What Are the Cons of Cosmetic Surgery?

Plastic surgery is often used to improve various aspects of appearance, and although it can increase the confidence of patients, it is rarely medically necessary. For this reason, one of the main cons of cosmetic surgery is that it can be expensive because it usually is not covered by health insurance. Additionally, any type of surgery has risks, which might be life-threatening or simply cosmetic in nature. Even when the procedure goes well, there typically is a recovery period for which patients need to prepare. This tends to require taking time off work or school, and it usually includes some discomfort.

One of the drawbacks of plastic surgery is that it often costs a lot of money. There are several ways to pay for a procedure, but health insurance usually is not one of them unless the patient can prove that it is medically necessary. Thus, patients who do not have the cash on hand might have to spend years saving up, put the procedure on a credit card or open a new line of credit to make payments on the treatment. In general, the cost is one of the main cons of cosmetic surgery, and it prevents many patients from getting the procedure that they want.

The various health risks are also often considered cons of cosmetic surgery. The use of anesthesia is widespread in the cosmetic surgery industry, and this type of medication can cause cardiac arrest, stroke and brain damage, to name some of the most severe issues. Any type of plastic surgery that involves an incision presents the risk of infection or excessive bleeding, both of which can result in death if not treated quickly. Nerve damage, temporary paralysis and tissue death are also possible risks of cosmetic surgery.

Some patients experience no health issues during or after surgery, but they are just not happy with the results. Newly changed facial features might look worse than they did before surgery — or at least not how the patient had hoped. Some surgeries also leave behind puckered skin or severe scars. In some cases, revision surgery is necessary to fix the issue, though not all problems can be resolved.

No matter whether patients are happy with the result, they have to deal with the recovery period, which is one of the most common cons of cosmetic surgery. Depending on the procedure, patients typically need to take at least a week off work or school and might not be able to perform strenuous activities for weeks. Complications often necessitate months of recovery and even bed rest in extreme situations. Thus, people who are interested in improving their appearance should prepare for the recovery period to be one of the most serious cons of cosmetic surgery.