Why it's done

Because cosmetic surgery can bring lasting and dramatic changes to your outside appearance, it is important to understand how these changes might affect you on the inside. Before making an appointment to see a cosmetic surgeon, consider your motives for wanting to change how you look.

Many physical characteristics can be successfully changed through cosmetic surgery; others cannot. Good candidates for cosmetic surgery:

• Have realistic expectations about what can be accomplished
• Understand the medical risks, physical effects during healing, how the surgery will affect them personally and professionally, what lifestyle changes may accompany the recovery period, and the expenses involved
• Have chronic medical conditions under control
• Have no history of smoking or commit to abstain from smoking and nicotine products, including chewing tobacco and nicotine patches, gums, or lozenges for four to six weeks before and after surgery
• Have had a stable weight for six to 12 months, for certain procedures