Then don’t have just anyone – dentist, medspa, chiropractor or any ‘type’ of doctor perform a cosmetic procedure on you!

Today cosmetic procedures for men and women are the rage. Medical technology has advanced so rapidly there are myriad cosmetic treatments and procedures to choose from to help maintain healthy, beautiful and younger looking skin. We’ve all heard (and sometimes have seen) the horror stories associated with bad, botched or incorrect cosmetic procedures. Many times they have been done by unlicensed and unscrupulous ‘medical predators’ who prey and depend on the uneducated customer. We’ve all driven by the strip mall medical offices on the not so great side of town that offers Botox at “bargain basement prices” or facial fillers that turn out to have fix a flat as the main ingredient – yikes! There are also MedSpa’s that offers Chemical Peels or Liposuction with no physician present. Dentists who offer cosmetic treatments to more areas than just your teeth! And there have even been chiropractors who offer cosmetic treatments in their offices! No one is immune to these medical predators, celebrities as well as regular people have all been victims. Some of these places are run by actual doctors, but they have not been trained in cosmetic dermatology nor are they Board Certified in the specialty.

Board Certified vs “Something Else”

Some physicians or dentists are doctors but don’t have the board certification credentialing, which means you could have a physician who went to med school for ER medicine who has now decided to perform cosmetic procedures and hangs out his shingle in a strip mall. Or another really popular option is for a physician who has receives training for family medicine and then opens up an ‘Anti-Aging’ clinic that offers many different types of cosmetic treatments. Many times the doctors who run these facilities have little training or experience of any kind in cosmetic medicine. They are truly practicing ‘on-the-job-training’ with each and every ‘patient’ they treat!

Why choose a board certified Dermatologist for your cosmetic procedure?

Board certification by the American Board of Dermatology (ABD) provides objective and verifiable information for a specific physician’s education, training, experience, and proven knowledge in dermatology and dermatologic surgery. Board certified physicians must, at all times, strive to represent the highest of ethical and moral standards and agree to adhere to the ABD guidelines regarding the ethical practice of medical and cosmetic dermatology, including advertising and representations to the public, and to practice the highest standard of patient care and safety at all times.

Other Dirty Little Secrets

Often times unscrupulous cosmetic providers will be in it for the money. Make no mistake, cosmetic medicine is a very lucrative business, but the age old saying applies – you get what you pay for! MedSpas and strip mall operations can use improper doses of Botulinum Toxins like Botox and Dysport so prices are reduced because they are delivering diluted amounts of the product. So the results may be minimal or not effective at all. Causing repeat trips for more treatments, that in the end weren’t so inexpensive because many more treatments were required to achieve the desired results. Some of the really bad places will accept trade out services for their business in exchange for a cosmetic procedure!!

Recommendations on selecting the right cosmetic physician for your needs

We are only given one set of skin in this life and no one sets out to want to be permanently maimed or die from a bad cosmetic procedure experience. So the remedy is selecting the right physician for the cosmetic treatment or procedure for you. This should be done through careful and methodical research. Here are some recommendations to review if you are considering a cosmetic treatment:

Determine what cosmetic treatment/procedure is right for you

Choose a cosmetic physician based on the doctor’s education, training, experience and proven competence.
Find out how often the doctor performs the procedure and whether the doctor has had claims against him or her with respect to the procedure or any other cosmetic procedure.
You should review before-and-after photographs of other patients who have had the same procedure performed by the doctor you are considering.
Read testimonials or speak with other patients who have had the procedure performed by the doctor you are considering.

About Dr. Judith Crowell

Judith Crowell, MD is a Board Certified Dermatologist. She graduated as a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha honor society and was awarded the highest honor attained by admission into the Iron Arrow Honor Society at the University of Miami School of Medicine and completed her undergraduate studies at Boston University where she graduated Magna Cum Laude.

Dr. Crowell is a Diplomate of the American Academy of Dermatology, a Fellow of the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery, Adjunct Professor at Barry University’s Physician Assistant program, and served 20 years as a volunteer Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Miami Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery. She is an active member of the Miami Society for Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery and served as president for 3 years. She has been elected by her peers to the Board of the Florida Society of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery and is serving a three-year term.

Miami’s Top Dermatologists

Dr. Crowell has been recognized as one of Miami’s Top Dermatologists as well as a 2012 Castle Connolly Top Doctor. She is well known for her skill in using lasers and injectables to give her patients a refreshed, natural, younger looking appearance.  The Miami Award Program has chosen Dr. Judith E. Crowell, MD for the 2013 Miami Awards in the Physicians classification.

Dr. Crowell has been treating medical and cosmetic dermatology patients for over 20 years in the South Miami area. Contact Dr. Crowell today to learn more about what cosmetic procedure is right for you!