The mean-field methods are very successful in describing and predicting properties of nuclei across the chart of the nuclides. This is especially true for heavy nuclei, where the bulk properties of nuclear matter dominate over the surface effects. However, when details of nuclear structure are considered, a correct description of the nuclear surface is essential. Moreover, the surface region may give us invaluable information on the nature and strength of nuclear effective interactions in channels that are inaccessible by considering infinite systems (i.e., nuclear matter). In the present report, we briefly discuss several aspects of the surface effects in the particle-hole (Sect. 2) and particle-particle channels (Sect. 3), as well as the deformation effects (Sect. 4).