Picking a Plastic Surgeon - 3 Tips For Success

Picking a plastic surgeon can be no more troublesome than opening up the phone book. But when you do it this way, you have no way of knowing if you just picked the worst guy in town or the best. Let’s face it: the law of comparisons says that if there is a “best doctor in America”, there’s also his opposite number. Even the guy who passed his exams by a single point is still legally allowed to become a doctor. In order to not only protect yourself, but make sure you get the best work possible, you need to go a little further in your search. Here are three tips that won’t steer you in the wrong direction.

Watch For Bad Work

Sometimes a positive can be found in the negative. Have you ever had a friend that got work done that made her look like an alien? People have a tendency to put this blame on the patient, for some reason. But what about the plastic surgeon that did the work? Don’t they bear the brunt of the responsibility? In many cases, the answer is a resounding yes. Because there is so much art in the science of cosmetic enhancement, talent levels can vary widely from doctor to doctor. Just having the training and experience isn’t enough. A doctor needs to have a discerning ability to judge and create the proper aesthetics. If you see bad work, don’t assume the patient is to blame.

Relevant Experience

It is a sad truth about the American medical institution that anyone with a medical degree can take a weekend course and then proceed to call himself a plastic surgeon. This is why you need to make sure the doctor you’re considering has the requisite experience to be trusted with your health and appearance. Experience in the general field isn’t enough. You need to make sure they have done plenty of surgeries that are exactly like the one you want to get. Don’t let yourself be someone’s first face lift. Let them get their experience somewhere else. Chances are you’re going to be paying a pretty penny for your procedure. You should see to it that you get your money’s worth.

Ask For Recommendations

We live in an age filled with too much information to simply pick a plastic surgeon based on his or her ad in the Yellow Pages. Make use of all that information to find someone good! Ask your friends, ask your regular doctor, ask anyone you can think of for their recommendation. When you’ve exhausted your personal list, turn to the internet and see what strangers in your community are saying. By the time you’re done with your research, you should have a much better idea of who to pick. More importantly, perhaps, you’ll know who to avoid.