Your appearance in some important ways may be making you unhappy and you are hoping that cosmetic and plastic surgery can lead to looking better and feeling better about yourself. In electing to have plastic surgery, the last outcome you would expect is the polar opposite of what you're wishing for.

It's a sad fact, but plastic surgery gone bad does occur. In spite of the fact that medical and professional standards in the U.S. surpass those of other nations, deviations from those standards do arise, sometimes with heartbreaking results.

Of course, bad celebrity plastic surgery consistently gets blizzards of media coverage. This article is not intended to examine celebrity mishaps. If that's your interest, you may want to look elsewhere. What it points up, however, is that bad plastic surgery has no respect for who you are.

Even though plastic surgeons have legal and professional duties to uphold medical standards, you should not rely on that to dodge accepting responsibility yourself in order to minimizing risks that your plastic surgery will go wrong. By following the precautionary suggestions below, hopefully you will be well armed to lessen the chances of an unsatisfactory, if not a tragic outcome.

1. Ask if your doctor is Board Certified: Be sure that the cosmetic surgeon you select is board certified. The doctor you choose should be certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. This assures that the physician specializes in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, has received years of cosmetic surgery training, undergone stiff examinations and established the necessary competence in this specialty.

2. Verify that your Doctor specializes in the procedure you're seeking: A plastic surgeon whose specialty is breast implants may not be the best choice to rearrange your nose.

3. Your expectations should be realistic: While cosmetic surgical procedures can deliver astounding improvements in appearance, the precise aesthetics you desire, in reality, may not be attainable. Scrutinize your motives and be realistic and levelheaded.

4. Determine that your physical and emotional health is good: A complete examination of your past and present physical health, emotional health and motives for wanting plastic surgery should be conducted by your doctor.

5. STOP SMOKING! - if you're a smoker: Smoking can lead to complications and hinder achieving the desired result.

6. Consult at least one more physician: Too many unqualified fraudsters seek to entice patients in this field. They can sound very convincing. Be wary, and, at a minimum, check that they are a Board Certified plastic surgeon.

7. Get pictures and testimonials: Any doctor who has a good track record will show you pictures of former patients and provide testimonials. It's a good idea to see if you can speak with prior patients.

8. Be certain you understand the costs of cosmetic surgery: A doctor offering a cut rate may be unqualified. If you are considering leaving the United States for cheaper surgery, bear in mind that many other countries do not observe U.S. standards. Do the math, including air fare, hotel, meals, etc.

9. Be aware of the risks of plastic surgery: All surgeries carry risks. Among the risks are infection, anesthesia, reaction to medications, blood clots, respiratory difficulties and death. Plastic surgery is no different.

10. Think twice about having multiple surgical procedures done simultaneously: This poses increased risks, all of which should be discussed with you by your surgeon.

A couple of additional points about costs of plastic surgery should be mentioned:

Because of the high costs involved in the U.S., many people consider having plastic surgery performed in another country. While costs can be substantially lower in countries like Thailand, Brazil and India, you need to take into account the prices of air fare, hotels, meals, etc. Many seemingly attractive packages are promoted, but, in the final analysis, many people report that the only justifiable rationale for exiting the U.S. is for the sake of anonymity (many celebrities do this), or simply to mix the surgery with a vacation.

Cosmetic plastic surgery is elective and is not covered by most forms of medical insurance. For those on a limited budget, it's well to think about whether paying for surgery for cosmetic reasons will leave you so financially strapped that the anticipated outcome will fail to outweigh the distress of financial hardship.

In the final analysis, your own good common sense, fortified with the knowledge you gather following the precautions suggested here, will help reenforce your chances of enjoying a wonderful new you and preventing plastic surgery gone bad.

Also, please visit Bad Plastic Surgery - How to Avoid It.

Latest News About Plastic Surgery