News From Down Under: Remove Fake Before & After Pictures, Etc.

Recently the new president for the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons, Howard Webster laid out some new directives about plastic surgery practices in Australia. One of the things he is aiming for is a revise of plastic surgery advertising practices and laws.

He says, "The legalisation of medical advertising in 1994 in Australia has led to an influx of non surgeons advertising themselves as 'cosmetic surgeons'. Some of them use smoke and mirrors to hide their lack of specialist training, substituting bogus qualifications instead."

Incidentally, a similar move initiated in America years back and Webster hopes to emulate the same in Australian circles.

He goes on to add, "People who are often vulnerable are bombarded with false and misleading advertising for potentially dangerous and expensive procedures. Many tell us how difficult it is to figure out the true qualifications of doctors who perform cosmetic surgery, and that's not good enough."

Quite a smart stance, as it will go a long way for established and board certified cosmetic surgeons to build trust among their patients.

On the other hand though, adverts with perfect models (who may not have had cosmetic surgery may I add) and beaming smiles are more often than not what initiate the contact between patient and surgeon. Market analysis and consumer behavior repeatedly point out to the lucrative advantage a glossy face has over a dowdy one.

What do you have to say to this? Would you go to a plastic surgeon that has real cosmetic surgery patients modeling on his site or a surgeon who has glowing, airbrushed models? Send in your comments to the Plastic Surgery Institute of California right here.