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Facial Plastic Surgery

Facial Plastic Surgery Since the beginning of time, humankind has always put importance on beauty. People want to look beautiful and tend to be partners with whom they find beautiful. This leads the ones who do not consider themselves beautiful to get depressed or anxious because they do not like themselves or they think they will not be liked by others. In order to look beautiful, people have been putting on makeup or trying new hairstyles, new clothing but could not change some of their features like the shape of their facial structure, placement of their cheeks, eyelids, eyebrows, ears, etc. With advancing technology, however, now, surgeons can alter almost every feature of someone’s face without causing any distortions or dysfunctions.

Cosmetic (or Aesthetic) Facial Plastic Surgery

Cosmetic facial plastic surgery is the type of facial surgery that is generally a want than a need. It is done to change one’s appearance. People may consider it as rejuvenating and making one more beautiful. It is very common in both men and women in a varying range of ages. Just as it may involve surgical procedures, it may be nonsurgical too (like laser hair removals or chemical peels). The most popular cosmetic facial plastic surgery procedures are botox, eyelid lifts, nose jobs, and facelifts.

Reconstructive Facial Plastic Surgery

The surgeries that are done in order to correct facial defects that are caused by traumas, aging, illnesses (inluding cancer), or that are from birth. The goal of a reconstructive facial plastic surgery is, unlike a cosmetic facial plastic surgery, enhancing the functioning of facial features. Generally, reconstructive facial plastic surgeries are considered as a need and are covered by most health insurance plans.

It Got Modernized In 20th Century

Although we know that there was plastic surgery even in 3000-2500 BC, majority of the surgeries that were carried out was due to reconstructive concerns, rather than aesthetic. In 20th century, during the World War I, Sir Harold Gillies, who was a otolaryngologist from New Zealand, laid the foundation of the modern plastic surgery. He carried out surgeries with his colleagues on more than 5000 man most of whom were injured during the war. After the war, he continued working on this area and promoted his modern techniques around the world. Now, he is considered as the founding father of the plastic surgery.




Why People Undergo Facial Plastic Surgery?

Our faces are the most distinctive parts of our bodies. We are known and recognized with our faces. We express our feelings through our facial expressions. In daily life or in photos that are posted on social media, our faces are the first thing that people look at. So it’s looking attractive or working properly is a need. People may want to undergo a cosmetic facial surgery because they may not be satisfied with how their nose, eyebrows, cheeks, eyelids, neck, ears, etc. look. On the other hand,  they may have some conditions from birth or caused by other factors, so they may want to undergo a reconstructive facial plastic surgery. This conditions may include birthmarks, cleft lips, burns or marks from former surgeries and even skin cancer.

The Most Common Reasons That Lead People To Undergo A Facial Plastic Surgery

In spite of the fact that every person’s reason for getting a facial plastic surgery may differ, we can gather up some of the most common ones in a few titles;

  • Innate features: People that have been born with some facial features that they do not like like a big or crooked nose, or big ears may consider undergoing a facial plastic surgery.
  • Scars: A scar on someone’s face may be traumatizing. Apart from the scar’s looking bad, it may remind the person an accident or some bad event that they do not want to remember every time they look at the mirror. Facial plastic surgeries help getting rid of those scars.
  • Aging: However well one takes of his or her skin, eventually, with age, it will get wrinkly and saggy. Most people do not see it as such a big problem but the ones who does can undergo a facelift can get rid of those wrinkles easily.

How Common Is Facial Plastic Surgery?

Nearly everyday, on magazines or on social media, we see that people undergo facial plastic surgeries. It does not surprise anyone anymore that some model has gotten her lips bigger or some actor has undergone some surgery to get rid of his wrinkles. It is a quite common thing all over the world. In USA, facial plastic surgeries make up for nearly 20% of surgeriess that are carried out by department of otorhinolaryngology. The most common facial plastic surgery procedures are rhinoplasty (the surgeriess that are carried out to change the shape of the nose) and face lifts (the surgeries carried out to get rid of sagging and fat on the face). The most common facial plastic surgery procedures since 2015 have been soft tissue fillers, chemical peels, laser hair removal and micro dermabrasion. The common ground of all these is, all have visible results in a short time.

Why Is It Called Facial “Plastic” Surgery?

Today, we use the word “plastic” to define the material that is made of petroleum and used almost every aspects of our lives. But is the “plastic” in “facial plastic surgery” that “plastic”? The answer is no. When it comes to the reason why we call it “facial plastic surgery”, the word “plastic” (πλαστική, plastikē in Greek) moulding and reshaping. So it is called “facial plastic surgery” not because it involves some plastic material but it is about reshaping and moulding the unliked or disfunctioning features of one’s face.

