For facial fillers, is it better to have a dermatologist or a plastic surgeon do the procedure? Does it matter?

I suggest going to someone you know has experience and is well known for their injection skills.  I know many dermatologist and plastic surgeons who are amazingly skilled injectors.  Someone you feel comfortable with, who understands you aesthetic goals and needs is the perfect person to have as your injector.  Best, Dr. Emer.

Both plastic and derm surgeons do injectables and can be good at it but derm surgeons do tons more than anyone else. Plastics docs are not usually great at injectables and tend to have their nurses do them for them.

This is a great question and it depends on the injector. Dermatologist injectors create very nice injectable results as do Plastic Surgeon injectors. The key question is how many injectable treatments that individual performs and what their results look like. With regard to who is a better injector between Plastic Surgeons and Dermatologists their is no blanket difference in their experience or skill level with Botox or fillers. I hope this information is helpful for you.Stephen Weber MD, FACSDenver Facial Plastic Surgeon

A dermatologist or a plastic surgeon are perfectly good choices to have as an injector. Make sure you are comfortable with the doctor and are happy with his results.

Neither one gets much experience in their residency in filler injection. Most of them get better at it with time and experience. If they do it frequently and treat lots of different types of patients then they get very good at it. But they don't become experts until they have had to fix several of their own and other colleagues problems. Find someone who is not rushed and seems to have a good deal of experience and be prepared that at some point, you will be one of those problems that your doctor has to fix on his or her way to becoming an expert injector.

I think that you will find that both dermatologists and plastic surgeons are popular choices for filler injections. They both have training in facial anatomy and injection of fillers in residency. You will find wonderful injectors of each training background. Many of the FDA approval trials for these fillers were done by dermatologists and plastic surgeons. The most important thing is to feel comfortable with the physician you are seeing and making sure they are doing the actual procedure and not delegating it to someone else.

This is a common question that arises.  As a dermatologist, I may sound biased if I told you dermatologists are better filler injectors, and a plastic surgeon would equally sound biased if she/he advised you to see only plastic surgeons.  Most dermatologists and plastic surgeons receive extensive training during their residency and fellowships on injecting fillers.  That being said, some dermatologists and some plastic surgeons receive more training and have more experience in filler injections than other dermatologists and plastic surgeons.  In addition, some dermatologists and plastic surgeons specialize in injection more than others in their specialty.  Most expert injectors or filler specialists will advertise that service, but to distinguish those who may be more talented injectors than others, I suggest checking friends, family and co-workers who have had a good experience with their treatment.

Either specialist can perform your injections, as long as they are experienced and have a keen aesthetic eye for this type of treatment. Do some homework on your own, and ask to see results if they are available during your consultation. Good luck.

This is a tough question to answer only because if any of us pick one or the other, we will sound biased. Here's my thought: ask how many injections your injector does. There are many plastic surgeons who really prefer to do surgeries. And within that, many will have awesome specialties - breasts, eye lifts, lipo, etc. So, in my personal experience, many plastic surgeons don't do as many facial injections as a cosmetic dermatologist on a regular basis. That doesn't mean they are not qualified, or would not be as good, but it means that they may not prefer injectables necessarily. However, that is not always the case and there are many great plastics who do facial aesthetics including lots of injectables. So it's really not a matter of which "title" is better but which physician has the most experience with the type of fillers and locations that you want injected. Consult friends and family for recommendations. "This answer has been solicited without seeing this patient and
cannot be held as true medical advice, but only opinion. Seek in-person
treatment with a trained medical professional for appropriate care."

Filler injection is an art.  It is best to get a friend's referral.  Having said that, both Dermatologists and Plastic Surgeons can be quite excellent injectors, depending on their experience and interests.  Check around, call the office and try to get a sense of their expertise in the area.  Get a couple of consultations.  Then decide.