Sometimes, when you look in the mirror, the choice is obvious. If you could just lift, fill out and stretch certain areas of your body, you would be happy. Cosmetic surgery offers these choices, for a nearly instant gratification. However, it’s not without a cost. Cosmetic surgery comes with a high price tag and the chance of complications.

Facelifts

Facelifts are popular for eliminating wrinkles and sagging skin. The procedure consists of cutting the skin back near the ears or hair line. The skin is then pulled or lifted toward the cut and sewn shut to tighten the skin around the face. The most common complication among those who received a facelift is skin loss. Skin loss is a stretched or thinning of the skin around the ears. According to the University of California at San Diego Health System website, more than 12 percent of those who experience a facelift have some skin loss after the procedure.

Breast Augmentation

Breast augmentation is a surgery in which the doctor opens the breast tissue and places a gel-like capsule, that increases the cup size of the breasts. This is popular for those who feel their breasts are too small, mismatched or saggy. According to the University of Michigan Department of Surgery website, those who undergo a breast augmentation have more than a 25 percent chance of incurring complications that require a second operation. This normally is a result of the capsule breaking or shrinking.

Liposuction

Liposuction is quickly growing in popularity. It is the most popular plastic surgery for men, and the second most popular for women, behind breast augmentation. Because its popularity is growing so quickly, doctors are constantly developing new techniques, making it difficult to pinpoint the statistics for each particular technique. If you are considering this procedure to remove a pocket of fat from somewhere on your body, talk with your doctor at length about the specific risks involved in the technique he prefers. According the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the risks of death from complications of liposuction range from 3 to 20 deaths for every 100,000 surgeries.