If you've been considering any form of plastic surgery, you certainly aren't alone! The prevalence of plastic surgery, be it reconstructive or cosmetic in nature, has been on the rise for over 50 years.
In 2006, just shy of 11 million plastic surgeries were performed in the United States alone.
Whatever your reason for seeking plastic surgery, the first step is to find a competent doctor with whom you can discuss your concerns and expectations.
The following are a few tips you can use to find the right surgeon for your particular case: Ask Your Doctor- This may seem pretty obvious, but many people skip this step because they are uncomfortable speaking face to face with their primary care physician about plastic surgery.
Your general practitioner, while not qualified themselves to perform cosmetic surgery, will most likely have professional contacts who are experienced in the field.
Who better to trust than your doctor? Do Your Homework- Check website listings for plastic surgeons in your area.
Immediately rule out any surgeon who does not specifically say that they are an expert in the particular type of plastic surgery that you are interested in.
If you are looking into breast augmentation, you'll definitely want a plastic surgeon that has performed many of them, no one wants to be a trial run! Schedule Interviews- After compiling a list of surgeons in your area, schedule interviews with those surgeons who specialize in the necessary procedure.
Plan on waiting until you've interviewed all of the surgeons on your list before coming to a decision.
Ask Questions- This is your body, so feel free to ask any and all questions that come to mind! For starters, you'll definitely want to ask for before and after photos of procedures they've performed in the past.
This will give you a general idea as to the kind of results they usually produce.
Additionally, ask what hospitals they have surgical privileges at.
Hospitals do a fantastic job at conducting background checks on surgeons, so coming across a surgeon who has no hospital privileges might be a red flag.
Lastly, feel free to ask how many of these particular plastic surgeries they have performed and about any complications patients have experienced in the past.
These tips should serve you well in choosing a skilled plastic surgeon to perform the procedure you desire.
This is your body, so take as much responsibility as possible in choosing the surgeon that you feel most comfortable with! A little legwork now will leave you smiling brighter than ever later!