Already have a pass?
Find a surgeon
A woman talking with a clinician in a consultation room

How to choose a plastic surgeon

Start with the register, then experience, then the consultation, then the price. Here's the order that saves time and worry.

4 min read · Updated 18 Oct 2026 · Surgeon Shortlist editorial team

The most reliable way to choose a plastic surgeon is to confirm they hold specialist registration in the field that covers your procedure, check they perform that procedure regularly, and confirm no current sanction. Price, location and social media are not reliable signals. Here is what to check, in order.

Start with the register

Choosing a plastic surgeon can feel overwhelming. There are endless websites, adverts and review pages, and they all sound confident. The simplest way through is to take things in order, starting with the one fact you can confirm yourself: whether the surgeon is a specialist plastic surgeon on the official register in the country where they operate.

On the register, you're looking for three things.

  • They are currently registered or licensed where they operate.
  • Plastic surgery is shown as their specialty, in that country's wording.
  • Whether any conditions, warnings or restrictions appear, and what they say.

Titles alone can mislead. In the UK, “cosmetic surgeon” isn't a protected title, while in Australia it has been restricted since 2023. Our guide to cosmetic or plastic surgeon? explains why, and how to check if a surgeon is registered shows where to look. The credentials glossary explains the letters after a name, and for the US, read what “board certified” means.

Then look at experience with your procedure

Registration confirms training. It doesn't tell you how often a surgeon performs the operation you want. Ask how many they do, how recently, and whether you can see before and after photos of their own patients. If you're considering a facelift, how to choose a facelift surgeon has questions specific to that operation.

In the UK and Ireland you'll often see the word “consultant”. It's a useful clue, but it isn't the same as a register entry. What is a consultant plastic surgeon? explains the difference.

Have a surgeon in mind?See what the official register says about them in about a minute.Check a surgeon

Use the consultation to decide

A consultation is your chance to interview the surgeon. Ask who will operate, what can go wrong and what happens then, and what aftercare is included. Take our questions to ask at your first consultation, and notice whether your questions are answered clearly or brushed aside.

Give yourself time. The NHS says you should have two consultations with the surgeon treating you before any surgery, which gives you a cooling-off period, normally two weeks in the UK.

Then compare the price

Compare prices only once the credentials check out. BAPRAS says paying more for an operation does not guarantee that a surgeon is better qualified. Ask for a written, itemised quote and look for what's left out. Our guide to what a facelift price should include works for most procedures.

Red flags

  • Pressure to book quickly, or a discount for booking on the day.
  • You never meet the surgeon who will operate, only a coordinator or salesperson.
  • Vague answers about which register they're on, or in what specialty.
  • No clear plan for aftercare or complications.
  • A “top doctor” award or ranking you can't trace to a published, independent process.

Rankings and review sites are often paid for. Read who pays for reviews, rankings and directories and what to check instead of a “best” list.

If you're travelling for surgery

Check the surgeon on the register of the country where they operate, not where the clinic advertises. Then plan the recovery before the flights. Our guides cover surgery abroad, flying after cosmetic surgery and revision surgery after surgery abroad.

Checking a plastic surgeon by country

Each country keeps its own register and uses its own words for plastic surgery. Start with the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, the United States or Canada, or see all the countries we cover. Or check a plastic surgeon's registration with us, free, with every source labelled.

Common questions

What is a specialist plastic surgeon?

A specialist plastic surgeon is a doctor who has completed accredited specialist training in plastic surgery and is recognised in that specialty by an official body. Examples are plastic surgery on the GMC specialist register in the UK, specialist registration with Ahpra in Australia, and certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery in the US.

Source: General Medical Council, Ahpra, American Board of Plastic Surgery

What is the difference between a cosmetic surgeon and a plastic surgeon?

A plastic surgeon has completed recognised specialist training in plastic surgery and appears on an official specialist register or board. “Cosmetic surgeon” describes the work a doctor does and, in the UK and many other countries, is not a protected title. Australia is the exception: since 2023 only doctors with specialist surgical registration may use it.

Source: Royal College of Surgeons of England, Medical Board of Australia

What questions should I ask a plastic surgeon at a consultation?

Ask which register they are on and in what specialty, how many of your procedure they have done, who will operate, what can go wrong and what happens then, and what the price includes. The NHS suggests asking about qualifications, experience, complications and aftercare, and says to have two consultations before any surgery.

Source: NHS

Sources

This guide is general information, not medical advice.