Caveat Emptor

I have a confession to make. Something I have not yet shared with you all.

My father is a plastic surgeon.

So my first answer is, no, I have not had any work done.

I do have a line on my forehead left by a year of 8:30 am organic chemistry that I am dying for him to Botox though.

Anyways, I know a lot of plastic surgeons and I know a fair amount about plastic surgery. Which is why I feel ok commenting on the recent New York Times article about how more out-of-scope doctors are starting to offer cosmetic procedures like Botox, Restylane and lasers.

The article focuses on two OB/GYNs who opened up a med-spa franchise in Brooklyn after being trained by the company in administering injectables and laser treatments. Their arguments for why: it's more "relaxing" than delivering babies at 2 am, their malpractice insurance is way cheaper and it's "very satisfying."

There is a growing trend in medicine to offer cosmetic service either in lieu of the practice you were trained in or in addition to your other work. Since the profit margin on these procedures, particularly on Botox, is extremely slim, these doctors are relying primarily on volume to bring in the cash they need.

Let me tell you something about your face. It's anatomy is extremely complicated. Not only are there like a zillion tiny nerves and muscles that doctors spend years learning about, every face is different. Don't even get me started on letting someone monkey around near your eyes with a paralytic agent when they don't know the anatomy!

Bottom line: administering Botox is not the same as giving a flu shot. There is an art to doing these procedures that they don't teach at a one day seminar in Arizona.

The other problem is that most of these doctors aren't trained to handle problems when they occur. Nine times out of ten, everything will go fine, wrinkles are gone, everyone is happy. But that one time something goes wrong and the shit hits the fan, I would want doctor who was trained to handle problems above my waist.

So my advice, choose your doctor wisely. Make sure they know what they are doing and were trained to deal with bad outcomes. There are no bargains to be had when it comes to your health or your beauty.

Now about those dermatologists doing liposuction....