How to find a GOOD dermatologist

So you've been saving your pennies for months...you're middleaged and you have decided to have a little plastic surgery done to 'give yourself a little lift'. Some botox, maybe some lip plumping with lip filler or collagen, a tad of liposuction...sounds pretty innocent. No one can fault anyone for wanting to look better or be younger or more beautiful. However, there are a few things you (as the potential patient) should know or be aware of before you decide to trust any doctor with your body! Read on to find out how you can find a good (qualified) dermatologist for your plastic surgery procedures or skin issues.

Things You'll Need

• a phonebook
• courage
• the ability to ask questions
• the ability to dial a phone

Instructions

1. 

   Do you have a phone book?? Sure you do, we all have one stuffed into a cabinet or drawer somewhere in our homes or offices. Flip to the physicians section of your local yellow pages. You will see a listing of physicians--dermatology and also physicians--plastic surgery. Not all dermatologists are trained in how to perform liposuction, inject botox, or do a face lift! Plastic surgeons are fully trained and specialize in the field of 'cosmetic surgery' and cosmetic treatments. With the economic slump that everyone is now facing, untrained dermatologists, family practitioners, gynecologists and even Ear, nose and throat specialists are performing 'in office' procedures without proper training, skill or certification. Research local dermatologists and plastic surgeons and ASK them if have current certification (in the state that they are practicing in!) for the specific procedure or treatment plan you are opting for on your body.

2. 

   Beware! Beware of ads in local 'home town' magazines and flyers and on a doctor's website for specials or 'coupon's 'buy one syringe of lip filler and get one free' is not always a good deal! You may not really NEED two syringes of collagen!! Some doctors who feel the need to offer publicized 'deals' may have a suffering business--check out the better business bureau for consumer complaints or also your state's medical board as these can be good indicators of 'common trends' or common faults with particular doctors! Also beware of doctors trying to offer you a 'deal' on getting another procedure performed while you are having something else done...YOU know what you want done or not done to your face and body...if you go to a doctor to have a face peel applied and they tell you that if you want to get Botox injected while you're there too they'll knock off 1/2 the price--think twice! A good doctor will listen to what YOU want and not try to talk you into additional procedures to pad their own pockets!

3. 

   (Again) Check credentials--to check to see if a doctor is board certified in your state for dermatology or plastic surgery, you can call the American Board of Medical Specialities at 866-275-2267. Give them as much information about the doctor in question as possible and have a list of specific questions or concerns prepared that you want answers to!

4. 

   Get referrals from previous clients or patients. Really LOOK at what was done or 'improved upon'. Ask the doctor to see before and after photos of his or her work and discern for yourself if they are giving you a line of B.S. or if they sound like they know what they are talking about. Do your own research before you go to a consultation so you won't be in the dark about the procedure, what it entails, the healing, the outcome, terminology, etc. By 'appearing' to be competent and knowledgeable, you will present yourself as someone who can't be 'fooled' by misinformation.

5. 

   To check out the doctor; contact your local/state medical board. To do this; simply plug in the doctor's name and 'medical board' into any search engine like google or yahoo. This step will alert you to any pending misconduct, investigations or expired licenses BEFORE you go under the knife or syringe!

6. 

   If you found the information provided in this article helpful or insightful in any way; please don't forget to post your comments for it before you leave this page! To post your remarks, simply type what you'd like to say or add into the box at the bottom of the page beneath this article and then click 'post comment'. Thank you so much for reading and rating my work here on ehow!

Tips & Warnings

• plastic surgery and cosmetic dermatology require the skill of qualified physicians ONLY

• do plenty of research before you have any procedure or treatment done to your body as certain treatments and procedures have severe risks or side effects

• try natural methods for changing what you do not like before going under the knife or syringe