The NY Daily News reported today that more people are flocking to outside the United States for cheaper plastic surgery, with Morocco being the latest hot destination. Vacationers are trading beach time for surgery recovery. But buyer beware. No matter whom you pick, your doctor should have the proper certification and experience necessary to perform a given procedure. Since technology is constantly changing, such official certification helps to ensure that doctors keep up with the latest skills, and that they’ll make the most of what they’re learning. You should expect your doctor to be more than just aware of, but positively fluent in, such recent and dramatic advances as computer imaging, twilight sleep, and small- incision techniques, and liposuction.

How do you know whether the doctor you’re considering has years of experience or, instead, got their cosmetic surgery training at a weeklong crash course at a Las Vegas convention center? To keep from making an unwise choice, you should consider the following:

1. Your doctor should be board-certified. The most prestigious certification comes from the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS), the official national examining board for professional plastic surgeons, whose members are qualified to perform reconstructive and plastic surgery, as well as aesthetic or cosmetic surgery.
2. The anesthesiologist- any surgical procedure will require an anesthesiologist (an anesthesiologist is an M.D., whereas an anesthetist is not). Make sure that he or she is certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA).

 Your safety comes first, so before contemplating traveling out of the country for plastic surgery, make sure your surgeon has the professional qualifications.

The news is all a buzz with NeNe Leakes apparent obsession with plastic surgery. This Celebrity Apprentice and Real Housewife of Atlanta has gone under the knife for a rhinoplasty (nose job), liposuction of the stomach, hips and thighs, and is planning on getting more before the Summer. How much is too much?

As discussed in Change Your Looks, Change Your Life, Quick Fixes and Cosmetic Surgery Solutions for Looking Younger, Feeling Healthier, and Living Better it is one thing to change an aspect of yourself that you don’t like, but it is another to look distorted from what is normal. A patient can come every year with a procedure in mind to improve their appearance, and that is OK. But if you are still never satisfied with what you look like  your results can completely change your look. When considering plastic surgery, the changes that you make to your face or body should still look natural, but give you that self-confidence boost. In short, you must know- realistically- what you are starting with, as well as what you want to look like when surgery is done.

Choosing a procedure to fix a long-term problem that has negatively affected how you feel about yourself and interact with the world- to my mind, that’s the definition of good mental health. There’s nothing “cosmetic” about that, or vain, or neurotic. It’s practical, constructive, forward-moving, pro-active, and self-affirming.

A small percentage of people are the cosmetic surgery “junkie”, the person who is impossible-to-satisfy. The cosmetic surgery junkie is constantly going for consultations about this body-part fix or that, then undergoing the procedure, then moving on to another fix, and another, and another.

There is no problem with a patient who, having enjoyed a great result on one part of the body, wants to enjoy that same great feeling about another. The fundamental difference between the cosmetic surgery junkie and the well-adjusted patient who undergoes several procedures, then, is that the former hovers in a state of perpetual dissatisfaction, whereas the latter is simply building one satisfaction on top of another. That’s healthy.

An article in today’s MSNBC discussed the influx of bargain plastic surgery procedures using local anesthesia alone. A directory of doctors offering “Awake Procedures” can be found online where prospective candidates are turning to in order to save anesthesia costs. But BUYER BEWARE. Because liposuction is so quick and offers instant results, lots of non-plastic surgeons are performing it. Although the procedure seems easy, it is surgery. Many of these new practitioners aren’t even trained M.D.s and are shockingly unprepared to deal with complications should they arise.

Furthermore, many of the folks who just hang out a liposuction shingle, be it a spa, health club, or private office, are practicing in terribly unsanitary conditions, without masks, gloves, lab coat, or even a dedicated operating room. For your own safety, you must insist that your surgeon perform in a licensed operating room. In Southern California alone, 40% of liposuction practitioners had no prior training in the procedure before opening their practice.

So what should you look for? You should expect your doctor to be more than just aware of, but positively fluent in, such recent and dramatic advances. Above all, your doctor should be board-certified in plastic surgery. Will your doctor be able to handle complications during surgery or the healing process, should any arise? A board-certified plastic surgeon has had years of training in the handling and sculpting of skin tissue and its healing, and may be the doctor best equipped to handle the unexpected. You also want to make sure you’re having surgery at an accredited surgical facility.

Bridalplasty may be the newest buzz reality show where brides compete for plastic surgery before the big wedding day, but there could be a new show brewing.“Vengeance Plastic Surgery” where women and men head to the plastic surgeon post divorce.

Many people are desperate to make a positive change in their life after a bleak event, such as divorce. Often, a procedure can be just the thing to pull them out of their funk, but take caution. While wanting to appear fresher and boost confidence, be careful that your emotions aren’t clouding your  judgment and make a decision that will later regret.

Certainly the effect your appearance has on your self-confidence is more than skin-deep; it has an enormous impact on your health, the quality of your life, and your future outlook. Of course none of us can control our age, but we can control our confidence. Any way you look at it, appearing fresher, looking sharper, and feeling healthier may give you the boost of self-esteem you need post divorce.  By making subtle but important changes to your looks, cosmetic surgery is a valuable, low-risk investment in your future health, happiness, and well-being. (From my best-selling book Change Your Looks, Change Your Life, Quick Fixes and Cosmetic Surgery Solutions for Looking Younger, Feeling Healthier, and Living Better.)

Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder, and that means it may be in the eye of your potential boss. Today on Good Morning America, a story featured women who believe they need plastic surgery to improve their chances for a job. Age bias and the pressure to look good is often felt most intensely in the workplace, especially in our youth-obsessed culture. Studies show that traditionally good-looking people are perceived as smarter than others, make more money, and are even 5 times more likely to be hired. The continuing influx of women, recent recession, and corporate downsizing is making work environments more competitive than ever, increasing pressure to look polished and youthful. As the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle once said, “Beauty is better than all letters of recommendation.” Like it or not, looks matter.

And while going under the knife won’t guarantee employment, it can dramatically improve your looks and self-esteem. The effect your appearance has on your self-confidence is more than skin-deep; it has an enormous impact on your health, the quality of your life, and your future outlook. Of course none of us can control our age, but we can control our confidence, which is essential when searching for a job. Any way you look at it, appearing fresher, looking sharper, and feeling healthier will give you a better shot at keeping a job or getting one.  As one of my patients told me, “I feel that appearing well put together, energetic, and youthful earns people’s respect and attention, and ultimately gives me greater credibility. I am convinced that looks make you money, so I think of surgery as an investment. Plastic surgery isn’t about beauty. It’s about power.” By making subtle but important changes to your looks, cosmetic surgery is a valuable, low-risk investment in your future health, happiness, and well-being. (From my best-selling book Change Your Looks, Change Your Life, Quick Fixes and Cosmetic Surgery Solutions for Looking Younger, Feeling Healthier, and Living Better.)

Michael Jackson’s mother recently  admitted that her son was addicted to plastic surgery. The pop star had so many nose jobs that his mother asked his plastic surgeon to pretend he had operated the next time her son asked for another procedure.

It is one thing to change an aspect of yourself that you don’t like, but it is another to look distorted from what is normal. A patient can come every year with a procedure in mind to improve their appearance, and that is OK. But if you are still never satisfied with what you look like  your results can completely change your look. When considering plastic surgery, the changes that you make to your face or body should still look natural, but give you that self-confidence boost. In short, you must know- realistically- what you are starting with, as well as what you want to look like when surgery is done.

Choosing a procedure to fix a long-term problem that has negatively affected how you feel about yourself and interact with the world- to my mind, that’s the definition of good mental health. There’s nothing “cosmetic” about that, or vain, or neurotic. It’s practical, constructive, forward-moving, pro-active, and self-affirming.

A small percentage of people are the cosmetic surgery “junkie”, the person who is impossible-to-satisfy. The cosmetic surgery junkie is constantly going for consultations about this body-part fix or that, then undergoing the procedure, then moving on to another fix, and another, and another. In Michael Jackson’s case, he clearly was a cosmetic surgery junkie, where he was never satisfied, despite the numerous procedures he underwent, leaving him with a distorted and un-natural look.

There is no problem with a patient who, having enjoyed a great result on one part of the body, wants to enjoy that same great feeling about another. The fundamental difference between the cosmetic surgery junkie and the well-adjusted patient who undergoes several procedures, then, is that the former hovers in a state of perpetual dissatisfaction, whereas the latter is simply building one satisfaction on top of another. That’s healthy.

The desire to look perfect on your Wedding Day has been raised to a new level on the E! TV reality show ‘Bridalplasty’.  Eleven brides compete in wedding-themed challenges, and each week the winner will undergo the plastic surgery procedure of her choice.  After 11 weeks of competition, the “last bride standing” will be awarded all the plastic surgery on her wish-list.  The catch is that the groom will not know what has been done to the girl of his dreams until the day she walks down the aisle.

Not showing your fiancé the wedding dress is one thing, but not letting him see you after a complete makeover is quite another.  It’s hard to imagine a more anti-ethical start to a lifetime of trust.  Taking control of your looks can have a profound effect on how you feel, but a secretive makeover is the wrong way to begin a marriage.  The decision to change your appearance should not be up for grabs, but a step that should be made thoughtfully and carefully.

Plastic surgery has always been a major topic of conversation at parties, but now with the first episode airing last night of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, we see one of the housewives visiting a plastic surgeon for fillers within the first 10 minutes of the episode. The housewives have all turned to plastic surgery in order to maintain the youthful Beverly Hills look. One of the housewives even disclosed she undergoes injections and procedures so her husband doesn’t move onto someone who appears younger. It is one thing to embrace cosmetic surgery  to make you look and feel better,  but looking plastic and unnatural should be left to reality TV shows .

Plastic surgery is an art and a science. In Change Your Looks, Change Your Life Quick Fixes and Cosmetic Solutions for Looking Younger, Feeling Healthier, and Living Better, I discuss how to choose a doctor. It goes without saying that from your surgeon you want brilliance, understanding, resourcefulness, great training, the best hands and eyes in the business, and a calming manner. But they should also  have professional qualifications. No matter whom you pick, your doctor should have the proper certification and experience necessary to perform the procedures. You should expect your doctor to be more than just aware of, but positively fluent in, such recent and dramatic advances. Above all, your doctor should be board-certified. Will your doctor be able to handle complications during surgery or the healing process, should any arise? A board-certified plastic surgeon has had years of training in the handling and sculpting of skin tissue and its healing, and may be the doctor best equipped to handle the unexpected.

And while plastic surgery isn’t just about beauty, but also power you want to make subtle but important changes to your looks. In this economy it is a valuable, low-risk investment in your future health, happiness and well being.  As Aristotle, the Greek philosopher said so many years ago: “Beauty is better than all letters of recommendation”.