Plastic surgery is a surgical procedure done with the purpose of either enhancing a person’s appearance or reconstructing a defect. The benefits of plastic surgery are often thought to be limited to improving the appearance. That said, several functions can be restored with plastic surgeries. Let’s look at the various types of plastic surgeries to understand this better:

Facelift
Among the various types of plastic surgeries, rhytidectomy is a procedure in which excess fat from the face is removed. It also involves facial muscle tightening and making the skin on the face smoother and more firm. The surgery is either done on the neck, face, or both the areas in some cases. The surgeon performs the procedure on the area where the facelift is required by separating the skin from the muscle and the fat. Once the separation is done, the fat is removed and the skin is put back into its place without any excess fat in the area.

Surgery for cleft lip and cleft palate
Both these conditions are birth defects that affect a child’s lip and mouth. The conditions occur during early pregnancy stages when the sides of the lips do not join the roof of the mouth. In the case of infants who only have a cleft lip, the condition can be treated with surgery in the first few months after birth. The defect is fixed with this type of plastic surgery, but a second surgery may also be required in some cases. For the cleft palate, the surgery is done when the child is anywhere between 9 and 18 months of age. Also, the surgery should be done before the child turns 2. This is a more complicated procedure, so it is done at an age when the child will be able to handle the surgery. With cleft palate surgery, the mouth roof is fixed. This procedure is performed so that the child does not face any difficulties with their speech.

Surgery for craniosynostosis
Craniosynostosis is a condition that affects the skull and results in a baby’s being in an odd shape. Usually, surgery is the recommended course of treatment for this condition, and it is done within the first year of the birth of the child in most cases. The earlier the surgery is done, the more effective its results are. With the help of this surgery, the pressure on the brain is released, and it lets the skull grow and expand the way it should. This proves beneficial in correcting the shape of the infant’s head. After the surgery, the child might be given a helmet or some other device to wear for some time.