It goes without saying that beauty constitutes one of the most important aspects of life for many young females across the globe, and for many Cambodians, the risks associated in attaining beauty via cosmetic surgery are outweighed by the lure for perceived perfection.

While reconstructive plastic surgery can help people recover from birth defects and other such issues, cosmetic surgery is focused on enhancing the aesthetic appearance of a person in a bid to achieve one’s ideal perception of beauty.

At a fiscal and physical cost, however, cosmetic plastic surgery has many risks associated with it.

Dr Reid Sheftall, an aesthetic plastic surgeon at his own private clinic in Phnom Penh’s Central Hospital, shared with Post Plus that the general risks of any plastic surgery procedure are bleeding, infection and a poor aesthetic outcome.

He noted that the latter is the most common, as plastic surgery requires “a very astute aesthetic eye and precise rendering”.

“People get cosmetic surgery because they feel the benefits outweigh the risks,” he said.

“The smartest thing they can do is go to a good plastic surgeon.”