Cosmetic surgery is now big, big business. Surgeons are making big bucks carrying out relatively simple, but highly specialised operations; and the vast majority of cases are in the name of vanity. Some instances are for removal of tattoos or scars, but often it is for the reconstruction of the face, purely because the individual is unhappy with a particular part/parts. With age the facial muscles become slacker and the skin loses its elasticity, creating folds and lines, so a facelift, also known as rhytidectomy, is a very popular cosmetic surgery procedure, which involves an operation to lift up the facial skin and underlying muscles, so that the face has a tighter and smoother appearance. There is always some scarring after a facelift, but this will generally fade over the course of a year, and can often be well-disguised, underneath the hair.

Many people are discontented with the shape of their nose and this is another major earner for the cosmetic surgeons. Nose re-shaping, also known as rhinoplasty, necessitates a surgeon to make cuts through the nostrils so that visible scarring is avoided wherever possible. The nose is re-shaped by removing and re-positioning the underlying bone and cartilage. Following this kind of facial cosmetic surgery bruising and swelling around the eyes will be evident for a number of weeks. Eyelids, ears, chins, cheeks, you name it, they