The Difference between Plastic Surgery and Cosmetic Surgery

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Most people think that Plastic Surgery constitutes the most popularly known surgeries that film artists have had, so that they can retain their youthful appearance. However even though they are closely related specialties, technically, there is a fine divide between Plastic Surgery and Cosmetic Surgery. 

Focus of Cosmetic Surgery

• The goal of the Cosmetic Surgeon is to aesthetically enhance a patient’s appearance and hence the procedures, principles and techniques used focus entirely on this outcome. The goal is to improve the proportion, aesthetic appeal and symmetry of the body part on which a procedure is being performed. 
• Cosmetic surgery can be performed on all areas of the body, including the head and neck. 
• It is a voluntary choice made by the patient to have cosmetic surgery.
• Cosmetic surgery can be performed by plastic surgeons as well as doctors from various medical fields. 

Cosmetic Surgery Procedures include:

• Body contouring – this includes Gynecomastia treatment, Liposuction and Tummy Tuck
• Breast enhancement – Enlargement, Reduction and Lifting 
• Facial contouring – Cheek enhancement, Chin and Rhinoplasty 
• Facial rejuvenation – Brow lift, Eyelid lift, Face lift and Neck lift
• Skin rejuvenation – Botox, Filler treatment and Laser resurfacing

Focus of Plastic Surgery Procedures 

• The main focus of Plastic surgery is to set right defects so as to reconstruct to provide a natural appearance and restore normal functions of the body part that is being operated upon. 
• It is defined as a surgical specialty that involves the reconstruction of facial and body flaws due to birth, burns, diseases and trauma. 
• The goal of plastic surgery is to reconstruct and enable dysfunctional body parts to function in their normal and natural mode. 

Some Plastic Surgery Procedures

• Burn Repair Surgery
• Hand Surgery
• Reconstruction of Breasts (after a mastectomy; also involves enhancement and reduction) 
• Repair of Congenital Defects – reconstruction and repair of cleft palate, repair of extremity defects (extra digital appendages and so on)
• Reconstruction of Lower Extremities
• Scar Revision Surgery

Though both plastic surgery and cosmetic surgery procedures are performed to improve a patient’s body, the overall philosophies that guide their goals, training and research for patients’ end results are different. Each have specific goals that are built to envelop distinct set of procedures. 

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