Lateral Canthopexy Technique to be presented by Dr. Rafizadeh at the IASPS Congress in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in Sept 2014.

There is no universal “right” age — the right age depends on the procedure and what's driving the concern. Rhinoplasty is appropriate once the face is fully developed (typically 16+ for girls, 17+ for boys). Lip lift is often best in the 40s and 50s when the upper lip starts to lengthen. Facelift is most commonly performed in the late 50s through the 70s. Dr. Rafizadeh's North Jersey patients span every adult decade; the decision is anatomy-driven, not age-driven.

Look for board certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (not adjacent specialties like “cosmetic surgery”), a substantial volume of the specific procedure you want, a consistent before-and-after gallery, and independent reviews (RealSelf, Google, word of mouth). Ask how often they perform the procedure, what their revision rate is, and whether they use computer simulation during consultation. The right surgeon will answer all of these in concrete terms.

Experience tends to matter more than youth. A surgeon who has performed thousands of facelifts over 30+ years has seen anatomic variations a newer surgeon hasn't, and complications they're better prepared to prevent. The right combination is a surgeon who is experienced enough to have refined their technique and engaged enough to incorporate genuine advances (computer imaging, lighter anesthesia, regional nerve blocks). Dr. Rafizadeh has been in practice in Morristown for 40+ years and continues to attend national and international conferences.

Almost never — what matters is health, not age. Many of Dr. Rafizadeh's North Jersey patients are in their 70s and 80s. The anesthesia plan matters more in this age group: local anesthesia with light sedation (his default for facial procedures) is dramatically safer than general anesthesia for older patients and avoids the cognitive concerns associated with deeper anesthetic exposure.

Board-certified plastic surgeons typically price 20–40% higher than non-plastic-surgery providers (cosmetic surgeons, ENT-only practices, medspas doing surgical procedures). That premium pays for training, accredited facilities, and the lower revision rates that come with experience. In Northern New Jersey, expecting facelift or breast augmentation pricing below $10,000 should prompt questions about who is actually performing the surgery, where, and with what credentials.

A plastic surgeon is board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery after 6–7 years of dedicated residency. “Cosmetic surgeon” is not a recognized specialty by the American Board of Medical Specialties — the term is used by physicians from other backgrounds (ENT, dermatology, OB/GYN, family medicine, even dentistry) who have taken weekend courses in cosmetic procedures. The distinction matters for safety, particularly for surgical procedures.

Don't ask for a procedure based on a celebrity's face — great surgeons design results around your bone structure, not someone else's. Don't ask for an arbitrary cup size or millimeter measurement without context; pre-specifying a number often produces results that don't fit. And don't hide your medical history, medications, or supplements — many of these affect bleeding and healing, and your surgeon needs the full picture to plan safely.