Cosmetic surgery is surgery with a purpose: to make you look good. We all have physical feature we may not be happy with. Cosmetic surgery seeks to improve those features.

Cosmetic surgery encompasses a wide variety of surgical procedures. While many types of plastic surgery involve the face, there are other types of surgery that may also be considered cosmetic surgery: tummy tucks, tattoo removal and liposuction can all be considered cosmetic surgery because their primary goal is to improve one's physical appearance. Botox injections to remove "crow's feet" or other facial wrinkles can also be considered to be cosmetic surgery, although they are often performed by dermatologists rather than plastic surgeons.

One of the most common types of cosmetic surgery is the face lift. In this cosmetic surgery, the plastic surgeon makes fine incisions in the skin of the face, in areas least likely to be noticed - running along the scalp line just in front of the ears, then down and around the back of the ears, or under the jaw line - and the skin is pulled away from the underlying fat and muscles of the face. Excess fat is trimmed, muscles are tightened and any excess skin is cut away. The skin is then reattached and sutured with very fine thread.

A "nose job" is the common name for cosmetic surgery performed on the bone and cartilage of the nose in order to improve its shape. While a face lift involves only soft tissues, this type of cosmetic surgery may require bones to be fractured and repositioned, sculpted or otherwise cut down to desired dimensions. A "chin lift" is a cosmetic surgery that may involve both bone and soft tissue techniques.

Further "south," cosmetic surgery can improve the appearance of the breasts or abdomen. Cosmetic surgery can provide a breast lift with or without augmentation or reduction. In this cosmetic surgery, excess fat is removed and the overlying skin is partially cut away and tightened. Fat of the breast itself can be removed or implants can be inserted to augment undersized breasts.

Tummy tuck involves a very similar cosmetic surgery that can produce dramatic results. A "bikini" incision is made across the lower abdomen. Excess fat (and skin) is cut or suctioned away, abdominal muscles are tightened and the reduced skin is sutured back into place in this type of cosmetic surgery.