The Internet: A Blessing and a Curse

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

The internet is a wonderful thing and most of us would agree that we couldn’t get by in today’s world without it.   In some instances however, information propagated through the internet is not entirely accurate.  In fact, it can be so fictitious that many patients make poor decisions based on this erroneous information that they feel they have genuinely “researched.”  

Plastic surgery and related cosmetic and laser procedures is a prime example of this.  Companies and individuals can create a “story” by providing information and in some cases photographic evidence to sway the patient in a particular direction with regard to a technique, product, or device to achieve a more attractive and youthful appearance.  Countless examples of these techniques, devices, and lasers that once held great promise for an easier, less invasive road to youth now lie in the bowels of the cosmetic surgery junkyard.  Yes, that’s right, they weren’t such a good idea after all and it didn’t take us too long to realize it, in some cases only months.

Unfortunately, many patients pay significantly – both monetarily and otherwise – to come to this unfortunate conclusion.  We have all heard the saying, “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”  The same rule would apply to cosmetic surgery; there are no shortcuts (such as “thermage”, “liquid facelift” or the “thread-lift” ….the list could go on and on.)  Many non-ablative lasers or minimally invasive procedures have come and gone over the past ten years due to poor results.

The bottom line is that patients need to educate themselves but be aware that not everything online is fact.  Personal references provide reassurance and clarity in regards to character and skill.  Do your homework, but ultimately find a Board Certified plastic surgeon/cosmetic dermatologist/ etc. that you trust.   Your surgeon should help to decipher the multitude of options available to the cosmetic surgery patient, formulating a specific recommendation that fits your needs. 

There is a time and place for everything, but beware of clinics or medi-spas that only have a limited number of options to offer patients, as they often oversell a particular treatment that may not be the best option for that patient.  Botox, fillers, and lasers are great, but also limited in regard to overall improvement and duration of the result.  Time-tested procedures performed with state-of-the-art techniques remain the mainstay of facial and body rejuvenation.

Mark A. Petroff, MD FACS

Tags: board certified, botox, Facial Plastic Surgery, fillers, lasers, liquid facelift, medi-spa, non-invasive, plastic surgery, rejuvenation, thermage, threadlift
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