Angie's LIST Guide to
Cosmetic surgery

Many people think of cosmetic surgery as face lifts, breast augmentation or tummy tucks. While these modifications have become quite popular, many other people elect plastic surgery to correct a physical deformity, something they were born with or encountered in life. Some people correct the scars from an injury, the crooked nose broken while playing a sport or burns suffered from an accident.

These procedures fall under the same category, even though they are remarkably different and are done for various reasons. The main stigma with these surgical procedures is that they aren't necessary. Whereas some question why people would subject themselves to surgery and recovery when it isn't crucial to sustaining their life, others understand and support the idea. Lack of self-confidence affects many aspects of life: from school, to work, to social gatherings. Many people want to gain confidence and feel good when they look in the mirror. It isn't an easy decision to make, but many find the risks and expense worth the chance to finally feel happy with themselves.

If you're considering plastic surgery, you're not alone. Americans spent nearly $10.7 billion on cosmetic procedures in 2010, almost 9.5 million cosmetic procedures were performed in 2010 and the demand for cosmetic procedures increased by 9 percent.