Facial Plastic Surgery Procedures

  • Chemical Peel: Removal of the skin’s outer layer using a set of chemicals.
  • Collagen/ Fat Injectible Fillers: To get rid of wrinkles, injecting natural proteins to the skin tissue.
  • Cosmetic Plastic Surgery: Surgeries concerned with the aesthetics.
  • Dermabrasion: Removal of the upper layer of the skin to achieve a smoother skin.
  • Ear Pinning: Pinning the ears.
  • Eyelid Lift (Blepharoplasty): To get rid of the droopy eyelid, removal of the excess skin.
  • Facelift: Done to get rid of the saggy look on the face.
  • Facial Implants (chin): Edging the jawline or reducing a prominent chin.
  • Forehead Lift: Lifting the skin to get rid of the wrinkles on the forehead.
  • Hair Restoration
  • Laser Skin Resurfacing: To achieve a smoother skin, removing the outer layer of the skin with a laser.
  • Liposuction: Removes the fat under the skin.
  • Nasal Surgeries
  • Nose Reshaping (Rhinoplasty): Reshaping the nose to look or function better.
  • Reconstructive Plastic Surgeries: Reconstruction of scars, crooked bones/cartilages, sunburns etc.
  • Submental Lipectomy: Removing the double chin.

Is Facial Plastic Surgery Painful?

Thinking about a surgery, the first things that come to one’s mind are scalpels, needles, pain and ache. So, people that are considering undergoing a facial plastic surgery may wonder if the process is painful or not. The answer for that question is “no”. Like most of the other surgeries, the facial plastic surgery is done under anesthesia. So during the surgery, you do not feel any pain. Following the surgery, when the effect of the anesthesia go down, you may feel a little aching but that is easily controllable with some painkillers. In two weeks after the surgery, the person can get back to his or her everyday life. The recovery of the sensations however, may take from a couple of weeks to nearly a year.

Why Should One Consider Facial Plastic Surgery

With the social media’s getting so common and our seeing people’s selfies everywhere, people of all ages are considering to undergo a facial plastic surgery. The reason behind that desire is sometimes the urge to fit in to the society’s beauty standards, sometimes the urge to be more attractive and sometimes it is just health issues.

The insecurity about one’s body may reduce the self esteem of a person. In such cases, if it is really neccessary, people can consider undergoing a facial plastic surgery. That way, the person is likely to start liking himself or herself along with having more self esteem. For example, a boy with a birthmark on the face may consider himself different from the others and feel bad about it. He probably gets sick of answering the questions about the mark and will have a hard time getting over the stress about it. Getting it removed can make him more happy and can make his relationships with other people better. Also, the reconstructive facial plastic surgery procedures may enhance one’s seeing, talking, breathing abilites and so the quality of life.

Why Should Not One Consider Facial Plastic Surgery

We all have things that we do not like on our faces. Some have crooked noses, some have big ears and some have wrinkles.  But taking those as such big problems is not the wisest choice if they are not affecting our lives in a bad way. Our feelings about those things may fade away in time. So, deciding to have a surgery on your face immediately should not be the person’s first choice. Especially for people who are young, those features on the face may even change in time. So, one should take his or her time before jumping into the conclusion that he needs to undergo a facial plastic surgery surgery.




If one is making the things he or she does not like on his face a big problem, and has a bad time accepting or getting over it, rather than facial plastic surgery, the help of psychologist may be better. A girl with freckles for example, can be very self conscious about her freckles on her face. Even thought they do not make her life the worst, she just may want to have a clear skin. However, as the freckles do not really have bad effect on her life, she can just accept herself as she is with a little help, and can live with them without going to have a facial plastic surgery. Appreciating our differences and being at peace with them might be better than having a surgery sometimes. None of us are perfect after all.

New Trends In Facial Plastic Surgery

Facial plastic surgeries are very common now. With new techniques and developments in technology, the procedures got easier in time. The new trends in facial plastic surgery indurstry are:

  • Non Surgical Procedures: Although the surgical procedures are also in demand, nowadays, where the time is so important, patients prefer non surgical procedures just as much. These non surgical procedures not only produce great results, but also cause less discomfort and patients don’t have to stay in hospital as much as they should do in a surgical procedure. The popular procedures are botox and dermal fillers, skin tightening with technologies like laser and ultrasound.
  • Getting Face lifts: One of the most popular facial plastic surgery procedure since a long time ago is definitely the face lift. In the procedure, in order to get rid of the wrinkles and get a smoother skin, the excess skin is removed. Patients can have a facelift according to their needs. Also, the new techniques make the procedure easier, less discomforting, and better customized.
  • Lips: Like eyes, lips alone can make a person’s face look more attractive. With the social media influencers’ effect on the industry, dermal fillers on lips are quite popular.

Preparation For A Facial Plastic Surgery Procedure

Like all other surgery types, facial plastic surgeries have important things to keep in mind when preparing too. First of all, you should have realistic expectations about the result of the surgery. Having unrealistic expectations about the result will not only disappoint you after the recovery, but also make you feel like you wasted your money on the facial plastic surgery. You should inform your surgeon about your allergies and intolerances, so he or she can avoid or minimize the complications about your body’s reaction to the anesthesia. If you are a smoker, you better stop smoking for a while until the surgery as it slows down the healing process.

