If you’re considering cosmetic surgery, it is important that your surgeon is a highly qualified, highly trained professional. You need to make sure that your prospective surgeon is board certified and is experienced performing the procedure you desire.

There are a few different boards that certify plastic and cosmetic surgeons such as the:
· American Board of Plastic Surgery
· American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
· American Board of Cosmetic Surgery

With plastic and cosmetic surgery, there are different areas of medicine that overlap one another. A double-board certified plastic surgeon, like Harvard-trained plastic surgeon Dr. Babak Azizzadeh , is someone who is double board certified. Plastic surgery is a specialty by itself, and also in conjunction with another area of specialty, such as ear, nose and throat surgery (otolaryngology).

A board-certified otolaryngologist, for example, can also be a certified plastic surgeon with the head and neck. Head and neck plastic surgery is a subspecialty of general plastic surgery. Consequently, there is a wide range of board-certified surgeons who specialize in different areas of medicine and practice as plastic and cosmetic surgeons.