March 10, 2011
Lift Off!
David Andrusia
The new face of anti-aging procedures
Once upon a time, it was easy. You arrived at a certain age and–if you had the funds and gumption–you got a facelift. Today, the range of elective anti-aging procedures has never been wider. Baffled? You’re not alone. We debunk the anti-aging myths and present the best new procedures from SoCal’s top docs.
Selecting a Specialty
First, define your terms. Cosmetic surgery is concerned with improving the aesthetic appearance of a person, while plastic surgery may include this, or just the reconstruction angle.
Second, find out what a doc does best. Some are known for lifts, others for Botox brilliance and one is a master of butts.
Third, ascertain the doctor’s level of training and expertise. Michael Niccole, M.D., founder and medical director of CosmetiCare Plastic Surgery Center & Med Spa in Newport Beach, advises, “Determine a surgeon’s board certification and be sure which board she or he is certified by. There are a number of pseudo-boards, which provide a false sense of security to consumers; in fact, these boards are not monitored by the government, as one would expect.”