Cosmetic surgery: everything you need to know

Cosmetic surgery is a medical discipline aimed at improving an individual’s physical appearance. Cosmetic surgery procedures have become widely popular in recent years and can bring significant changes in terms of self-confidence and well-being. Whether you are considering surgery for personal reasons or to correct a pathology or after-effects, it is essential to inform yourself on the subject. In this article, we explore the different types of cosmetic surgery, their indications, and the precautions to take before embarking on this path.

To benefit from cosmetic surgery in Belgium, several options exist, including different clinics offering various services.

The different types of cosmetic surgery

Cosmetic surgery encompasses a wide range of procedures, from those dedicated to the face to those concerning the silhouette.

Facial surgery

The face is often the first part of the body to show signs of aging. Several procedures can improve the appearance of the face, targeting specific areas:

• Facelift: Also called rhytidectomy, it aims to correct sagging facial tissues caused by aging.
• Eyelid surgery: Blepharoplasty involves removing excess skin, muscle, and fat from the eyelids for a more youthful and rested look.
• Rhinoplasty: This procedure reshapes the nose to improve its appearance or correct certain deformations linked to a pathology.
• Otoplasty: this concerns protruding ears and aims to reposition them correctly.
• Lipostructure: Lipofilling is a technique that involves taking the patient’s fat to use it as a filling and volumizing agent (for example, to restore facial volume).

Body contouring surgery

In addition to facial procedures, cosmetic surgery also offers many solutions for shaping the figure:

• Breast augmentation: This can be performed using implants or the patient’s fat, to increase the size of the breasts.
• Breast reduction: for women suffering from large and/or heavy breasts, this operation reduces the size of the breasts.
• Abdominoplasty: This allows the skin and sagging muscles of the abdomen to be tightened, generally following significant weight loss or after pregnancy.
• Liposuction: This procedure involves suctioning out fatty deposits located in certain areas of the body (thighs, hips, stomach).
• Brachioplasty: to tighten the skin of the arms, by removing excess skin and possibly fat.

Indications and contraindications of cosmetic surgery

Most cosmetic surgery procedures are indicated for healthy people with realistic expectations of the results.

Eligible patients

• Patients who have signs of aging related to age or environmental factors and wish to improve their appearance;
• People suffering from a pathology causing deformation of the face or body;
• Individuals affected by unfortunate after-effects following an accident or previous surgery;
• Finally, any patient who wishes to reshape their figure for greater self-confidence.

Contraindications

There are also situations in which cosmetic surgery is contraindicated. Each case must be studied individually, but here are some examples of possible contraindications:

• Patients suffering from untreated psychological disorders (dysmorphophobia, depression);
• People with health problems, such as poor wound healing or cardiovascular disease;
• Finally, patients under 18 are not recommended to have cosmetic surgery, except for cases of reconstructive surgery.

Precautions and steps before an intervention

Before embarking on cosmetic surgery, several steps are necessary:

1. Consult a qualified specialist: find out about the practitioner and check that he or she is qualified in plastic, reconstructive, and cosmetic surgery.
2. Undergo a complete medical check-up: your surgeon will need to ensure that you are fit to undergo the planned procedure and that you have no contraindications.
3. Discuss your expectations with the surgeon: be clear and specific about your goals and make sure they are realistic and achievable.
4. Learn about the risks associated with the procedure: All surgery involves potential risks. It is essential to be fully aware of these risks and the precautions to take to limit them.

In short, cosmetic surgery offers many solutions to improve the appearance and well-being of patients. However, it is essential to be properly informed about the procedures being considered, to consult a qualified specialist, and to take into account the indications and contraindications for each case.