An interesting study by the International Society of Plastic Surgeons came out recently; they asked which celebrities had the most commonly asked for features. The two that were most commonly asked for overall: Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt.

Brad Pitt blows all the other guys out of the water for men, but when it comes to women, it’s a little different. For lips, Angelina Jolie comes out at the top, followed by Scarlett Johansson. For the nose, Ashlee Simpson (post-rhinoplasty) is now the standard-bearer. For the “behind,” it’s either Beyoncè or Jennifer Lopez. For breasts, it really is a taste thing.

In the study, they said the most commonly requested breasts are Pam Anderson’s, but based on my experience, it’s the exact opposite; if anything, the most common request is not to have their breasts look like Pam Anderson’s!

There are some women who like a smaller size, like a Halle Berry B-cup, and other people want to be more of a C-cup, like a Scarlett Johansson. Then there’s some who want to be a bit bigger, maybe a D-cup like one of the Playmates. It really varies, but I almost never get patients who ask, “Can you make me look like Pam?”

I think the public would be shocked to know how widespread plastic surgery is becoming. People don’t realize how many of their neighbors are having work done, and when you take that into Hollywood, it grows exponentially – it’s all over the place.

We always look at celebrities as if they are on a pedestal. We like to believe that they are angels sent from heaven to look perfect on magazine covers. Plastic surgery is partly to blame, but part of it is also the fault of journalists and the people who make these fashion magazines. There probably isn’t a single magazine on the newsstand with an attractive celebrity whose blemishes or cellulite hasn’t been airbrushed away.

People don’t realize the work that goes on behind-the-scenes to make some of these people look flawless. In reality, they are far from it. I’ve seen celebrities up close and personal, without much makeup and dressed like a person who’s not on the red carpet, and they have wrinkles just like all of us. Celebrities are regular people, and like regular people, they age.

The Fine Lines You Have To Follow, Not Erase

The big news about Kanye West’s mom dying was such a horrible situation. A woman’s medical history – her confidential medical history – was given out by certain doctors to the media, and that’s just wrong.

I don’t have a problem with people speculating or giving an opinion when they fully admit that they don’t know what happened. But when a doctor comes out and gives a patient’s medical information to the media in a press release? That is just plain wrong. There’s a reason why we have laws around that.

On my blog, I will comment on celebrities but make no mistake about it: I have not treated a single celebrity that I have blogged about; that’s their private medical information and confidentiality is of utmost importance.

So why do I speculate on what procedures celebrities may or may not have had? With celebrities and Hollywood in general, there is an obsession that we all have about people who are rich and famous. For me, blogging and speculating is a hobby and something I do in the evening after my son goes to bed. It’s just fun to speculate about what’s going on!

It also keeps me on my toes, to an extent. A lot of the people who pioneer procedures are out there in Hollywood – they’re the ones doing the work that has to stand up to the lens of a high definition camera. If we can do work that can stand up to that kind of scrutiny, we’re doing a good job.

And just a note about that camera work: Not all plastic surgery television shows present our field in a realistic light. At worst, they can make the field look like it's full of crooks (Nip/Tuck) and at best, they can give patients an unrealistic view of what is an ideal plastic surgery result (The Swan).

Patients need to realize that television is entertainment, and the programs are written by television writers, not doctors. Patients can learn the real truth about plastic surgery from a face-to-face consultation with a plastic surgeon. However, that doesn't mean I don't enjoy watching these shows myself.

Shopping For A Doctor? Some Words Of Advice

Plastic surgery is not for everybody and a plastic surgeon should never encourage anybody to have a procedure that they don’t want to have done. There are some people who obviously take it too far, and there are some cases where plastic surgery will not necessarily improve how a person looks – an honest plastic surgeon should try to figure out for their patient if plastic surgery is going to be a positive thing for them.

With shorter scars and the less invasive procedures that we are pioneering, it’s an exciting time for plastic surgery. We are achieving better results with less downtime, less invasiveness and less discomfort.

On the flip side, there are a lot of people who claim to be plastic surgeons, but who are not real plastic surgeons. They will market impossible scenarios of facelifts without surgery, tummy tucks without a scalpel, liposuction with a laser.

Plastic surgery is going to continue to grow, but the difficult part of that is that so is the number of people who are, for all intents and purposes, predators taking advantage of those who are not educated enough about plastic surgery to know the difference between a procedure that’s going to work, and one that’s not.

The number one thing patients should look for is to see whether their plastic surgeon is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. This is the only plastic surgery board-certification that is recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties, the gold standard of physician certification.

If your plastic surgeon is not certified by this board, watch out, for there are even emergency room doctors who masquerade as plastic surgeons to make extra cash.

The first thing is to check with the American Board Of Plastic Surgery, but after that, you want to meet the doctor – talk with them, sit down with them, look at their pictures and get a feeling for what they’re like.

The amount of time they spend with you in a consultation is going to be directly proportional to the amount of time they spend doing your surgery and taking care of you, and the amount to time they would probably spend with you if you developed a problem.

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