Choosing the right surgeon can be a daunting experience to go through for a prospective patient. There is no shortage of options when choosing a surgeon yet not every doctor is the right one for you, especially if you're considering nasal surgery of any sort. 

Here are three reasons to consider a rhinoplasty specialist over other plastic surgeons. 

Reason 1: A Rhinoplasty Specialist Has Focused and Specific Certification

Only asking your consulting physician “Are you board certified?” , you could potentially be misled about the qualifications of the doctor. As there are many types of doctors, so too are there many types of board certifications. There are only two boards which credentials surgeons for plastic surgery to the face. These are the American Board of Facial Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Plastic Surgery.

Even choosing a surgeon who is board certified from these recommended groups does not verify the surgeon’s ability to do rhinoplasty surgery. When in doubt, choose a surgeon who does a large number of nasal surgeries in his/her practice.

Reason 2: Choosing a Rhinoplasty Specialist Means Less Risk Of Nasal Dysfunction

Besides sitting in the middle of our face, the nose has two very important functions that we take for granted, which are breathing and smelling. Even if you may have no problems with the function of your nose, changes done during rhinoplasty surgery may alter these functions. Besides having a good looking nose, its important to also have a nose that works!

Reason 3: A Rhinoplasty Specialist Has Lots of Practice

As mentioned above, it is important to choose a surgeon who specializes in this type of surgery. Rhinoplasty surgery is one of the most challenging surgeries to perform. Ending up with a nice looking nose that also is able to breath well is no easy task. Just like a lawyer who does murder trials versus business mergers, rhinoplasty requires a completely different skill set than doing breast augmentations or tummy tucks.

Many prospective patients interested in facial rejuvenation to the upper part of the face come in saying:

“I look sad and tired…and I think my eyes need to be addressed.”

This feeling may in fact be due to a lowering of the eyebrow position.

Aesthetic guidelines have suggested that the youthful aesthetic brow in a female taper out to the side of the brow, peaking at the arch.  The placement of the eyebrow arch has been suggested to be right above the eye socket rim.

However these are suggested guidelines, and cannot be applied to every individual.

To help achieve natural results, while still maintaining your facial personaility, I typically recommend patients to look at photos of their face in their twenties or thirties.  These photos allow me to understand where your youthful brow is.  Some patients may need a higher brow position than others.

I typically reference Kenny Rogers as a person whose brow was lifted higher than where his brow was twenty years ago.  As a consequence of setting his eyebrows higher than they have ever been in his life, his face takes on a different characteristic, resulting in an unnatural look.

As the rates of travel for cosmetic surgery procedures increase, so do the misconceptions that Korean plastic surgery is best performed abroad. But that's not always the case.

Here are three things to consider about traveling for your plastic surgery:

1. Surgeons in Korea are more qualified to do Asian cosmetic procedures.

The medical education here in the United States is globally regarded as the best in medical training. Surgical advances along with research in plastic surgery are still regarded as the best in the world. While it is true, surgeons in Korea only operated on “Asian faces” quality over quantity should be the ultimate factor when choosing a plastic surgeon.

2. It will be cheaper to have the surgery done in Korea.

While fees for surgery maybe slightly lower in Korea, one must factor additional costs associated with traveling to a foreign country to have surgery. Airline tickets, hotels fees, and meals can easily push the cost of the surgery higher than prices here in the US. Additionally, stress of traveling to a foreign country and the risks of potential complications are also inherent costs associated with having surgery in Asia.

3. I can fly into Asia and come back home soon after without any worries.

A major role in achieving optimal results is having close postoperative care with your surgeon. Having the ability to reach your surgeon and freely communicate your concerns is one of the most important things I recommend for a prospective patient.