CORE PRINCIPLE:
BOTCHED = PERMANENT SCARS, WASTED MONEY, DESTROYED SMIRE. DON'T BE A STATISTIC.
I. SURGEON SELECTION: YOUR MOST IMPORTANT DECISION (NON-NEGOTIABLE)
II. PROCEDURE SELECTION & PLANNING: MINIMIZE RISK, MAXIMIZE GAINS
III. AVOIDING NON-SURGICAL BOTCHES (Filler, Toxin, Lasers, etc.)
IV. RED FLAGS
BOTCHED = PERMANENT SCARS, WASTED MONEY, DESTROYED SMIRE. DON'T BE A STATISTIC.
I. SURGEON SELECTION: YOUR MOST IMPORTANT DECISION (NON-NEGOTIABLE)
- Board Certification is BASELINE
Only consider surgeons certified by REAL boards (ABPS in the US, equivalent rigorous bodies elsewhere). ENT for noses, Oculoplastic for eyes. "Cosmetic Boards" are often scams. - Specialization is KING
Need a nose? Find a Rhinoplasty Specialist who does only noses, 5+ times a week. Jaw? Maxillofacial Surgeon. Don't let a boob guy touch your face. Hard maxxing requires hard specialization. - Scrutinize the Portfolio LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT
- Volume: 50+ before/afters MINIMUM for your specific procedure.
- Consistency: Do 90%+ look good/natural? Not just 2-3 cherry-picked "wins."
- Reals vs. Models: Does their skill hold up on average/bad starting points, or just pretty people?
- Your Desired Look: Do they actually produce the specific outcome you want (e.g., natural vs. dramatic, specific jaw angle)?
- Long-Term Results: Demand to see 1-year+, 5-year+ photos. How does it age? Implants settle? Scars fade?
- Dig DEEP on Reviews (Beyond Google/RealSelf)
- Web Diving: Search surgeon names + "botch," "complication," "lawsuit," "revision."
- Malpractice Lookup: Check state medical boards (USA) for disciplinary actions, suspensions, settlements. RED FLAG.
- Hospital Privileges: Can they operate in a major accredited hospital? If clinic-only, find out why.
- Consultation Vibe Check (Trust Your Gut)
- Do they LISTEN or just sell? Do they understand YOUR goals or push their "signature look"?
- Realistic or Gaslighter? Do they honestly discuss risks, limitations, and potential downsides specific to your anatomy? Or promise magic?
- Rushed? Avoid factories. A proper consult takes time for assessment and Q&A.
- Pressure Tactics? RUN. "Limited time discount"? HUGE RED FLAG.
II. PROCEDURE SELECTION & PLANNING: MINIMIZE RISK, MAXIMIZE GAINS
- Is Surgery EVEN Needed? Exhaust Non-Surgical Options First
- Fitness & Body Fat %: Get shredded (<15% BF) before considering lipo/BBL. You might not need it.
- Skincare Maxxing: Tretinoin, sunscreen, peels, laser for skin texture/tone. Fix skin before structure.
- Filler/Fat Grafting (CAUTIOUSLY): Can sometimes achieve subtle improvements without major surgery (e.g., undereyes, chin). BUT SEE SECTION III.
- Orthodontics/Orthognathics: Functional jaw issues? Address this before purely cosmetic jaw work.
- Start SUBTLE & Reversible
- Baby Steps: Can a smaller procedure (e.g., genioplasty) get you 80% of the result vs. full BSSO? Less risk.
- Filler > Implants (Sometimes): Use filler as a trial for implants (chin, jaw). See how it looks/feels. Implants are permanent foreign bodies.
- Avoid Ultra-Aggressive "Fad" Procedures: Extreme Fox Eyes, Gigantomaxxing jaw implants, BBLs on very thin frames = HIGH botch risk.
- Anatomy is Destiny (Be Realistic)
- Skin Quality/Thickness: Thin skin shows implants/bad rhinoplasty results easily. Thick skin swells massively.
- Bone Structure: Limits what's achievable. A surgeon promising a "model jaw" on weak bone is lying.
- Healing Propensity: Know your scarring tendency (keloids?).
- ONE MAJOR PROCEDURE AT A TIME
Combining facial procedures massively increases risk, swelling obscures results, harder to pinpoint complications. Stagger surgeries.
III. AVOIDING NON-SURGICAL BOTCHES (Filler, Toxin, Lasers, etc.)
- Injector Qualification > Location/Fancy Clinic
- IDEAL: Board-Certified Dermatologist or Plastic Surgeon.
- Absolute Minimum: Experienced Registered Nurse (RN) or Physician Assistant (PA) working under a qualified MD/DO. AVOID "Med Spas" with only aestheticians injecting.
- Check THEIR Portfolio: Just like surgeons. How many lips/noses/jaws have they done? Specific to your ask.
- Less is MORE. WAY MORE
- Filler Migration/Face Bloat: Starts with "just 1ml." Stagger sessions. Dissolve migrated filler IMMEDIATELY.
- Natural Lips > Duck Lips: Overfilled lips look terrible and are a botch. Focus on shape, not size.
- Toxin: Frozen brow/Spock brow = botched. Find an injector who understands male/facial dynamics.
- Know the PRODUCT
- Filler: Hyaluronic Acid (HA - Juvederm, Restylane) is reversible. Avoid permanent fillers (Sculptra, Bellafill) like the plague – high botch risk.
- Toxin: Stick to Botox, Dysport, Xeomin (established, predictable).
- Laser/RF Caution
Aggressive energy-based treatments (CO2, deep RF) on non-Caucasian skin or by inexperienced techs = burns, scarring, hypopigmentation. Start LOW energy.
IV. RED FLAGS
- Surgeon/Injector
Discounts, Groupons, pressure to book NOW, avoids discussing risks, vague about credentials, no hospital privileges, defensive about complications. - Clinic
"Cosmetic Surgery Centers" not affiliated with hospitals, run like a sales floor, staff pushing multiple procedures at once, fake/stock before-afters, no genuine long-term photos. - Your Gut Feeling
Doubt, feeling rushed, surgeon ego too big, promises sound too good ("perfect results," "no downtime," "no scarring").
