How To Keep Your Face Safe
Choosing a Doctor
Choosing to have an non-surgical aesthetic procedure or plastic surgery is an important decision. So is choosing the right doctor or surgeon.
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), established in 1932, is the largest plastic surgery specialty organization in the world.
Whether you are considering cosmetic or rescontructive plastic surgery, you want the skill of an ASPS Member Surgeon—a doctor with more than six years of surgical training and experience, with at least three years specifically in plastic surgery. Their training and experience make them uniquely qualified to perform your cosmetic or reconstructive procedure.
Before having any procedure or surgery, become an educated consumer.
Do your research and read about patient safety so you can make educated choices about your surgeon and the facilities where your procedure will be performed. Browse through “before and after” photos to see how procedures can improve, enhance, or change your face. Let the doctor know what your concerns are and what you would like to achieve and make sure they are reasonable. Do not let a doctor persuade you to do something that is not what you came to see them for. You should consider their recommendations before agreeing to proceed. Your expectations may not be what theirs are and even a minimally invasive procedure can change your life forever.
The doctor should be board-certified, qualified, and have the proper credentials, training and experience. Malpractice insurance should be in place. However, states laws vary as to whether or not doctors are required to carry it.
Make sure the doctor’s facilities are sanitary and comply with HIPAA and healthy and safety regulations.
If your procedure requires injectable fillers, make sure that they are FDA-approved and provided by legitimate suppliers. You should completely avoid black-market fillers.
Your doctor’s equipment should be up-to-date and properly maintained, stored, and sterilized.
Carol Bryan has endured immense pain and suffering in the hands of a doctor who administered fillers that resulted in severe disfiguration. Her life mission is to advocate for safe medical aesthetic practices and to provide information to anyone considering a facial aesthetic procedure that will keep them from harm.
If you are considering a facial aesthetic medical treatment, Carol recommends:
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Do your due diligence—take the time to do your own research on the procedure, doctor and facility
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Don’t try to save money by shopping for discounts or bargains. This is time to get the best money can buy!
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Only go to a board certified plastic surgeon or dermatologist. Any medical doctor can legally perform a cosmetic surgery procedure for which they have inadequate or no training.
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Just because it is non-surgical doesn’t mean is non-medical. Only a certified plastic surgeon or dermatologist can provide maximum safety and the best outcome no matter what the treatment.
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Ask questions of the doctor, and trust your instincts. If it doesn’t feel right, walk away.
Face the Facts
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Soft tissue fillers used in cosmetic procedures can accidentally be injected into blood vessels in the face and cause serious harm, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns.
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Injection of facial fillers into blood vessels can cause blockages that restrict blood supply to tissues.
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Filler material injected into blood vessels can also travel to other areas and cause stroke, vision problems, blindness and damage and/or death of the skin and underlying facial structures
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Accidental injections of facial filler into blood vessels can occur anywhere on the face. But an FDA analysis of studies and reported problems found it was most likely to occur between the eyebrows and nose, in and around the nose, on the forehead, and around the eyes.
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Before going ahead with soft tissue filler injections, patients should talk with their doctor about appropriate treatment injection sites and the risks associated with the procedure, and read the product's labeling, the FDA said.
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It's also important to ask about the doctor's training and experience injecting soft tissue fillers in the face, the agency said.
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Doctors should inject soft tissue fillers only if they have appropriate training and experience, and should be familiar with each patient's blood vessel anatomy, which can vary between people, the FDA said.