The decision to have any form of cosmetic or plastic surgery is a very big one to make, there are many risks involved and sometimes, after hearing many horror stories in the press, its as if choosing a surgeon is a lottery.

Amongst other things, surgery is very expensive, granted, costs have come down considerably over the years, but it is still very expensive to the average person.

There are cheaper options, like going abroad to have your surgery performed, you can stay in a hotel and relax by the pool while you recover. But personally the thought of having my surgery performed by someone that doesnt even speak my language worries me.

Once you have your mind made up that surgery is what you want, the next step is to find a good surgeon. Did you know that within the US it is legal for a doctor regardless of their speciality to perform "cosmetic surgery" but not "plastic surgery"?

When your health is involved, its best not to cut corners, if you would pardon the pun, and not substitute a quality procedure for cost.

In the US there is only one entity overseeing Physicians performing plastic surgery and that is the American Board of Medical Specialities, so you must make sure that your surgeon is board certified by them. There are other "fake medical boards" but they are not recognised by the ABMS so dont even touch a surgeon whose credentials do not include the ABMS. For a surgeon to be certified by them they need to have completed around 5-7 years of surgical residency training after medical school, or possibly more depending on the programme.

In the UK, the surgeon must firstly be registered on the General Medical Council, and then must be a member of either the British Association of Plastic Surgeons (BAPS) or British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS). With all surgeons, experience is vital, you must check how many procedures they have done, ideally they should be performing cosmetic surgery operations daily. There is a ton of resources on the internet regarding plastic surgery, you must research thoroughly before you go ahead with an operation. If surgery is what you truly want, do not take it lightly. It is your body, your health and it is your right to find out and ask as many questions as is required to feel satisfied that you are making the right decision.