Hispanic, African-American, and Asian patients account for over 21% of cosmetic surgery patients nationally, and in cities like Baltimore that are also home to Arabic and Mediterranean patients, those numbers are even higher.

Until lately, most cosmetic surgery approaches were developed to enhance the Caucasian face, and may fail to address the unique concerns of ethnic Americans. Fortunately, new approaches allow patients at my Baltimore plastic surgery practice to take advantage of cosmetic surgery options carefully tailored to retain and compliment their ethnicity.

Retain Your Natural Look

As a person who is proud of their ethnic identity, it’s important to you that your Baltimore facelift clarifies the natural beauty inherent in your features, rather than replacing your look according to a standard that does not make sense for your facial features.

A good plastic surgeon will appreciate this desire, and be able to plan an approach that will take into account the natural benefits of your facial contour, like higher cheekbones or a specific nose shape, as well as address problems like sagging eyelid and neck skin, which affect most people in similar ways.

To find out if your surgeon is capable to meet this need:

• Ask for photos of previous patients. A gallery of people who look nothing like you suggests that your surgeon has limited experience adapting procedures to a range of facial structures.
• Inquire about training and qualifications. Surgeons certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery have to prove their skill and knowledge in head-to-toe cosmetic and reconstructive approaches, and spend years in surgical residencies to expand their skills. A surgeon thoroughly trained in a variety of procedures will be more likely to approach your needs on an individual basis.

Prevent Scarring

Darker skin tends to change pigmentation and scar more easily, with the formation of keloid scars a particular concern for African American patients. During a consultation, you should ask what steps your surgeon will take to make sure your surgery minimizes the kind of tissue damage that makes scars more obvious. For instance, many African American women have concerns that Baltimore breast enhancements such as breast reduction might cause abnormal scarring because breast tissues are thinner.

Some surgical approaches create more scarring than others, so compare results in surgeons’ patient photos and ask your surgeon about different surgical approaches that can minimize both tissue trauma and scarring. A few laser treatments can help correct scarring when it does occur.

Maintain Healthy, Dark Skin

Older laser treatments tended to be ineffective or harmful for darker skin, but new laser technology can actually help minimize scarring and correct pigmentation problems for a wide cross-section of patients. Levulan® Photodynamic therapy and V-Beam® laser treatments are both gentle and effective on darker-skinned patients, and laser hair removal options allow ethnic patients to permanently reduce the amount of unwanted hair.

For the physical characteristics you would like to improve, you deserve to put your trust in a surgeon who values your natural look and takes your skin color and tissue structure into account. Take the time to ask the right questions, and you will be much more likely to get the kind of results you want.

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