Cosmetic surgery is a skilled procedure and anyone contemplating surgery should check that their surgeon has undergone a professional training programme and has a successful reputation in this area. Your personal physician or doctor can advise but do also ask the surgeon the name of the professional body to which he or she belongs and double-check credentials with them. A list of professional bodies whose aim is to promote the highest standards in the profession are detailed on How to find a professional cosmetic surgeon
Make sure you know as much as possible about the procedure you are wanting -you will be in a better position to judge just how professional your surgeon is. The British Association of Cosmetic Surgery has a guide for the layman – this costs £9.99 + postage and can be bought on line at www.b-a-c-s.co.uk
ElixirNews is an independent information source and is not paid to list surgeons or endorse them. We will however write independent editorial on good and bad experiences that come to our attention. Please let us know about your experiences with cosmetic surgery.
Anyone contemplating surgery should be aware that there are various actions they can take to improve the outcome of their operation, this includes giving up smoking for several weeks beforehand – smoking interferes with blood circulation and therefore healing. Also there are a number of medications such as aspirin, Brufen and Ibuprofen, and herbal remedies/nutritional supplements (vitamin E, evening primose oil and fish oils) that may also cause problems with surgery. You should tell your doctor/surgeon which medications and supplements you are taking.
The following is guide to the main types of plastic surgery, what to expect in the way of discomfort and healing.
The UK’s Department of Health has some useful online information, including questions you should ask your surgeon and a guide to procedures for anyone considering surgery. Here are links to their guides:
Considering Cosmetic Surgery?
Considering Non-Surgical Cosmetic Procedures?
A-Z of Cosmetic Procedures
Qualifications and What They Mean
There is also more useful information about procedures on the Which? magazine web site:
www.which.co.uk