Terms to Add to Your Cosmetic Surgery Glossary

Some terms you may hear bandied about

Every day, new techniques and technology are being devised in the field of cosmetic surgery, and every day, the jargon evolves with it. Here are just a terms that are coming up lately that you might want to know about so you’re not left wondering when they come up during a consultation.

Cookie-Cutter Cosmetic Surgery

When baking cookies, especially themed ones, a cookie cutter can help assure each morsel comes out perfect. This philosophy, however, doesn’t translate over to cosmetic surgery – your body is a unique snowflake, and needs to be approached to your specific needs. A cookie-cutter surgeon is someone who does the same procedure the same way for all patients. When you go for your consultation, try and get a feel if the surgeon is giving you individual attention, and is taking your body into account.

Invasive vs. Noninvasive

Speaking in broad strokes, there are two categories of cosmetic surgery procedures: invasive, and non-invasive. This basically means surgical and non-surgical. Surgical procedures, like breast augmentation or a facelift, will require general anesthesia, and some major recovery time. Noninvasive options, meanwhile, are outpatient procedures that can be done under local anesthesia and require much less recovery time, if any. Such procedures include Botox, microdermabrasion, wrinkle fillers and chemical peels. A surgeon can offer these, but you might also find them available at…

Medispas

A “medispa” is a term that describes a facility that offers your typical spa fare, combined with non-invasive cosmetic procedures like the ones described above. There has been some debate surrounding them, but as long as the person performing these procedures is certified to perform such procedures, risks are minimal. Also, some certified cosmetic surgeons offer medispa options. Make sure the practitioner has the credentials to perform any sort of cosmetic procedure before you agree to anything.

With that, you’re all the more educated for when you research the procedure, and the surgeon, that’s right for you. Best of luck!

• Photo Credit: Dictionary by greeblie, on Flickr