Plastic Surgery,Skin Care,Cosmetic Surgery

Posts Tagged ‘Society Of Plastic Surgeons’

There are many advantages to going global for cosmetic surgery. Exotic locations in Thailand, Argentina, and Brazil beckon to thousands hoping not only to save money on cosmetic surgical procedures, but also to take advantage of once-in-a-lifetime travel opportunities to visit foreign destinations.

Cost comparisons between surgical procedures performed in the United States and the United Kingdom with those that can be found in Brazil, Africa, Argentina and Thailand are proving increasingly attractive to young and old alike when it comes to choosing cosmetic surgery.

Why Travel for Your Cosmetic Surgery?

Whether you’re looking to reshape your nose or take care of that face-lift without anyone knowing what you’re up to, traveling for cosmetic surgery is on the rise. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, trends for traveling for cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery procedures are on the rise. The top five cosmetic procedures performed in the United States and around the world today are:

    *      Breast augmentation

    *      Liposuction

    *      Nose reshaping

    *      Eyelid surgery

    *      Tummy tucks

Over $12 billion have been spent on cosmetic procedures from the year 2000 to 2007 in the United States alone, a nearly 60% increase in a mere six years. From facelifts to breast lifts to Botox injections and reconstructive procedures, the cosmetic surgery industry is booming, with price tags to match.

The majority of cosmetic surgical procedures in the United States are not covered by health or medical insurance. Unless cosmetic plastic surgery or procedures are necessary due to injury and trauma, they are considered elective procedures and must be paid through individual out-of-pocket expenses.

Cost Considerations

Breast augmentation in the United States can run $8,000 as compared to the under $4,000 charged in India, and the $3,000 charged in Costa Rica.

Liposuction in the United States can cost $13,500, as compared to the $2,700 charged in Bolivia, or $4,800 charged in India.

A facelift can cost $15,000 in the United States. Facelift procedures performed in Costa Rica can cost just under $3,000, and about $4,500 in India.

Countries like South Africa, Thailand, and Hong Kong, as well as India are increasing their global advertising campaigns in comparative surgical prices as medical tourism brings more visitors from the United States and the United Kingdom than ever before.

Do’s and Don’ts Of Surgery Abroad

However, there are many things that global travelers need to know about medical tourism. Is it safe? Can medical facilities in exotic locations in Thailand, Singapore, and Brazil offer safe and comparable skill levels in cosmetic surgical procedures and training? The answer is yes.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons suggests that any global travelers seeking cosmetic surgical procedures abroad ensure that the expertise and certification of the physicians they are considering. Several online services are available as resources, including The ASPS Member Surgeon Abroad Program and websites like Placidway.com reference sections, which profile multiple physicians and facilities worldwide.

Individuals should also realize that medical qualification standards may differ from those in the United States, but growing numbers of doctors practicing outside of the United States and Britain are Board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

Cosmetic Surgery Tourism

Appealing prices and exotic locales combine the best of vacation destinations with affordable financing for a wide range of cosmetic surgical procedures. In all cases, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons urges patients to research the cosmetic procedure they intend to undergo, but the location as well as qualifications of physicians and staff to meet the needs during consultations, procedures, and recuperation periods following surgery.  Placidway.com is one of those sites where patients can research on finest cosmetic surgeons around the world.

The following questions may (and should) be asked of any plastic or cosmetic surgeon:

    * Are you an ASPS (American Society of Plastic Surgeons) member?

    * Has the American Board of Plastic Surgery or another International board or association certified you?

    * Do you have hospital privileges?

    * How many procedures of this type have you performed?

    * Is the surgical facility accredited?

While cost is a major selling point in the growing field of cosmetic surgery tourism, and patients are able to combine the cost of surgical packages with vacation packages for less than the cost of the surgical procedure in the United States, patients must take a common sense approach when seeking the services of any position, whether at home or abroad.

