Dermatologists spend a majority of their training learning how to treat diseases of the skin and how to recognize when a particular skin condition means that something serious is going on elsewhere in the body. If you have a suspicious or bothersome lesion or rash, you should visit a Dermatologist. If you want to soften a few wrinkles and look more refreshed, a Dermatologist may not always be your best choice.
Plastic Surgeons acquire many complex skills during their extensive training period including hand surgery, breast implants, facial reconstruction, scar revision and complex skin grafting techniques. Plastic Surgeons can work wonders for patients with those sorts of major problems. They may not be the best choice, however, for someone with facial sun damage or pigment irregularities.
Actual training in Medical Aesthetics is absent or only a very small part of many Dermatology and Plastic Surgery training programs. Most physicians who wish to become proficient in the appropriate 醫學美容 use of Botox, Facial Fillers, Lasers, and prescription grade cosmeceuticals usually must take multiple courses from national experts on the various aspects of Medical Aesthetics. These courses are expensive and inconvenient but remain the major means for most Doctors to become proficient in these techniques.
Do not be afraid to ask about the training of the Doctor who will be doing your procedure. Do not accept “Dermatologist” or “Plastic Surgeon” as the only meaningful credentials. Ask if the Doctor has taken advanced courses specifically focused on Botox or Fillers or Facial Lasers.
Too often, Medical Spas are revenue “add-ons” to a busy medical practice. The Doctor may be busy seeing medical patients on the medical side of the office while an Aesthetician, Physician Assistant, Nurse Practitioner, or even a Nurse wields potent syringes of Botox and complicated lasers on the Spa side. Even Plastic Surgeons and Dermatologists commonly hire Nurse Practitioners to perform Medical Procedures in their spa.
Before you walk in the door, ask if the Doctor will actually be the injecting the drugs or performing the Medical Procedures. If the answer is something like “No, our Nurse does that, but she’s very good,” do yourself a favor and look elsewhere.