Today’s consumers looking to have cosmetic work done have many procedures to choose from, but some have been shown to be more safe and effective than others. A new study has named what it considers the best cosmetic surgery procedures.
Study author Murad Alam, MD, chief of cutaneous and aesthetic surgery at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, reviewed existing research to identify which procedures have proven to be safe and effective and which ones need more evidence.
“Many treatments gaining popularity are novel techniques that use complex devices, such as lasers and ultrasound, but there is sparse research evaluating their long-term effects,” said Dr. Alam. “We need more prospective studies comparing different treatments for the same problem head-to-head, so doctors and consumers know what’s best and safest.”
After reviewing 98 studies, Alam concluded that the following cosmetic procedures are among the most effective, proven procedures when performed by a trained, board-certified physician:
- Injectable botulinum toxins, which include Botox, Dysport and Xeomin, for smoothing wrinkles
- Liposuction for fat removal
- Lasers for treating broken blood vessels, port wine stains and rosacea
- Lasers for removing brown spots and hair
Of ranking Botox and other botulinum toxins first, Alam said, “These have been around for 20 years and during that entire period, when an approved pharmaceutical product in approved doses is used for cosmetic purposes, there have not been any instances of serious reactions.”
As for liposuction, Alam said that tumescent liposuction has shown to be an especially safe liposuction technique. “The main potential complication, excessive bleeding, simply doesn’t occur with that form of liposuction when appropriate rules are followed because the anesthetic used in the procedure prevents bleeding,” he said.
Some procedures are safe, but more studies are needed on their effectiveness, such as low-level laser light for fat removal, according to Alam.
Others, such as fat freezing, work, said Alam, but it will take several more years to determine if the fat removal is permanent.
Patients should be aware that there may be more than one type of procedure to treat a cosmetic concern. That’s why it is so important to have a skilled cosmetic surgeon or dermatologist. “Experienced physicians can help patients select the treatments that are best for them,” Alam concluded.
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