More about http://www.placidway.com/treatment-detail/5/Cosmetic/Plastic-Surgery-Treatment-Abroad/”>Cosmetic Surgery Abroad

The criticism of plastic surgery as pandering to the vanity of people is unfair. The desire for self improvement is a natural impulse, and typically people who seek plastic surgery are simply unhappy about an aspect of their appearance. They feel sufficiently displeased to pursue a solution to make themselves more content. In some cases, plastic surgery even opens the door to greater self confidence.

Perhaps you want to ease back the inevitable effects of age, repair the sagging legacy of childbearing, or augment or reduce your breasts. Employing plastic surgery as a means to improve physical traits is essentially the same as getting braces to straighten your teeth. No one would call you vain if you wanted straighter teeth. However, plastic surgery is generally more drastic than teeth straightening, which is why you should carefully examine your feelings for wanting plastic surgery. It is not a step to be taken lightly.

In 2005, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons conducted a survey to study the motivations people had for plastic surgery and their demographics. You might be surprised to learn that the study indicated that plastic surgery is not limited to higher income people. Members of diverse socioeconomic classes have an interest in and even undergo plastic surgery procedures.

According to the ASPS study, a broad range of age groups seeks plastic surgery, from ages 18 on up. Certainly the younger surgery candidates are seeking cosmetic modifications, typically to the nose or breasts, as opposed to older surgery candidates who also take the effects of aging into their plastic surgery plans.

In depth interviews with a selection of survey participants in the ASPS study revealed that most people who were interested in plastic surgery were deeply bothered by a physical feature. They wanted plastic surgery because they believed it would provide emotional, psychological, or social improvements.

As a practicing California plastic surgeon, it is part of my job to help potential plastic surgery patients examine and understand their motivations. A patient with a healthy perspective will want to modify his or her body so as to overcome a physical trait that is personally unpleasant. The rest of the world may not be judging you as harshly as judge yourself, but your self-confidence comes from your self-judgment, which is at the heart of the matter.

If you are considering plastic surgery, you should make sure to do some soul searching about your physical dissatisfaction and compare that carefully to the costs and risks of surgery. Make sure that the plastic surgeon you meet with is attentive to your goals and motivations. A plastic surgeon should not promise you the moon. Plastic surgery is not going to turn you into a movie star. Plastic surgery may be able to improve your body, but it will not produce a new body. However, California plastic surgery can be a positive experience that frequently helps people gain greater satisfaction with their physical appearances.

Plastic surgery is no longer the domain of celebrities. All types of people pursue plastic surgery as a means of enhancing their satisfaction with their appearances. From mothers in their early 30s to baby boomer men in their 60s, plastic surgery has increasingly been accepted as a path to self improvement.

The entrance of plastic surgery into the mainstream is evident in the statistics about plastic surgery. Comprehensive survey data is collected by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons every year, and the results reveal the surprising popularity of plastic surgery among different demographic groups. Baby boomers are getting breast lifts, upper arm lifts, and facelifts, and mothers are not shy about turning to the “mommy makeover” procedures to rejuvenate their bodies.

In 2006, 11 million cosmetic procedures were performed in the United States. These procedures included plastic surgery and minimally invasive cosmetic treatments such as BOTOX® Cosmetic. Of the people receiving plastic surgery or cosmetic treatments, the overwhelming portion remain women who make up 90 percent of patients. However, men are showing a rising interest in cosmetic plastic surgery. The number of men pursuing cosmetic procedures has risen 8 percent between 2000 and 2006.

Baby Boomers and Plastic Surgery

At this time, the 40 to 54 age group, which includes both men and women, seeks plastic surgery the most often. With nearly 5 million procedures in 2006, this age group accounted for 45 percent of total patients. People age 55 and over made up one quarter of cosmetic procedures in 2006 at 26 percent. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons both of these age groups combined displayed a 12 percent rise in cosmetic procedures from 2005 to 2006.

People in the 40 to 54 age group and especially the age 55 and over group represent the famous baby boomer demographic. With a large segment of the population aging, the rise in cosmetic procedures makes sense, but the youthful attitude of many baby boomers prompts them to seek plastic surgery. Healthy and active lifestyles are becoming the norm for people as they enter their 50s and 60s, and the desire to look young is a natural reaction.