Your surgeon may ask for a presurgical evaluation and blood analysis. He or she will also inform you about the medication and a variety of supplements to avoid in order to make the procedure and the healing process easier.

Generally, facial plastic surgery procedures does not necessiate long hospital stays. Some types of surgeries can even be done as an outpatient surgery. Either ways, you should arrange someone to transport you to and from the hospital or the surgical center because when you get discharged, you may not be able to drive properly due to the effects of  local or general anesthesia.

Recovery Process Of A Facial Plastic Surgery

The recovery process may change depending on the procedure that you are having and every individual may have different experiences during it. Also having more than one surgery affects the process too. No matter what procedure you are having, you should not tire yourself both physically and emotionally. The recovery is a time taking process, it is good not to rush it. So take your time, provide yourself a healthy, peaceful enviroment for a few weeks and wait for the results to come out. The things you can do in order to maintain a healthy recovery process are;

  • Using cold pressing to minimize the aching and make swellings go down. But you should be careful and follow your surgeon’s instructions as in same procedures the application of cold may result in negative consequences.
  • Make your scheduling of work, school, family and social activities according to your recovery time. For that, you should find out how long will the recovery take (it generally varies between 3-4 days and a 3-4 weeks), and plan your life after the surgery according to it.
  • Do not let bruisings and swellings disappoint you. Right after the surgery, your appearance may not satisfy you, because it is not the final result of the surgery. It may take from a few weeks to a few months to bruisings and swellings to completely heal and make your final result visible. So, just be patient and take care of yourself well during the recovery period.
  • Do not get out of your surgeon’s instructions. Your surgeon will surely inform you about what to do and what not to do after the surgery, what medications you should take, when you can go back to work or exercising and such. It will be good for you to follow those instructions precisely to avoid any complications.
  • Arrange someone to stay with you for the first 2-3 days after the surgery. You will probably be okay but having someone close will help getting used to the process and a helping hand for medications and care of the operated area will be nice. Also you may need someone to take you to and from the hospital as you may not be able to drive because of the anesthesia.
  • Be careful about what you eat and stay hydrated. Eating light foods that are easy to digest will make it easier for you to get used to the process and will not tire your body. Also staying hydrated can speed up the recovery process of the skin.
  • Keep your head elevated to prevent fluid accumulation and swelling. Also, on neck operations it is better not to twist your neck too much, so you will not damage the sutures.
  • Excessive sun exposure may affect the recovery process negatively, so try to stay indoors as much as you can, or if you have to be exposed to the sun, use sunblock.
  • Do not use the medications your surgeon specifies as they might not work well with the medication your surgeon prescribed and may affect the process negatively.

The Most Common Facial Plastic Surgery Procedures

  • Rhinoplasty: Probably the most popular facial plastic surgery procedure is rhinoplasty (nose reshaping). It is a surgery that is carried out to correct the interior and the exterior structure of the nose so that it can function properly, or make a change on the appearance of the nose to make it more aesthetically pleasing.
  • Face Lift: Face lift is another popular plastic surgery procedure. It involves incisions around hairline and the ears to make the incision marks camouflaged when they heal. The surgery’s aim is to get rid of the wrinkles and jowls on the mid and lower face. The procedure is basically cutting the skin from the mentioned areas, tightening it and removing the excess skin.
  • Blepharoplasty: Also called as eyelid lift or eyelid surgery. As the skin around the eye gets wrinkly in time due to aging, gravity and other factors, patients want to get the area smoothened and less old-looking. The eyelid lift procedure involves incisions around the eyes and makes you get rid of the bags under the eyes, droopy eyelids and wrinkles.
  • Forehead or Brow Lifts: The procedure basically involves incisions in the hair-bearing scalp or the hairline, repositioning and tightening the skin and removing the excess skin. In mid brow lifts and direct brow lifts, the incisions are made in a visible place, so they are more carried out for functional reasons rather than cosmetic.
  • Hair Restoration: As many people suffer from hair loss due to genetic factors and stress, hair restoration procedures are quite popular. During the process, hair follicles are extracted and transplanted to the determined area.

How Is The Mental Health Affected From A Facial Plastic Surgery?

Especially in earlier ages, people may be too insecure about their facial features as our faces are basically the main features of our body that make us distinct. So no one wants to be remembered as “the guy with the crooked nose” or “the girl with the big birthmark on the cheek”. Those insecurities may even result in social isolation or exclusion and in a roundabout way, depression and an unhealthy mental health. Having a facial plastic surgery, and changing those features on the one’s face can increase the person’s confidence and give him or her a new chance to be a healthy individual of the society again. Also, speaking for the reconstructive procedures, one’s having a better breathing or seeing will for sure increase his quality of living.