Plastic surgery is more popular than ever, with about 18 million cosmetic surgery procedures performed in the US annually. Many Americans long to correct various things that they don’t like about their bodies. Fortunately, many affordable plastic surgery procedures for the body can improve your appearance and self-confidence.

Whatever cosmetic plastic surgery you are interested in, whether it is fat removal, breast augmentation, a flatter belly, or a more prominent rear, there are effective cosmetic procedures available from your board-certified female plastic surgeon in Houston.

What are the most common plastic surgery procedures? Want to learn more about the various popular cosmetic surgeries today? What are the latest plastic surgery procedures? This guide highlights the most common plastic surgery procedures for the body, what they involve, recovery times, and more. Read on to learn more.

Liposuction

Many people have an average body weight but can’t get rid of stubborn fat pockets, no matter how much they diet or exercise. It is at this tough spot that many consider cosmetic surgery. Liposuction is a common cosmetic surgery that is performed every day all over the country. Some of the most common areas for liposuction are the lipo 360 areas:

Abdomen
Love handles
Hips
Thighs
Arms
Rear

Plastic surgeons will tell you there are many types of liposuction, but tumescent is the most common and popular today. Today, in fact, it is one of the most common plastic surgery procedures. During this cosmetic surgery your plastic surgeon makes small incisions in the targeted body area and injects saline, lidocaine, and epinephrine to reduce bleeding and swelling. This solution hardens the fat that is to be removed.

Next, the surgeon sucks the liquid and fat out with a cannula. Recovery time for this cosmetic surgery is only a few weeks, but it can take six months to see the final results. This is understood to be a permanent surgery, and one of the most common cosmetic procedures for this reason.

Another one of the most common cosmetic procedures, and a popular form of liposuction, is UAL or ultrasonic-assisted liposuction. The cannula shoots ultrasonic waves into the fat to melt it, and then your surgeon sucks it out with a cannula.

Breast Augmentation

Plastic surgeons know that many women are unhappy with the size or position of their breasts as they age or have children. More than 300,000 breast augmentations are done in the US each year. This puts breast augmentations among the most common cosmetic procedures.

With your breast augmentation your plastic surgeon will make incisions in one of a few areas, such as under the breasts or around the nipples. Then she’ll place saline or silicone implants under or above the chest muscle.

The FDA has approved both types of breast implants as safe and effective. Some women may need new implants after 10 or 15 years, but they can last for life in some patients.

After your breast augmentation, plastic surgeons will recommend that you should expect two weeks of limited activity, and then you can go back to work and engage in light workouts. It can take several months to see the final results of your breast augmentation once the swelling goes down. Plastic surgeons report that breast augmentation is reliably one of the most popular cosmetic procedures

Breast Reduction

Breast reduction surgery is one of the few plastic surgery procedures that insurance often covers. This is because the benefits are more than an enhanced appearance. Some women with very large breasts can suffer back problems, poor posture, and have trouble finding clothes that fit.

Your plastic surgeon will make incisions under the breasts and remove the appropriate amount of breast tissue based on your needs and goals. The procedure is permanent, and most patients can work after two weeks. For patients who have problems with back pain, this is one of the most common plastic surgery procedures.

Breast Lift

The breast lift is a wonderful surgery focusing on height and placement of the breasts. Breast lift surgery is common for women as they age or have children because the breasts begin to sag or droop. Other women opt for a breast lift after significant weight loss. This is one of the most common cosmetic procedures after weight loss.

Plastic surgeons say that some women choose to have a breast lift and enhancement at the same time. Most breast lift patients can go back to work within 14 days and resume all regular activities within one or two months after a breast lift..

Abdominoplasty

Another one of the most common cosmetic procedures is also called a tummy tuck, and it removes extra sagging skin and fat from the lower abdominal area. Also, your surgeon will tighten the skin that remains and may sew together abdominal muscles that have separated.

Women often choose a tummy tuck after pregnancy or serious weight loss to eliminate the extra skin and fat that cannot be eliminated with diet and exercise. A tummy tuck is one of common plastic surgery procedures found in a mommy makeover.

