In case you were thinking about picking a plastic surgeon based on what the latest Instagram doll posted, think again. This underground plastic surgery trend involves so-called “dolls” who post the cosmetic surgeries they want and their journeys of finding a plastic surgeon through “Sx” Instagram pages.
These Sx pages serve as a weird cosmetic surgery shopping guide, with plastic surgeons and facilities being tagged by the dolls.
The trouble is that many of the people who use Instagram doll pages to find a plastic surgeon are looking for the wrong things. Instead of favoring experience and credentials, for example, they’re looking to get the most cosmetic surgery for the lowest price, which is bad news.
So instead of relying on this weird plastic surgery trend, use these tried and true tips to pick a plastic surgeon for your breast augmentation, tummy tuck or other procedure.
Check Credentials
Before you look at anything else, including social media pages, check the plastic surgeon’s credentials. Look for board certification with the American Board of Plastic Surgery, which ensures that this plastic surgeon has completed extensive medical training, hands-on experience and oral and written exams.
You’ll also want to look for any affiliations or memberships with other accredited medical organizations. Most of this information should be pretty easy to find online. If it’s not, this could be your first red flag. You’ll definitely want to ask about credentials over the phone or during your consultation before moving forward.
Look at Before and After Photos
Before and after photos should be super easy to find on the plastic surgeon’s website. But not all before and after photos are created equal. First, try to look at photos of people with a similar body type and build as yours to help you gauge the level of results you might be able to see yourself.
Secondly, be on the lookout for red flags when looking at before and after photos to make sure they’re not bogus. Red flags include:
- Lighting that seems to drastically change from the before to the after photo
- Old dates on photos and no recent pictures
- Evidence of photoshopping
- No before and after photos of the procedure you’re interested in
Schedule a Consultation and Ask Questions
Use the first two tips to narrow down your search. Once you’ve done that, schedule a consultation or two or three with your top picks. This is a chance to get to know each plastic surgeon a little better and get a better feel for whether or not this could be the one.
Bring a list of questions with you on your consultation day. Otherwise, it’s easy to get frazzled and forget practically everything you wanted to ask.
Go with Your Gut
Did you have a good experience at the consult? Does your gut tell you to keep searching or that you’ve found the perfect fit? Listen to your gut feelings about the consultation(s) you’ve had to help you pick the best plastic surgeon for your needs.
You should feel totally comfortable with and confident in your plastic surgeon. And trust me, you don’t need an Instagram doll to help you find that.
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