For a facelift, board certification in a relevant surgical specialty is an important safety screen, not just a title. Reviews can be helpful, but they do not verify surgical training, complication management, anesthesia safety, or whether the surgeon is operating within a formally recognized scope. If the doctor is not board certified, ask which board they are certified by, what specialty training they completed, whether they have hospital privileges, where the surgery is performed, who provides anesthesia, and to see many unedited facelift before-and-after photos. If the answers are unclear, it is safer to choose a board-certified plastic surgeon or facial plastic surgeon who performs facelifts routinely.