Dr. Francis R. Palmer M.D.

Is a cosmetic surgery the same as a plastic surgery?

Hi, I have been a board certified facial plastic surgeon with The American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery since 1993. There are several boards that certify plastic and or cosmetic surgeons (summarized below): The American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery for facial plastic surgeons that specialize in plastic surgery of the face, head, and neck area. The American Board of Plastic Surgery for plastic surgeons performing plastic and reconstructive (some also perform hand and back surgery). The American Board of Cosmetic Surgery for cosmetic surgeons performing cosmetic surgery of the face and/or body. You can google each specific board to learn more about them and the specialty they represent. In my experience and humble opinion, board certification by any board (and you can see that since there are at least 3 such certifying boards, no one board can "claim" ownership or superiority in Plastic Surgery...doing so is more "hype" and "marketing" than fact), so logically there must be some other way to find the surgeon that's "right" for you. **Medical Boards of each state keep records of safety and or malpractice issues with all doctors, including any plastic & cosmetic surgeon. **Avoid price as an initial determination of how your select your plastic and cosmetic surgeon. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. **Do rely on reputation, experience, and, of course, a "sound aesthetic judgement" on what will or will not make you more naturally attractive. **Finally, always follow that little voice in your head that says this is the right place or perhaps you might want another opinion. Hope this helps. Francis R Palmer, III MD Follow us on Facebook here And follow us on Twitter @DrFrancisPalmer READ MORE