How to Choose a Great Cosmetic Surgeon

You have spent the last year deciding on the perfect procedure to help you look your absolute best.  Now that it is time to schedule your appointment – it is very important to do extensive research on your potential cosmetic surgeon. Why would you simply go to the first cosmetic surgeon that you find in the phone book?  You will have to live with the results for years to come, so picking your cosmetic surgeon should be more than just an afterthought. 

So how DO you pick the best cosmetic surgeon?  Here are some quick and easy tips:

Make sure your physician is board certified in plastic surgery, not something else. 

• You do not want a board certified psychiatrist or a board certified dermatologist performing your liposuction.  
• Sites such as: The American Board of Medical Specialties, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, and The State of Texas Medical Board can tell you if your doctor is board certified in plastic surgery and other valuable information.

Read as many reviews as you can on the doctor’s work. 

• Note where the reviews were posted: only on the doctor’s site or on more objective websites? Like Google.com, Realself.com and Doctorbase.com
• Who posted the reviews: are they from real patients or could they be a sales pitch?
• Did the same user write multiple reviews?

Check out before and after photos for your potential plastic surgeon work. 

• Your doctor’s website should have dozens of these for you to look over and see their work. If they don’t have a lot of photos chances are they haven’t done a lot of that particular procedure.
• Make sure the photos are of current work, not patients from 1996.
• Do the results look natural? 
• Also make sure the photos on the surgeons website are actual patients of the cosmetic surgeon.

How many years of experience does your cosmetic surgeon have? 

• The most skillful cosmetic surgeon will have decades of training and knowledge in his specialty.

Where was your plastic surgeon trained? 

• Is it a medical school you have heard of or does it sound questionable, like degreesonline.com?  Stick with a quality education.

While going through these steps take your time, in the end it can save you heartache, money, and even your life.  Go online, make some phone calls, go in for your complimentary consultation and then make your decision.  Only the best is good enough to work on your body, so take the time to choose a great cosmetic surgeon.