Many people are extremely confused about the difference between an ‘aesthetic’ or cosmetic surgeon and a plastic surgeon, according to a newspaper report.
The Daily Mirror newspaper found that, although the majority of people were aware that both surgeons worked on changing people’s appearances in some way, that was where the level of understanding ended.
Both cosmetic surgeons and plastic surgeons are medically qualified and must undergo the same level of training to become fully qualified doctors. They both then go on to specialise in surgery and take a postgraduate degree in the topic.
A plastic surgeon will concentrate the vast majority of his or her time on customers who have suffered from physical abnormalities or deformities such as a cleft palate or who have been physically changed following an accident of some sort.
Meanwhile, a cosmetic surgeon will usually carry out procedures and treatments that focus on improving the patient’s physical appearance, such as breast augmentations, rhinoplasty, liposuction and face-lifts.
These procedures are more aimed at boosting a person’s confidence in their appearance and, although are often not strictly medically necessary, can have a huge impact on a person’s life.
The operations carried out by plastic surgeons are more often deemed to be medically necessary, although can straddle some of the same procedures, such as rhinoplasty to allow someone to breathe more easily or to correct a broken nose following an accident.
Other procedures which can be carried out by either surgeon for different reasons include breast reduction, as large breasts can often be a source of back pain, as well as making a person feel unconfident about their appearance.
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