Social Media Transparency in Plastic Surgery

Plastic surgery is a household name here in Southern California and plastic surgeons are a dime a dozen in Beverly Hills.  Patients often struggle with determining how to best choose a plastic surgeon. At Barrett Plastic Surgery, we strive to exceed our patients’ expectations in service, quality and results but more recently we’ve adopted complete transparency in what we do to benefit our current and potential clients.  This means sharing details about surgical options, post-operative plans, typical results, and in-depth video and social media regarding the actual procedures. Watch a full tummy tuck, breast augmentation or Mommy Makeover. Hit repeat or tap right…you decide!

Why does Dr. Barrett do this?

Today’s patients recognize that they have many more options than in the past and tend to research big purchases and life-changing decisions with a lot more scrutiny. As a result, they actively seek an understanding of the stages involved in a plastic surgery procedure. By outlining the steps I take one by one, I believe I provide potential patients with awareness about whether a procedure is right for them and how I do it better.  At the very least, they know what crucial questions to ask before deciding on a surgeon. Questions like, “Do you use a Keller funnel for silicone breast augmentation? Do you use Exparel for three-day pain relief for your tummy tuck?”

Just like it’s become commonplace to scour the social media outlets of a potential new love interest, many of my patients joke about stalking me before they make the decision to schedule a consultation. In addition to seeing how I work, and why I use the methods I do, they also get a sense of my bedside manner and can determine if working together is a good fit before they ever walk through the office door. That is really important.

How does this benefit YOU?

Even if you don’t fully grasp the details of a procedure you see in one of our videos, you’ll still see the careful attention I give to each of my patients during every step of the surgery. Choosing a cosmetic surgeon—and trusting them with your life and body—is an intimate process. Getting to know my methods and myself in advance of our first meeting tends to make people feel much safer about taking that next step.

In addition, being able to see the same procedure you yourself are considering is not only relatable, but it also allows you to have realistic expectations of the end result. I want my patients to get exactly what they came for. Real, unedited footage of a patient three months after her breast lift or tummy tuck is invaluable to future clients. Does that gummy-bear implant look exactly like you want yours to look? By showing more than just before and after photos, you get to see not only how my patients look but also how they feel about their new body. Many new patients come in with screenshots of the live follow-ups to show me what they want for themselves.

How does working with influencers help achieve transparency?

Influencers align themselves with credible business entities that they think their followers can gain benefit from working with. The audience that follows an influencer often sees them as a trusted advisor and will become curious about how an influencer’s recommendation can possibly better their own lives. The people who have chosen to align themselves with Barrett Plastic surgery have done so primarily because of the stories and educational videos we share online. As a result, their audiences can see first hand the what, why and how of what I do, as well as whether or not they can relate to the pain points of my past clients and get their own cosmetic surgery needs met by coming into our office.

How can transparency impact the industry?

My surgical methods incorporate the latest technology and techniques that benefit the patient, so by posting them for everyone to see, I hope that other doctors will “up their game.” For example, in conjunction with a comprehensive scar management program, I meticulously close all of my breast augmentation incisions with five layers. Every doctor should do this—no one should see your scars!

The lollipop breast lift is another technique I use that is more modern than the anchor method most cosmetic surgeons learn during their training. It delivers a more natural looking breast shape with much less scarring. If you are considering a breast lift, be sure to inquire whether your surgeon is skilled in this type of procedure.

Ultimately, my hope is that the greatest number of plastic surgery patients obtain optimal results, whether they end up becoming my patient or someone else’s.  If more people think favorably of plastic surgery, we all win! I’m proud of the work that I do and the industry in which I chose to do it, so I’m using transparency to ensure that future patients can feel safe in the hands of a professional who operates with full disclosure.

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