SEATTLE, WA— June 11, 2009 — The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) today announced a new agreement with RealSelf.com, a leading online provider of information regarding cosmetic treatments, to offer consumers unprecedented access to board certified surgeons performing facial plastic surgery. The agreement paves the way for 2,700 board-certified surgeons to join the RealSelf.com community, where medical experts can answer consumer questions about facial cosmetic procedures, ranging from minimally invasive wrinkle fillers to surgical procedures like rhinoplasty and eyelid surgery.

”The Internet, and more specifically social media, has emerged as the predominant means by which consumers research and become informed about cosmetic surgery. RealSelf.com is leading the discussion when it comes to plastic surgery and other types of cosmetic procedures, and we’re pleased to have AAFPRS join this important conversation,” said AAFPRS president Donald Chatham, of Louisville, KY. “Participation by our board-certified doctors will help millions of prospective facial surgery patients get informed by and connected with the best facial plastic surgeons in the world.”

RealSelf.com includes thousands of first-hand accounts from past patients of more than 300 types of cosmetic services, including cost, satisfaction ratings, diaries of the experience, before and after photos, videos and most importantly – whether previous patients thought the cosmetic treatment was worth it. To date, board certified professionals have posted over 25,000 answers via the free “Ask a Doctor” feature on RealSelf.

“Our goal is to provide a 360-degree perspective of all cosmetic treatments, including facial plastic surgery, to help people become as informed as possible before they make a decision,” said Tom Seery, founder and President of RealSelf.com. “Participation by the thousands of AAFPRS surgeons enhances the consumer experience on RealSelf.com by offering more expert opinions to complement the thousands of real-life testimonials from others.”

About AAFRPS
The AAFPRS is the world's largest association of facial plastic and reconstructive surgeons with more than 2,700 members – whose cosmetic reconstructive surgery focuses on the face, head and neck. Academy fellows are Board certified and subscribe to a code of ethics. In addition, the AAFPRS provides consumers with free information and brochures as well as a list of qualified facial plastic surgeons in their area by visiting the AAFPRS Web site, www.aafprs.org

About RealSelf.com
RealSelf.com is a free, unbiased resource to find and share information about cosmetic treatments. RealSelf.com helps consumer make the right decisions for themselves for treatments ranging from microdermabrasion to liposuction to Lasik. The privately-held company is based in Seattle. Board members include Richard Barton, CEO of Zillow.com and Mike Slade, partner, Second Avenue Partners.