From the first moment you start looking into cosmetic procedures, it may not take long to feel completely overwhelmed by your options: surgical or nonsurgical? Breast implants or a breast lift? Tummy tuck or liposuction? To help men and women receive the guidance they need, cosmetic surgeons often follow four basic steps during the in-person consultation.
Discuss Candidacy
Not every person is a good candidate for every procedure. A good cosmetic surgeon will be open and honest with you about this, and explain the reasons why he or she believes that one procedure might benefit you better than another, or if another approach may deliver more optimum results.
Set Realistic Expectations
It’s very important to understand that perfection isn’t the goal of any cosmetic surgery, and to recognize some of the inherent limitations of certain procedures. For example, while breast implants will certainly add volume to your figure, they won’t lift breasts higher on the chest or fix visible drooping.
Explain All the Options
Many surgical techniques (like different types of liposuction) and nonsurgical treatments (like dermal fillers) seem quite similar to the outside observer. The right cosmetic surgeon is familiar with all the key differences, and will take the time to explain all the pros and cons or other information he or she feels you should be aware of.
Offer a Personal Approach
While patients often have very clear cosmetic goals, their preferred strategy to reach those goals may not be the best approach from a surgical standpoint. To use the breast enhancement example again, a woman with ptotic (drooping) breasts may have her heart set on implants alone, but a good cosmetic surgeon will explain how combining breast implants with a lift is more likely to give her the fuller, youthful figure she hopes for.