Quality matters!  A doctor’s skill and judgment are the important keys to not only getting the best outcome for treating an aging face or sagging body but also minimizing risk of complications in cosmetic and plastic surgery.   Think about it.  Whether it’s Botox, fillers or a rhinoplasty (nose job), a face lift, tummy tuck or liposuction, you want to look better and feel better or not look tired or old.  You are trying to improve your quality of life, be more confident, feel more curvaceous and sexy, or just fit into a nice pair of jeans without seeing the unwanted bulges.  You don’t want bad Botox or facial filler treatments or plastic surgery operations.

Yes, yes, yes.  But is every cosmetic doctor, who offers Botox and fillers and cosmetic operations, highly skilled in what he or she is offering.  The cold simple reality is: NO.   What makes a doctor, who may be really talented in using lasers, any good at treating you with Botox or fillers or performing liposuction.  This idea of the “best” is about the most misleading idea in modern medicine.  Sure, there are doctors who are exceptional, medical centers that provide ground breaking treatment for cancer or complex immune disorders, and children’s hospitals that provide an important specialized medical structure.  But that doesn’t mean that you will always get the best care without any chance of a bad outcome.

For the most part, doctors and hospitals try their best to deliver the quality of care they know best.  However, the cosmetic surgery industry (and the health industry overall) is less about quality of medicine that is delivered than about making financial profit.  Cosmetic doctors will offer treatments that are well beyond their area of expertise. What makes a dermatologist or ophthalmologist or a gynecologist or a dentist an expert on shaping your facial aesthetic features?  The biopharmaceutical industry, the makers of neurotoxins and fillers and surgical implants and devices, care about quality just enough to try and get as many doctors to use them as possible.

So, how do you protect yourself from getting bad or botched cosmetic work done on you?  Get educated!  After all, it is your face and body.  I can tell you that most cosmetic doctors try to lure you in with cheesy photoshopped women on their websites.  They are trying to send you a message that this is what is in store for you.  Before and afters?  It’s pretty much a sell job.  So are testimonials that doctor’s place on their websites.  Do you think that any doctor will show a bad outcome of their work or a testimonial from a patient about how bad his or her experience and results were?

If you have had a botched result from an injection of Botox or fillers or a cosmetic operation, you are not alone! It is very difficult to know what a doctor’s skill and judgment are prior to receiving treatment.  You can do all of the due diligence you want, but the simple truth is there are too many factors at play.

How can I prevent getting botched?  How can I get fixed if I am botched?  You would benefit most from seeing an experienced board certified plastic surgeon.  When seeing a board certified plastic surgeon, also assess how honest and forthcoming he or she is with his or her knowledge, experience, judgment, and rationale for any type of corrective treatment.  If you have a brief conversation with the plastic surgeon or a nurse or physician’s assistant does most of the explaining, what are the chances that the doctor will spend the proper amount of time doing a good job?

You should always know the risks and benefits of any treatment, including Botox and fillers, which most skillful and conscientious doctors go out of their way to explain.  If a doctor does not feel like he or she is the right one for any particular treatment, an honest doctor will say so and would most likely refer you to a specialist, who can deliver the high quality you want.  For example, I am not skillful with lasers.  I send all of my patients, who may benefit from laser treatment, to a dermatologist colleague, Dr. David Orentreich, who is an expert on lasers and has all of the newest lasers.

Despite all the homework and analysis you can do, it will always be a leap of faith in trusting the doctor to do a good job.  Hopefully, you will find the right doctors, who can deliver the high quality of skill and service you want or refer you to another doctor who can.