Choosing a Face Lift Surgeon

Evaluating a surgeon’s training, certifications, and background is the first step to choosing a surgeon qualified to perform your face lift surgery. Facial plastic surgeons have specialized training in cosmetic surgery of the face and neck — but are these surgeons the only ones able to perform a successful face lift procedure? Explore this question, and others, below.

What to Look for in a Face Lift Surgeon

Investigating a surgeon’s board certifications, training, and background is essential when you are searching for a qualified face lift surgeon. In addition, a surgeon’s demeanor and professionalism is also important. Choose a surgeon who makes you feel comfortable at every point in the process, is always willing to answer your questions, and listens carefully to your hopes for face lift surgery. Though education and background are important, a qualified face lift surgeon will also show compassion and concern for each patient and work tirelessly to provide personalized care. Lastly, a face lift surgeon trained as a facial plastic surgeon — this will ensure that the surgeon has specialized skill and training in face lift surgery, compared to the more generalized training of cosmetic plastic surgeons.

Board Certification and Training

In the United States, all qualified plastic surgeons will have been certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Be sure to check that your prospective face lift surgeon is certified by this board.

In addition, ask prospective surgeons about their fellowship training. Fellowships give surgeons specific training in certain areas such as Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery. If a surgeon completed a fellowship in Head and Neck Surgery, for example, he will be a facial plastic surgeon and have particular skill in face lift surgery, eyelid surgery, and other facial plastic surgery procedures. Ask a surgeon if he has worked with, or been trained by, any high-profile surgeons, and which medical societies he belongs to. Highly qualified surgeons may also hold professorships at universities in your area.

A face lift surgeon worthy of your business will have information about his background, training, and certifications readily available on his Web site and/or at your consultation.

General or Facial Plastic Surgeon?

The face is highly complex and highly visible. To successfully rejuvenate the face, a surgeon must have a nuanced understanding of the delicate structures of the area. Board certified cosmetic plastic surgeons are specially trained in the area of cosmetic surgery, but have no training specific to altering the delicate structures of the face. A facial plastic surgeon, on the other hand, has completed training specifically in Head and Neck Surgery and, most commonly, exclusively performs facial procedures such as face lift, brow lift, and eyelid surgery.

Though any board-certified cosmetic plastic surgeon can competently perform face lift surgery, such surgeons are relatively unspecialized and perform cosmetic surgery of the body and breasts as well as the face. Specialists in facial plastic surgery are rarer and have a narrower scope of expertise. Facial plastic surgeons have a deep understanding of facial anatomy and aesthetics and are better able to avoid surgical complications during face lift surgery — and are better-equipped to treat complications should they occur. Though unspecialized cosmetic surgeons perform successful face lift surgery every day, choosing a specialized facial plastic surgeon can be a significant step toward ensuring a smooth surgery, comfortable recovery, and long-lasting, natural-looking face lift results.

Testimonials and Photos

A qualified face lift surgeon will have a significant and impressive body of work, evidenced by before-and-after photos, as well as testimonials from past patients. These photographs and testimonials should be available on the surgeon’s Web site and/or at your pre-surgery consultation. Before committing to a surgeon, study photos of patients the surgeon has treated. Did the surgeon attain natural-looking results with minimal scarring?

Many face lift surgeons also connect prospective patients with past ones. Ideally, you should be matched with a person of a similar age and the same gender as you, who underwent the procedure or combination of procedures you are considering. Speak with the person about their experience with the surgeon and how satisfied they are with the results of their surgery. This is also an excellent opportunity to glean firsthand information about surgical recovery, anesthesia, and other aspects of face lift surgery.

Find a Face Lift Surgeon in Your Region

If you are considering face lift surgery, choosing a qualified surgeon is essential to a safe and successful procedure. DocShop can help you find a facial plastic surgeon in your area who can help you achieve dramatic, natural-looking results.