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Ever wonder what it would be like to change a facial feature (or two)? You’re not alone.

Today’s appearance-focused culture has even the most confident among us scrutinizing our physical "flaws." It’s this quest for perfection that has propelled cosmetic surgery from an elite, hush-hush practice in the 1970s to a multibillion-dollar, widely accepted industry only a few decades later. In that time, there’s also been an evolution in the aesthetic treatments available, with traditional offerings such as facelifts seeing an improvement in results and newer procedures like dermal fillers making their way on the scene. To help you sift through the options, Spa asked four pros to weigh in on some of the more popular claims. (More: Meet our experts.)

CLAIM: Fillers are better than going under the knife.

The Pros Say There are trade-offs associated with each procedure. Facelifts can be pricey (from $6,000 to $15,000) and require several weeks’ recovery time, but they produce long-term results. Injectables, on the other hand, are generally cheaper (from $400 to $3,000) and require just a few days’ recovery time, but they last only a few months to a few years.

Lately, the tide of public opinion seems to be turning toward injectables due to a variety of factors. “Patients prefer fillers over facelifts because nonsurgical options are safer,” says Miami-based cosmetic dermatologist Oscar Hevia. With facial surgery, “complications, such as nerve damage or scarring, can be permanent,” he adds.

Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Garth Fisher notes that “some people choose injectables instead of surgical procedures for reasons ranging from fear of surgery to cost.” However, he says that fillers might not be the right choice in every situation. “Patients who need surgical procedures to excise extra skin or redrape sagging tissue should know injectables alone will not adequately address those needs.” 

Bottom Line It depends on what you want to fix, how much you want to spend, and how much risk you are comfortable with.

Next: Traditional facelifts produce unnatural results.