Data from the ASPS surveys indicate that since 2005 tummy tucks have increased 7 percent, breast lifts are up 11 percent, and facelifts went up an impressive 22 percent for the baby boomer age groups.

Mothers and Plastic Surgery

The Los Angeles plastic surgery procedures of breast augmentation, tummy tucks, and breast lifts are often dubbed “mommy makeover” surgeries. Although not all women who undergo these procedures are mothers, they do provide women unhappy with how pregnancy has changed their bodies with attractive options for rejuvenation. Among women of childbearing years, typically ages 20 to 39, plastic surgery is on the rise. For example, within this age group tummy tucks were up 9 percent in 2006 over the previous year and breast lifts rose 11 percent.

According to the ASPS, more childbearing women are turning to plastic surgery due to busy schedules and their need to return to their careers quickly after becoming mothers. However, other contributing factors are the broader availability of qualified plastic surgeons across many regions and the appeal of the results that can often be achieved. Tummy tucks for example are sometimes the only way to achieve a firmer and smoother torso once skin has been stretched by multiple pregnancies.

Furthermore, women often have a deep personal desire to slim and firm up their bodies after childbearing in order to boost their self image. Some women can take considerable pride in looking good after having children, and revitalizing some of the physical firmness of their pre-pregnancy bodies provides much satisfaction.

The types of people that seek Los Angeles plastic surgery and their reasons for wanting to enhance aspects of their physical appearances are diverse. Plastic surgery attracts women and men of all different ages. No single stereotype of the plastic surgery patient exists. People generally have a natural desire to improve and maintain their appearances according to their personal preferences, and for some people this includes plastic surgery.

In the past seven years plastic surgery has moved from a Hollywood-centered activity that was viewed as a medical curiosity of the famous and wealth to a mainstream practice that has drawn interest from almost everyone from all walks of life. There are now television shows, books, website and even full time blogs all dedicated to the wonders of plastic surgery and how it can change a person’s life.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons keeps statistics from all of its members about what how many procedures are performed a year and it’s an interesting look at what was popular seven years ago and what is popular today. These trends all compare the calendar year of 2000 with the calendar year of 2007.

Here are some of the surprising statistics when you compare plastic surgeries from 2000 to 2007:

The number of breast lifts rose 97% in just seven years. This procedure is also known as Mastopexy and it’s one of the many procedures that has grown in popularity over time as the procedure itself has been refined and improved over the years. It is performed by taking up some of the excess skin around the breast and literally tightening or lifting the breast on a woman. It can be performed with or without an accompanying breast enlargement. It’s a good alternative for women who want to make their breast appear more youthful without making them larger.

The number of buttock lifts, while still relatively small, has increased about 143% in the past seven years, mostly due to an increase in surgeon skills and technology over the years. You are starting to hear about this procedure more and more in the mainstream media, which may also be a reason for its increase in popularity. In 2007 there were over 3,000 buttock lift surgical procedures performed.

Having a lower body lift or Belt Lipectomy has jumped from only a few hundred in 2000 to more than 8,500 in 2007. It’s actually a series of procedures which usually includes cosmetic surgery on the abdomen, thighs and buttocks. The procedures can all be done at once or spread over a period of time according to the patient’s desires and needs.

Upper Arm lists jumped an amazing 4041% over a seven year period, partially due to a number of people losing massive amounts of weight and then needing to have some of the excess arm skin taken up. This procedure has also been getting more media attention which has lead to a greater increase in the general population.

The use of Botox is also one of the biggest trends from 2000 to 2007, though Botox injects are only a minor procedure compared to some of the more serious surgical procedures listed above. Botox usage saw an increase of over 475% in seven years.

It is interesting to note that many of these procedures have become much more popular over the years as various forms of gastric bypass surgery became popular and more prevalent. Most of the procedures that saw dramatic increases are at least indirectly the result of people undergoing some sort of surgical procedure to lose large amounts of weight and then needing these cosmetic procedures to help put their body back into shape again.

Overall it is clear that plastic surgery itself is becoming more popular as the general population grows older the technology of plastic surgery becomes more advanced.