Plastic Surgeon vs. Cosmetic Surgeon: What's The Difference?

Understanding Board-Certified Expertise

How do you choose the right plastic surgeon for your cosmetic surgery? There's plenty of information-and just as much misinformation-online. The key is to understand the difference between a board-certified plastic surgeon who focuses on cosmetic surgery and anyone who markets themselves as a cosmetic specialist.

Current laws permit any physician to offer cosmetic procedures, even if they were trained in a completely different specialty. That means a doctor who primarily practices family medicine could offer tummy tucks, or an obstetrician could perform breast augmentation, despite not having formal surgical training in those procedures.

Plastic surgeon Dr. Byron Poindexter explains, "There is no such thing as a 'cosmetic surgeon' recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties. Plastic surgery is the only medical subspecialty with ABMS recognition for cosmetic procedures, and board certification through the American Board of Plastic Surgery is the credential we trust."

At The Austin-Weston Center for Cosmetic Surgery, our surgeons chose to focus exclusively on cosmetic procedures. While every plastic surgeon trains in reconstructive techniques such as hand surgery, burn care, or pediatric reconstruction, not all dedicate their careers to cosmetic outcomes. Concentrating on facelifts, body contouring, and breast surgery allows our team to perform these procedures day in and day out.

Because more than 90% of plastic surgeons split their time between reconstructive and cosmetic work, a practice that specializes in aesthetic surgery performs significantly more of the procedures you care about. As Dr. Robert Sigal notes, "The more you do something, the better you get."

Ready to meet board-certified plastic surgeons who focus solely on cosmetic results? Connect with our board-certified plastic surgery team, schedule a consultation, or call (703) 893-6168 to discuss your goals.