Aesthetic doctor: who is that and how to choose the right one for you

The world of aesthetic medicine may seem a jungle therefore, some key point are needed. The first question should be: who is an aesthetic doctor? What training do they have?

The legal requirements in Italy to have the right to practice in all specialisations, except in radiology and anaesthetics, are a degree in Medicine and a post graduate examination.
Upon graduation it is possible to enrol in optional specialisation courses. In order to be admitted to these programs medical graduates must pass a national concours. The specialist title certifies that the knowledge in a certain area has been deepened for several years. However, even without the post-graduate specialist training, anyone in possess of medical degree, can carry out all kinds of treatments, from lifting up to heart transplant. Especially in aesthetic medicine there are often physicians who practice without any specific training or titles. Who is an aesthetic doctor?
• a medical doctor (that is a medical graduate) who has received a specialist training in the field of aesthetic medicine. This can be a Master or a course managed by scientific societies. The latter manage schools, where the nominal duration of the training is four years and which are therefore, equivalent to specialisation schools. These train specialists in the treatments such as fillers, botox, mesotherapy, laser treatments, peelings and bio-revitalization.
• A medical doctor who has received a five-year training from a post-graduate specialisation school and has obtained the qualification of “Specialist in Plastic reconstructive and aesthetic surgery”.
A serious and competent aesthetic doctor knows all existing methods practiced in this field. He or she, with experience and professional knowledge, guides the patient through the whole process of choosing the best suitable treatment for each aesthetic problem. Unlike other physicians, an aesthetic doctor treats a healthy patient. This is why a strong preparation is crucial, as it helps to prevent, know and recognize any kind of eventual post-treatment complications. Here are some guidelines to rely on when choosing a physician:
• Do not hurry and get all possible information first: an article in a newspaper or an interview on TV do not determine the ability of a physician.
• Check the physician’s professional and educational background. Decades-long experiences are certainly important. However, aesthetic medicine is a field that is evolving continuously and fast, and new more efficient and less invasive methods are developed every year. If a physician does not feel the need to grow his or her knowledge through seminars, professional courses in Italy and abroad, they risk to use always the same obsolete and invasive techniques.
• Say “no” to pre-mixed beauty: a treatment should make the patient feel better, give a natural result without exaggerations. Showgirls, models are not “real” and the television tricks are just as magic as retouched pictures.
There is no doubt: the true secret for taking good care of ourselves lies within the unity of beauty and psychophysical wellbeing!