You're Considering Plastic Surgery - But Do You Really Need to Go Under the Knife?

With plenty of shows like Extreme Makeover, Nip/Tuck and the advent of the Discovery Health Channel, the idea of plastic surgery has been gaining a lot of ground. But just because you can get plastic surgery, it doesn't always mean that you should! As a matter of fact, a lot of the things that women want to repair with plastic surgery can be remedied without the costs or risks that surgery entails. When it comes down to it, how sure are you that plastic surgery is your best (or only) option? You're just about to find out!

Should You or Shouldn't You?
Wondering if plastic surgery is the only way to fix your flaws? Honestly, it probably isn't. You'd be surprised at the number of different maladies which don't require plastic surgery to treat or correct. Instead, they can be treated with less invasive options like Botox, acidic peels, microdermabrasion or even over-the-counter remedies.

Which ailments don’t require surgery?

• Dark, under-eye circles
• Fine wrinkles under the eyes
• Smile lines around the eyes
• Dry or blotchy skin
• Discoloration or other pigmentation problems
• Those little lines at the corner of the mouth (they look a bit like parentheses)
• Vertical frown lines between your eyebrows
• Fine wrinkles on your cheeks
• The infamous double chin
• Or a slight fullness (or plumpness) along the jaw line.

Conversely, the following conditions can only be remedied by a skilled plastic surgeon:

• Excessive eyelid skin
• Puffiness or deep under-eye circles
• Deep vertical frown lines between the eyebrows
• Jowls hanging over the jaw line
• Hanging skin and deep facial wrinkles
• Very lose neck skin
• Loss of cheek fullness
• A nasolabial fold (a deeper, more severe version of the nasolabial line) etched into the skin.

You'll notice that we didn't list a few cosmetic surgeries you might have expected, like breast augmentation, nose jobs, and so on for a very simple reason - the emotions and the importance of major surgeries like these is hard to measure on the Should You or Shouldn't You scale. If you're in the market for this type of surgery, don't worry. Your plastic surgeon will help you by going over the reasons, options and other tough-to-work-out issues before any surgery is performed.

Regardless of whether or not you ultimately decide to have plastic surgery, it's very important to pick up all of the facts. Any type of surgery, no matter how seemingly minor, comes with serious risks and discomforts. If you're still convinced that surgery is your only way to regain your full confidence, do your homework and find a well-trained, highly recommended surgeon to guide you through the process.

About the Author

Blake Kritzberg is editor at BeautyProductsUSA. Stop by for emerging anti-aging wrinkle creams, and fine products such as Claus Porto soap.