I had jaw and chin surgery. The jaw part to correct a severe issue with alignment. The chin part to fix the way the jaw surgery would change my facial structure. Technically the whole thing was plastic surgery, which so many people view as only cosmetic. And there is an argument to be made for jaw misalignments being only cosmetic issues. I would argue that those people have obviously never had one.
It wasn't cosmetic. The muscles in my face had been in constant pain from being stretched out with no relief, ever. I had trouble talking and eating. It's not just the confidence that comes from looking in the mirror and being happy with what I see. It's biting into an apple without pain. It's being able to clearly talk without struggling. It's freedom from constant pain and physical stress.
The surgery recovery itself sucked. With everything going on as far as healing and numbness, I ended up with a lot of fluids in the back of my throat, which you aren't supposed to clear by blowing or anything for months because, you know, your jaw just got broken and put back together with a bunch of tiny screws. I was on a liquid diet for a week or two. A soft diet for several months. I couldn't smile or laugh without severe, sobbing pain for at least a week. That's torture because laughter really is the best medicine. The pain... The pain is no jokes. Morphine, with strong encouragement to ask for more if I needed it, then hydrocodone and quadruple dose ibuprofen (because face swelling sucks) once I went home.
I have mild numbness years later. It doesn't bother me now because my brain has learned how to ignore it the majority of the time. However, initially it was a big problem because I had to basically relearn how not to spill stuff on my chin. It was really embarrassing to eat in front of people for a long time because I had no idea if I had gotten anything on my face. I don't have problems much anymore because I am completely obsessed with making sure my face stays clean while I'm eating. I use a lot of napkins.
It was definitely rough, but it wasn't a difficult decision. It was so worth it, and I am grateful every day. I can be confident in my speech. Many apples have been conquered without hesitation. My jaw doesn't hurt all the time! And, I'm not going to lie, the confidence I get from looking in the mirror and seeing something pretty is non-trivial.
My surgery had a pretty obvious medical basis as far as plastic surgery goes. However, I don't think people realize that cosmetic surgery is not about how you look; it's about how you FEEL. And if someone is willing to spend the money and go through all that pain and recovery, then maybe they needed it and were hurting in a way that you or I just can't understand.