Cosmetic surgery is a very popular form of plastic surgery. As an example, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons reported that in 2006 nearly 11 million cosmetic plastic surgeries were performed in the United States alone.

Within the U.S,. critics of plastic surgery note that it is legal for any doctor, regardless of specialty, to perform cosmetic surgery. It is thus important to distinguish the terms “plastic surgery” and “cosmetic surgery”: Plastic Surgery is recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties as the subspecialty dedicated to the surgical repair of defects of form or function — this includes cosmetic (or aesthetic) surgery, as well as reconstructive surgery. The term “cosmetic surgery” however, refers to surgery that is designed to improve cosmetics, or appearance. In several countries including Australia, many doctors who are not qualified as surgeons also perform cosmetic procedures.