Today the popularity of plastic surgeries is on a surge. It can be done to reconstruct the body and facial defects due to burns, disease, and trauma. Skin grafting is a type of plastic surgery as well. Plastic surgery is, in fact, cosmetic surgery, which is entirely focused on altering the person’s appearance. Read on to know the differences between cosmetic plastic surgery and skin graft. 

1. What’s the difference between plastic surgery and skin graft? 
Skin grafting is a surgical procedure where the surgeon removes skin from a particular body area and transplants it to a different body area. Cosmetic plastic surgery is done to modify the appearance of one’s body or face.

2. Why are they done?
Skin grafting is done when a body part loses its protective skin covering because of an illness, injury, or burns. Some key reasons for skin grafting include deep burns, skin infections, skin cancer surgery, open or large wounds, ulcers, and unhealed bedsores.

On the other hand, cosmetic plastic surgery is done to improve and tighten the skin, remove or add hair, and adjust facial features, among other things.

3. Types of skin grafts

• Split-thickness grafts
  The skin’s top layer, the epidermis, is removed, along with a part of the skin’s dermis or the deeper layer. The surgeon will take these layers from the donor site. Usually, the skin is harvested from the outer or front thigh, back, buttocks, or abdomen. Further, they target bigger areas. The skin from the donor site is fragile, having a smooth and shiny appearance. The grafted skin looks paler than the surrounding skin and does not grow as natural skin.

• Full-thickness grafts
  Full-thickness grafts involve the removal of the whole dermis and epidermis from the donor site. The skin is taken from the area above the collarbone, forearm, groin, or abdomen. These are smaller skin pieces and are used for smaller wounds on the body’s visible areas like the face. They also have a better cosmetic outcome. 

4. Types of plastic surgeries
Cosmetic surgeries include an array of procedures involved. Read on to know the most common ones below. 

• Breast augmentation  
  It is performed to increase or change the breast size or shape. 
• Dermabrasion  
  It is performed to remove the top layer of the skin, giving smoother skin, sans any acne scars, age spots, wrinkles, lesions, or sun-damaged skin. 
• Facelifts  
  These are used to lift sagging, drooping, wrinkled, or loose skin on the face. 
• Hair transplantation  
  It is a restoration surgery to overcome baldness. 
• Rhinoplasty  
  It is performed to reshape or repair the nose’s appearance. 
• Lip augmentation  
  This plastic surgery is performed for fuller lips. 
• Liposuction  
  This is done to remove fat deposits and better the body’s shape. 
• Tummy tuck  
  It is performed to improve the shape of the abdomen.