Sometimes, we say no.

Most people can name at least one celebrity they believe has had too much “work done.”

Our goal is always to have people tell our patients they look “wonderful … rested … thinner” without every suspecting they’ve had “work done.” And yes, every once in a while if we feel someone is asking for too much, we’ll say no.

But usually, the reason we say no, is that a patient has asked for the wrong thing. Here’s what happens. You see a procedure advertised or featured on television, and assume that’s the right one for you. Facelifts are a great example. There’s a lot of advertising for a procedure we refer to as a mini facelift. Women look in the mirror and see something going on with their chin, neck, jowl … that didn’t used to be there. Come talk to us. Your solution may be botox. It may be lipo. It may be a mini. Or maybe you need a traditional facelift to get the results you want. We’ll be happy to talk about all your options … and make sure what we decide is the right decision for you.

How important is it to be “board-certified?”

Fortunately, these days, more people are paying attention to the credentials of their medical professionals. Everyone is our profession knows horror stories of patients who have gotten cosmetic treatments or even procedures from less-than-qualified practitioners in undesirable settings with horrendous side effects — sometimes even death. Please, please! Make sure any cosmetic procedure or treatment is performed by or under the direction of a board-certified plastic surgeon. And it’s not enough to just be board-certified. The specialty matters. We encourage all our patients to ask questions. And the first one should be “Are you certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery?”