I was looking through a newspaper this week and came across an ad for a “cosmetic surgeon” and his face lift using a laser, with before and after photos. The photos were interesting- a rather dramatic result was shown, with the caption “before face lift” and “after face lift”. Examining the photos a bit more carefully, I noticed a couple of classic tricks that advertisers can use… Firstly, in the “after” photos, the woman was wearing a significant amount of makeup- she was “dolled up” as my grandmother used to say. Secondly, the lighting was vastly improved, minimizing the wrinkles that can be seen in the postoperative photo. Lastly, while the advertisement was for a laser treatment, the caption below the photos said “face lift”, being very ambiguous as to whether this patient had received a laser treatment or a surgical face lift. Remember, buyer beware… if it looks too good to be true, make sure you ask your surgeon specific questions such as “Did that patient in the photo have exactly the same plastic surgery procedure that I am having, without any other additional or previous treatments?” Our photographs are performed with every attempt to allow a good comparison from before to after. Don’t get duped by advertisements- make sure you are very comfortable with your surgeon and the procedure that he or she is performing for you!