Ideal candidates have loose skin hanging in the midsection but don’t have an excessive amount of fat. If necessary, liposuction can be performed, followed by a tummy tuck. Most patients can engage in limited activities within two weeks, but full recovery can take a few months.

Brazilian Butt Lift

The BBL is one of the most popular cosmetic surgery procedures for a reason. This is a fat transfer procedure that increases the shape and size of the buttocks. Yet, no implants are used in this cosmetic plastic surgery. Extra fat is taken from the abdomen, hips, lower back, and thighs. Next, the fat is washed and processed, and injected into the buttocks.

Many women like the Brazilian butt lift because it enhances the rear and removes fat from problem areas in the same cosmetic plastic surgery procedure.

If you are thin, plastic surgeons will tell you that you may not have enough fat available for this procedure. If so, silicone implants may be your only option. BBLs are without a doubt one of the most common cosmetic plastic surgery procedures sought by women today.

Gynecomastia

This is a surgical procedure to remove extra tissue in the male breasts. Gynecomastia is a permanent solution in most cases if the excess tissue is from the patient’s genetics.

Note that some men have breast growth if they use steroids or marijuana regularly. For them, the breasts may continue to grow if their drug use continues.

Most men can go back to work in about a week and engage in everyday activities after a few weeks.

What You Can Expect

If you think you want to have cosmetic procedures on your body, below is more information about what to expect:

Consultation: Your plastic surgeon will go over your surgical goals in the initial consultation and perform a physical examination. Then, she’ll offer her recommendations about the best cosmetic procedures to complete in your case. These common plastic surgery procedures involve surgery and general anesthesia, so she’ll ask about your medical history and any medications you’re on.
Procedure: Procedure details depend on the type of changes you want to make. Please review the details of the most common operations on the body above.
Aftermath: Depending on the procedure you have, your surgeon will provide you with bandages and pain medication for the first few days after.
Recovery: Recovery for most cosmetic plastic surgery on the body range from a few weeks to months. Most people can return to work in a week or two, but you may need to wait to engage in vigorous physical activity.

Questions and Answers

What is the most common plastic surgery procedure?

Breast augmentation is the most common plastic surgery. Breast Augmentation saw a total of 298,568 cosmetic procedures performed, marking a 4% increase from the figures recorded in 2019.

What is the most difficult plastic surgery procedure?

When it comes to cosmetic plastic surgery, rhinoplasty stands as an exceptionally intricate reconstructive surgery, recognized as one of the most challenging cosmetic surgeries to excel in. To prevent complications associated with rhinoplasty, surgeons must seamlessly integrate artistry, scientific knowledge, and technical expertise. Facial plastic surgeons devote relentless effort to ensure their cosmetic plastic surgery patients achieve perfect satisfaction with the outcomes of their rhinoplasty reconstructive surgery procedures. While this is a difficult reconstructive surgery, there are many performed each year making this one of the most common plastic surgery procedures. Another notably difficult facial procedure is the eyelid lift, however finely trained board certified surgeons have no problem performing this surgery perfectly.

What is a plastic surgery procedure?

Cosmetic plastic surgery aims to enhance both functionality and aesthetics, encompassing procedures on various body parts except the central nervous system. This includes but is not limited to: skin-related treatments (such as for skin cancer, scars, burns, birthmarks, and tattoo removal) and maxillofacial surgeries (addressing the facial skeleton).

What are the most common facial surgeries?

Several widely practiced and sought-after facial cosmetic procedures include:

Botox injections.
Facelift surgery.
Chemical peel treatments.
Dermabrasion procedures.
Neck lift surgeries.
Liposuction techniques.
Blepharoplasty, commonly known as an eyelid lift.

In addition to these surgeries there are also other facial rejuvenation procedures which can improve your appearance. Other procedures use laser treatment in their focus on skin as a part of the facial rejuvenation process.

Request a Houston Plastic Surgery Consultation

If you’re interested in learning more about cosmetic plastic surgery options for your body, please set up a consultation with Dr. Ashley Steinberg today. She’ll talk to you about the benefits and risks of the many common plastic surgery procedures available and determine if you’re a good candidate.