Ask to speak or meet with Real Patients

Hello Liza,

I agree that closely looking at the photos will help you determine which ones are real clinical patients and which are stock photos.

Also ask your Doctor for referrals - you should always be able to speak with or meet prior patients who have worked with the Doctor to get their experiences and comments on the procedure you are considering.

Most patients who are willing to have their photos used are also willing to talk and meet with new, prospective patients. A real patient who has gone through a procedure with the Doctor you are considering is an invaluable resource - much more so then before and after photos!

This is a great question. Most plastic surgeons and other people practicing cosmetic surgery make websites and post photos. I have found that many websites do not even post their own photos. In fact, if you look carefully, you can see the same photos on multiple websites. That is because many people subcontract out their website creation to companies that use stock photos. This is most consistent on the landing page of the websites. In the before and after sections, you should look for consistent backgrounds and photographic techniques. Additionally, people often stretch the photos to make the patient look thinner after surgery. Look for asymmetries between the before and after photos in areas that should not be different - such as the width between the eyes, the distance between the teeth or lips and the eyes, the distance between the ears, the distance between the hip bone and the shoulders, etc. Also, look at markings on the patient such as location of moles or tattoos to see how these are altered between the before and after pictures.

I hope this is helpful.

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