Understanding the different types of plastic surgery
Cosmetic, reconstructive, surgical and non-surgical: what the terms mean, and how facial procedures fit into the wider picture.
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A little clarity.
A considered choice.
Perspectives on facial aesthetics, the questions worth asking and the decisions that are yours to make.
Perspective & patient educationStone Surgical Arts · Westlake, Texas
The considered read
Why do people get plastic surgery?
A personal decision, with more than one reason behind it. A closer look at appearance, function and the expectations you bring to a consultation.
Read the storyOriginally published June 1, 2024
More to explore
Start with a question. Read at your own pace.
Dermal fillers vs. Botox: understanding the difference
One relaxes targeted muscles. The other adds volume. Understanding the distinction helps you ask better questions about injectable treatments.
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What oral and maxillofacial surgery involves
A specialty that sits between medicine and dentistry, covering the mouth, jaws, face and neck. What it treats, and who it is for.
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Facial trauma: how injuries to the face are repaired
Facial injuries range from a laceration to a complex fracture. What treatment involves, and why the assessment matters as much as the repair.
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V-line jaw surgery and the shape of the lower face
A procedure that narrows the lower face by reshaping bone. What it can change, what it cannot, and why it is a considered decision rather than a trend.
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Tori: what they are, and when they need removing
Bony growths in the mouth that are usually harmless. Why they form, whether they keep growing, and the few reasons to remove them.
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Oral and cosmetic surgery: the procedures explained
Surgical and non-surgical, oral and cosmetic. A plain guide to the categories, and where facial procedures sit among them.
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Obstructive sleep apnoea and the treatments available
A common disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops during sleep. The treatments that exist, and where surgery fits among them.
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Dental implants, step by step
What an implant is, how the treatment is staged, and what makes someone a suitable candidate.
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Acne in the teenage years: what actually helps
Why acne happens, which over-the-counter ingredients have evidence behind them, and when to ask for prescription treatment.
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Weight-loss injections: what they are, and what they are not
The category covers very different products with very different evidence. How to tell them apart, and the questions to ask before starting one.
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Lipotropic injections, and the claims made for them
B12, choline, inositol and methionine, sold as a metabolism boost. What the ingredients do, and how to read the marketing around them.
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A dental emergency: what to do in the first hour
Which dental problems need to be seen the same day, what to do while you arrange it, and what to avoid.
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Tooth extraction and wisdom teeth
When a tooth needs to come out, what removal involves, and how recovery usually goes.
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Liposuction: what it does, and what it does not
A contouring procedure that is often mistaken for a weight-loss one. What it treats, who it suits, and where the limits are.
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When surgery follows a diagnosis
Reconstructive and risk-reducing surgery are decisions made under different pressures than elective cosmetic ones. What changes, and what stays the same.
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Hair restoration: how it works
Transplantation moves hair rather than creating it. What that means for planning, and why the assessment starts with the cause of the loss.
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The neck lift, explained
What changes in the neck with time, what the operation addresses, and how it differs from a facelift.
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Questions worth asking before a neck lift
A consultation is a conversation you can steer. The questions that tend to be most useful, and the answers worth listening for.
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Rhinoplasty: appearance and breathing
Nose surgery changes a structure that also has a job to do. Why the two are assessed together, and what that means for planning.
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How to read a before-and-after photograph
The most persuasive images are often the least informative. What to look for, and which differences have nothing to do with surgery.
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Rhinoplasty recovery, and why it takes a year
The visible recovery is over in weeks. The result takes considerably longer, and knowing that in advance makes the wait easier.
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MyEllevate: a suture-based approach to the neck
A less invasive way of supporting the neck and jawline. What it can do, and where a lift remains the better answer.
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Living with dental implants
Once the treatment is finished, an implant needs looking after. What daily care involves and what to watch for.
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How the conversation about cosmetic surgery changed
More openness has made good information easier to find and bad information easier to spread. How to tell them apart.
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Recognising sleep apnoea
The signs are easy to dismiss, and often noticed by someone else first. What to look for and what to do next.
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Radiofrequency microneedling, and what it can reach
A treatment that combines microneedling with radiofrequency energy. What it addresses, and the difference between tightening and lifting.
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Neck liposuction and the jawline
Removing fat beneath the chin can sharpen the jawline, when fat is what is blurring it.
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The types of dental implant
Most implants are one type. The alternatives exist for specific situations, usually where bone is limited.
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Choosing an approach to weight management
Programmes differ more in how sustainable they are than in how fast they work. What to weigh up before committing.
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Chin sculpting and facial proportion
The chin sets much of the balance of a profile. Small changes to its position can alter how the whole face reads.
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Preventing facial injury
Most facial injuries come from a small number of causes, and the measures that prevent them are unglamorous and effective.
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Chemical peels: depth, downtime and results
Peels vary enormously in strength. Depth is what determines the result, the recovery and the risk.
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Facial implants: cheek, chin and jaw
Implants add structure where the underlying bone is the limiting factor. What they can do that soft-tissue treatments cannot.
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CO2 laser resurfacing: what to know
One of the more powerful skin treatments available, with a recovery to match. Who it suits and what it asks of you.
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Facial treatments for men
The anatomy differs, and so does what most men ask for. What that changes about planning.
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GLP-1 medicines and changes in the face
Rapid weight loss shows in the face early. Why that happens, and what is worth doing about it, including waiting.
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TMJ disorder: living with jaw pain
Jaw pain, clicking and restricted opening are common and often improve with conservative treatment. Surgery is rarely the first answer.
Read articleYour next step
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