What’s the difference between a cosmetic and plastic surgeon?
It’s clear that both doctors provide treatment to improve a person’s appearance. Even so, they have their specific differences.
In this article, we will define what cosmetic and plastic surgeons do, differentiate them, and help you know which one of them you should go to. Let’s go!
What is a cosmetic surgeon?
This can be a bit confusing, but please bear with us. Plastic surgery is a broad field, and cosmetic surgery falls under it.
A cosmetic surgeon, however, only performs cosmetic procedures to shape or enhance a person’s appearance that is not urgently needed, unlike a plastic surgery procedure.
Another difference is cosmetic surgery isn’t covered by an insurance policy because of the same reason. The patient is healthy and voluntarily chooses for it to be performed on them.
What is a plastic surgeon?
A plastic surgeon deals with both reconstructive and cosmetic jobs. So it can be said that they can also expertly perform cosmetic surgery on the patient.
Mainly, though, they repair or reconstruct someone’s aesthetic problems arising from genetics, tumour removal from cancer, accident, or trauma.
You may be familiar with rhinoplasty, which is a plastic procedure that changes the nose shape of a person.
Botox and laser skin resurfacing, which improves the face and skin, respectively, usually done by dermatologists, are also a part of this category.
Other less popular kinds of plastic surgeries include microsurgery, carpal tunnel surgery, and peripheral nerve surgery.
What should you know before choosing a surgeon?
When you select a cosmetic or plastic surgeon, you have to ensure they are highly qualified and skilled for the job.
Most of all, they must be board-certified by the Malaysian Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (MSPRS). This assures you that the doctor is indeed top-notch and has passed a series of high-standard exams.
The last thing you want is for the procedure to go wrong and for the exorbitant sum you paid to be for nothing.
After all, you’re entrusting your appearance—how you would look from that point on—to the surgeon you’ve chosen.
Is it better to have cosmetic surgery abroad?
Patients are attracted to this idea since having an aesthetic surgery abroad costs fairly less. But truth be told, a lot of people have complained that they didn’t get the results they went for.
We stress again the importance of checking the surgeon’s qualifications including board certification. Also, check if the clinic has modern equipment and clean facilities because this will affect the procedure’s outcome.
And if ever you’re not happy with the procedure, know how you can make a complaint against the surgeon. And given that you live from afar, this will be more difficult to do.
So we suggest looking and asking around to find the best surgeon. And if you have a friend or loved one who’s recommending or has tried a great plastic or cosmetic surgeon before, you can check that.