recovery period, and the expenses involved.
• Have discussed their goals for surgery with their surgeon and resolved any questions.
• Have chronic medical conditions under control.
• Have no history of smoking or commit to abstain from smoking (including secondhand smoke) and nicotine products, including chewing tobacco and nicotine patches, gums or lozenges for 4-6 weeks before and after surgery.
• Have had a stable weight for six months to one year.

All surgeries, including cosmetic procedures, carry risk. Those with a history of cardiovascular disease, lung disease, diabetes or obesity have a higher risk of developing complications such as pneumonia, stroke, heart attack or blood clots in the legs or lungs. Smoking also increases risks and interferes with healing.
A meeting with the surgeon will include a discussion of these risks and others related to the patient's health history.

Possible complications for any surgical procedure include:

• Complications related to anesthesia, including pneumonia, blood clots and, rarely, death
• Infection at the incision site, which may worsen scarring and require additional surgery
• Fluid build up under the skin
• Mild bleeding, which may require another surgical procedure, or bleeding significant enough to require a transfusion
• Obvious scarring or skin breakdown, which occurs when healing skin separates from healthy skin and must be removed surgically
• Numbness and tingling from nerve damage, which may be permanent