By: Quita Lopez, MD

If you’re doing research about plastic surgery online, some of the most useful resources you may find are before and after photo galleries. Written descriptions that accompany cosmetic surgery photos can help you understand what was performed and why, but sometimes these descriptions are overly technical and difficult to understand. I recommend paying close attention to the photos themselves, and educating yourself about what to look for.

If you’re considering facial cosmetic surgery, here’s a brief list of things to consider as you view on-line photo galleries.

Best Practices for Online Photo Galleries

These are the guidelines I share with my staff for taking photos of our Fresno and Visalia plastic surgery patients:

Multiple angles are, in general, a must have. For most facial procedures, there should be a front view and a side view.

The entire face should be photographed (even if, for example, only eyelid surgery was performed). This will show that results are in balance with the rest of the features and that facial harmony is preserved.

The background of both the before and after photo should be the same solid, neutral color.

Lighting should be sufficient and the same in both photographs.

In most instances, patients should have a neutral facial expression.

Makeup and jewelry should not be worn in either photograph.

Hair should be pulled away from the face and tucked behind the ear.

A clear statement that the people depicted are “actual patients” and a disclaimer that “your results may vary” should always be present.

Practical Application

Now, don’t jump to conclusions if not every single one of the photos in the online photo gallery of your cosmetic surgeon follows the rules I’ve mentioned above. What’s more important than getting the lighting “just right” or insisting that patients do not wear makeup is that the photographs are an ac-curate representation of the surgeon’s skill and an indication of the kind of results that can be achieved with each procedure. In other words, the intent of the gallery should be to inform and to educate, not to mislead. If this is the surgeon’s intent in presenting the gallery and if the photos comply with most of these guidelines, then the gallery can be a useful guide in the process of selecting a surgeon and a pro-cedure.