Which credentials are best to go with: American Academy Cosmetic Surgeon or Board Certified Plastic Surgeon?

It seems like you keep asking the same question over and over again in different ways. Perhaps you are not getting the answer you want so you keep trying? Here is the bottom line, the AACS, or any other “cosmetic board” for that matter, is not recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties. This means that it is a group of doctors who got together and made their own “board” to tag themselves as “certified.” It is not even a question of which is better, one is a validated and recognized board certification (ABPS) and the other is not. That being said, you seem hell bent on going with the cosmetic surgeon, so stop asking the advice of trusted surgeons on here and just go forward with what you want. I honestly hope everything goes well for you and you get the results you want, but in the case that things do not go as planned, I am willing to bet the doctors in this community who have answered your questions multiple times will have a big bunch of “I told you so’s” ready for you.

American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery is not really an authentic Board with certifying exams and credentialing process, but the American Board of Plastic Surgery is a true certifying board for only plastic surgeons. Those who go with the AACS are usually not plastic surgeons or are not board certified as a plastic surgeon. However, there are still some very skilled surgeons who are not board certified.

Good afternoon,
The American Board of Plastic Surgery is the ONLY certification in plastic surgery that counts- it requires many years of training and examination to be granted. You, too, could be a member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgeons for the price of a self-addressed stamped envelope (I'm joking but the AACS is a joke also). The AACS is for all the non-plastic surgeons (eye doctors, dermatologists, ENT docs) who want to pretend to be real plastic surgeons.