Plastic surgery refers to a repertoire of surgical procedures that are primarily focused on the correction or restoration of form and function. While cosmetic or aesthetic surgeries are among the better known procedures, plastic surgery also involves several different types of reconstructive surgery, microsurgery, hand surgery, and burn treatment apart from body sculpting.
Statistics released by The Cosmetics Physicians Society of Australia (CPSA) show that Australians are spending roughly $1 billion a year collectively on plastic surgery procedures and other cosmetic treatments, including injectibles (such as Anti-wrinkle injections & fillers), the most popular non-surgical cosmetic procedure in Australia. The most popular surgical procedures are breast augmentation, rhinoplasty, and liposuction with injectibles and chemical peels being the most popular non-surgical procedures.
Liposuction is a cosmetic surgery procedure that helps get rid of excess fat from specific areas of the body such as the thighs, the abdomen and the waist. Though it is the fastest way to eliminate excess body fat, patient need to be careful about their diet and focus on healthy living after the procedure.
Breast reduction that is carried out for both medical as well as aesthetic reasons involves the surgical removal of the layer of fat tissue around the breast. This procedure is recommended by plastic surgeons to address the problem of ‘gynecomastia‘ or the development of enlarged breasts in men, which usually occurs due to hormonal imbalance.
Plastic surgery breast augmentation is another popular procedure that shapes the breasts and enhances their volume. One of the most well-known methods employed in breast augmentation is mammoplasty that involves the surgical insertion of an implant behind each breast. An incision is made under each breast or sometimes in the armpits to create pockets for the implant to fit in either between the chest wall and the breast or right behind the breast tissue.
Breast lift or mastopexy refers to cosmetic surgery to enhance the size of the breast and plastic surgeons carry out this surgical procedure to reshape sagging or large breasts. Pregnancy, nursing, age, hormonal imbalance, and rapid weight loss affect the size and shape of the breast. Breast lift may also be used in conjunction with breast augmentation and breast implants to restore their shape and size.
Smaller cosmetic surgery enhancements that work wonders are blepharoplasty or functional/aesthetic treatment of the eyelid. In this surgical procedure, excess skin and fat around the eyes are either repositioned or removed altogether. Blepharoplasty works wonders for those who have tired and droopy eyes. Further enhancement is also possible by carrying out the same procedure on the lower eyelids as well.
A recent study published by the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons has reported the increasing number of plastic surgery procedures (both surgical and non-surgical) undertaken worldwide. This study that breaks down the popularity of procedures based on per head of population and lists each country shows that while Australia follows the global trend of a rising popularity of plastic surgery, it is far short of South Korea which has approximately three times the number of procedures that Australia has per head of population.