Chrisler disagreed with one survey finding that the respondents were not motivated by vanity, but rather with improving a bothersome physical feature. "It's the same thing," she said.

And, she added, people who expect they are going to be happier in general after cosmetic surgery are probably going to be disappointed. While they may be happier about the way their nose looks after a nose job or the way their eyes look after an eyelid lift, their overall happiness level may be unchanged, she said, "unless they work on the inside."

Erhardt encouraged those planning or undergoing surgery to be realistic. In that regard, he said, the television makeover shows have been a bit of a double-edged sword.

"The TV shows have created unrealistic expectations in the number of procedures that can be done in a short time," he said. On the shows, a contestant may drop out of their regular routine for six to eight weeks, he said, and have multiple procedures. They might have private-duty nursing, as well, he said. All of this may not be feasible for most people.

On the other hand, the shows have "demonstrated the difference that plastic surgery can make in regular folks' lives," he said.