Cosmetic dermatology : a medical intervention or an aesthetic procedure?

Abstract

Disfigurement of face and body through disease or trauma has inspired the development of various ingenious surgical and non-invasive techniques which, aided by advances in research and technology, have evolved into the speciality of plastic and reconstructive surgery. In tandem with these developments, society has imposed an increasing desire to retain and enhance aesthetic features, so it is not surprising that the application of these techniques would eventually evolve into the fascinating art and science of aesthetic dermatology. The boundary between correcting and enhancing desirable features or changing unflattering ones has thus been blurred, and in the following article, we shall be reviewing some examples of these applications.